T H U R S D A Y , J U L Y 2 1 , 2 0 0 5Senate Gang of 14: Fillibuster On RobertsUnlikelyby Michael in New York on 7/21/2005 03:30:00 PMThe NYT quotes some Dems saying that Supreme Courtnominee John Roberts isn't extremist enough to justify afillibuster.</p><p> So say hello to your new Supreme Court Justice.Some thoughts: the NYT also has a very lengthy profile thatpaints Roberts as a life-long conservative, but perhaps apragmatic one.</p><p> No one from his childhood or college days seeshim as particularly extremist or firebrand-ish -- I haven't madeup my mind but it's all food for thought and certainly betterthan hearing he is a wacko.Lots of people keep mentioning the fact that more than 150Republican and Democratic lawyers supported his confirmationas an appellate judge -- implying that if you supported himthen you have to support him now.</p><p> No way.</p><p> If you thinksomeone would make a solid Congressman or Senator, doesthat mean you HAVE to believe they'd make a good President?Of course not.</p><p> The Presidency is a whole new ball of wax andso is the Supreme Court.And why is it so outrageous to ask a nominees opinions onsome of the landmark cases that have come before the Courtin the past 100 years? Any first year law student can talk aboutthem intelligently and at length, point to ones they disagreewith, explain which arguments on which side appealed to themand so on.</p><p> Shouldn't a Supreme Court Justice be able to do thesame?This is not about future cases that might come before them.This is about LANDMARK cases that serve as the bedrock of ourcountry's laws -- Roe V Wade, Brown V Board of education, theoverturning of Texas's sodomy laws.</p><p> Don't people have theright to know if a nominee believes states can legally denywomen the right to vote or segregate bathrooms for blacks andwhites or throw ten percent of the population in jail becausethey're gay? Don't people have the right to know if nomineesbelieve past rulings that said the government could pass lawsprotecting the environment were wrong and they would havenot ruled the same? None of this has to do with future cases --it has to do with the past.Clarence Thomas made the absurd claim that he had noopinion on Roe V Wade.</p><p> I say anyone who claims they have noopinion on any major (or even minor) case decided by theSupreme Court is either lying because their beliefs are radicaland extremist or they are so utterly incurious about the lawand the Supreme Court that no one in their right mind wouldwant such a person on the court.This goes for every nominee from now until the end of time --if they can't intelligently discuss landmark Supreme Courtcases, they don't deserve the job.</p><p> And if they can't name aSupreme Court ruling (or three) that they disagreed with andwhy, they don't deserve the job.</p><p> Period.</p><p> I can do that and theclosest I ever got to studying law was watching "Perry Mason"reruns.</p><p> HuffPost PoliticsHuckabee's Huck Pac In Turmoil With StaffTurnover, Mounting Debts - Former Arkansas Gov.Mike Huckabee's political action committee, HuckPac, is undergoing a "restructuring," ExecutiveDirector Sarah Huckabee said Wednesday....1 hour ago Ben SmithGoing small - My story tonight: President BarackObama came alive about 50 minutes intoWednesday nightās news conference ā whensomebo1 hour ago FiredoglakeLate Late Night FDL: What Eclipse? - A new videofrom Fatoumata Diawara, and and oldie from Bob.2 hours ago Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Today, srkp23(pulling a double shift), ybruti, taylormattd,ItsJessMe and vcmvo2 combed through hundredsof diaries to find this powerful list.</p><p> Today's...2 hours ago EschatonOvernight - Folk On.</p><p> Newish.3 hours agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V Next 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Senate...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/senate-gang-of-14-ļ¬llibus... 1 of 57/23/09 3:16 AMVisit ourAMERICAblog TV site.see all 322 videos >I collect with vodpod In honor of SenatorDeMint For the GOPers, healthcare is politics.</p><p> They just Traditional media has todebunk the birthers One small step...</p><p> The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, inAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Senate...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/senate-gang-of-14-ļ¬llibus... 2 of 57/23/09 3:16 AMThe TreatmentObama Has a Grown-UpTalk With America(Gulp)3 hours agoEzra KleinTab Dump7 hours agoWonk RoomSen.</p><p> Byron Dorgan:The āTradeā InCap-And-Trade āMakesNo Sense To Meā8 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .9 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' ProposalsG AY P O L I T I C S Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S Blog RSS AMERICAblog TV RSS Twitter RSSTwitter Feed Get the blog by email: Subscribe me! 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