ABC News: Obama SC pick may have "empathy" and be counter balance to Scalia

[book_worm]

President Obama is poised to choose a Supreme Court nominee as soon as Tuesday, or possibly by the end of the week.

The White House is expected to fill the Supreme Court vacancy this week.The president is expected to tap a woman to fill retiring Justice David Souter's spot.

Sources close to the selection process say the short list's leading contenders are federal appeals court judges Sonia Sotomayor and Diane Wood, and Solicitor General Elena Kagan.

But after some comments from the president over the weekend, the top candidates on the short list may be dwindling.

"What I want is not just ivory tower learning. I want somebody who has the intellectual firepower but also a little bit of a common touch and a practical sense of how the world works," Obama said in an interview over the weekend, during which he made clear that his nominee will have to bring more to the bench than mere legal expertise.

Search for Replacement is On"Those criteria of common sense, practicality, a sense of what ordinary Americans are going through every day … putting that in the mix, when judges are looking at cases before them, is very important," he said.

Obama also stressed that his court pick must have empathy among his or her chief qualities, and be able to serve as a counter balance to Justice Antonin Scalia

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7668848&page=1

[RufusTFirefly]

1. Any nominee with an actual heart will be a counterbalance to Fat Tony. n/t

[Wapsie B]

2. Counterbalance? I want someone who will give Scalia and Roberts fits of rage.

[book_worm]

5. counterbalance? doesn't that mean somebody on the opposite of Scalia

so hopefully it would be somebody who would cause Scalia to rage, since I'm sure he rages at anybody who disagrees with him.

[cali]

9. he and Ginsberg are close friends- so close that their families

have often spent holidays together. Or so I've read.

[malaise]

3. Only one word is necessary

JUSTICE - which derives from the word just.

1. The quality of being just; fairness.
2.
a. The principle of moral rightness; equity.
b. Conformity to moral rightness in action or attitude; righteousness.
c. The upholding of what is just, especially fair treatment and due reward in accordance with honor, standards, or law.
d. Law The administration and procedure of law.
e. A judge.
f. A justice of the peace.
3.
a. The upholding of what is just, especially fair treatment and due reward in accordance with honor, standards, or law.
b. Law The administration and procedure of law.
c. A judge.
d. A justice of the peace.
4. Conformity to truth, fact, or sound reason: The overcharged customer was angry, and with justice.
5. Abbr. J. Law
a. A judge.
b. A justice of the peace.



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Empathy is good and just.

edit numbers

[backscatter712]

4. What pisses me off is that "empathy", despite being admirable, is being lampooned by the GOP.

I hope Obama has some strategy for getting his justice confirmed.

Bush, for example, would start by nominating a raving lunatic, like Harriet Myers, watch as Congress screams bloody murder, then he would be "disappointed", withdraw the raving lunatic from nomination, and send forward his real candidate. And since the real candidate, despite being another right-wing nut, would be framed as the compromise nominee, the Dems would be under immense pressure to fold. And that's how we got stuck with Roberts and Alito.

I wonder if that tactic works going the other way...

[blue_onyx]

6. I think it's best to just pick who he wants

The GOP will complain about anyone. The best strategy, IMO, is to make the pick and then vehemently defend that pick from the BS that the Republicans will throw.

[Mojambo]

7. "Empathy" and "feelings" are the reason why we have human beings DO this job.

You take out that component and we could have a computer program replace the Court.

Supreme Court XP version 2.0

[Thrill]

10. His nominee should watch Roberts confimation and use the same playbook

.That prick rarely answered the questions

[RufusTFirefly]

11. Republicans are empathy-challenged. That's what makes them tick. n/t

[spanone]

8. shouldn't every human being have empathy?

the republic/media destroy and mock an absolutely fantastic quality that a person should possess

[RufusTFirefly]

12. I'm sorry. Ask again?

[pacalo]

14. The last 8 years have taught me that at least 30% of this country has no empathy or common sense.

[Horse with no Name]

13. Two words for the bastard fascist fucks

NUCLEAR.OPTION.