The Nation: Liu confirmation "should be a no-brainer."

[usregimechange]

For decades, Republicans made judicial selection a priority and set the terms of debate. We've all heard the denunciations of "judicial activism," the insistence on "strict construction" and the scorn heaped on judges who "legislate from the bench." These catch-phrases were promoted as "principled" means of attacking the progressive Warren Court. In reality, they were tools for opening the bench to judges who would favor employers over employees, big corporations over little people, prosecutors over defendants, government over individuals, polluters over environmentalists and white civil rights plaintiffs over affirmative action for minorities. As Chief Justice John Roberts and his four conservative colleagues recently demonstrated by opening the floodgates for corporate dollars to flow into our political system, they have shed any pretense of judicial modesty and are pursuing their ideological agenda full tilt...

Fortunately, the president has picked up the pace of nominations, selecting Goodwin Liu for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Liu, a leading education and civil rights scholar, is one of Obama's few Appeals Court candidates not simply being promoted from a lower court or building on a career as a prosecutor. His confirmation should be a no-brainer, but Republicans are gearing up to do battle. They see Liu as a threat to move up to the Supreme Court and as a challenge to their phony rhetoric. They also recognize that confirmation of Liu could give Obama room to nominate a progressive successor to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who is expected to retire soon.

Will Obama step up to the challenge? He is showing signs of spunk. He fired a shot across the Supreme Court's bow in his State of the Union address. After his energizing victory on healthcare, he bypassed Senate Republicans to recess-appoint controversial nominees to labor and civil rights positions. And he surely understands what is at stake. As FDR learned, conservative judges on a mission pose a serious threat to a president who wants to bring about democratic change. Obama must be bold in nominating judges who will impose the rule of law to protect individual liberty, equality, privacy and our political system. His legacy depends on it.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100419/editors


Previous posts

Progressives to rejoice, Obama nominates Goodwin Liu (Thu Feb-25-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7789498

Editorial: Liu is more than qualified to serve on appeals court (Mon Mar-01-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7816130

Fox News composes a hit piece on Obama nominee Goodwin Liu (Fri Mar-05-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7846137

Oakland Tribune: Obama judicial nominee already a target (Sat Mar-06-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7854860

9th Circuit candidate's career marked by rapid ascent, wide-ranging roles (Goodwin Liu) (Wed Mar-10-10)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-goodwin-liu9-2010mar09,0,1301596.story

AP: Young appeals court nominee raises liberal hopes (Sun Mar-14-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7912313

Testimony of Professor Goodwin Liu on the Nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. January 10, 2006 (Tue Mar-16-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7925476&mesg_id=7925476

San Francisco Chronicle: Obama nominee Goodwin Liu an unassuming man (Tue Mar-16-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7929953

Senate Judiciary Committee schedules Goodwin Liu nomination hearing (Tue Mar-16-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7930102

WP: Law professor Goodwin Liu may be test case for Obama judicial picks (Mon Mar-22-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7985276

ABC: SCOTUS Battle Quietly Brews, Contentious Hearing for Lower Court Nominee to Foreshadow (Mon Mar-22-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7985782

Ring-wing response to video threatens Obama judicial nominee (Mon Mar-22-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7986200

Websites form to support the nomination of Goodwin Liu (Tue Mar-23-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7992722

LAT: Controversy Over Obama Judge, GOP "preparing to mount an assault" (Tue Mar-23-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8000730

Senate Judiciary postpones the Goodwin Liu hearing "due to Republican objection" (Wed Mar-24-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8010610

Senator Patrick Leahy Press Release: Republican Objections Now Stall Even Committee Progress (Thu Mar-25-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8012621

Thomas Goldstein: A Hearing to Define "Mainstream" Judicial Views (Thu Mar-25-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8012997

Goodwin Liu Hearing Rescheduled for April 16 (Sat Mar-27-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8028717

NYT: An Exceptional Nominee (Sun Mar-28-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x526591

Majority of D.A.s in state oppose Obama nominee (Wed Mar-31-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8055635

Senator Hatch: Goodwin liu "a controversial nominee" because his views "appear to be pretty liberal" (Wed Mar-31-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8056270

Stanford Daily: Liu ‘91 turned to service on Farm (Thu Apr-01-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8065314

Media Matters: Fox News falsely claims Liu says "reparations on the table" (Thu Apr-01-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8065447

BLT: Conservatives Aim at 9th Circuit Nominee's Questionnaire (Thu Apr-01-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8071363

[gratuitous]

1. Which is, of course, why the Republicans will oppose it

But I look forward to the committee hearing where dimbulb Senators try to match wits with Liu and find they've brought a knife to a gun fight. A rubber knife.

[usregimechange]

2. Won't be long, 4/16/2010

[gratuitous]

3. Yeah, it was originally set just before the recess

But the Republicans had some very important grandstanding to do, and make sure that people who needed help couldn't get it for a while.