Political Morsels and Other Droppings

As you have read or heard, Justice Souter is going to retire this year.  Selected by a Republican, Justice Souter has been one of the more liberal faces of the Supreme Court albeit, not too liberal.  His vacancy leads the first of a potential three nominations that President Obama will make for a Supreme Court Justice.   As we have seen with Alito and Roberts, the nomination has to be approved by Congress. Already, Senators Leahy and Specter have weighed in with what they would like to see in the next Supreme Court Justice.  They both have mentioned that the next Justice does not have to be someone who is currently sitting on a bench somewhere.  It is true that the nomination does not have to be a judge.  Hell, my big toe could be nominated. 

No matter who the nominee is, the person should not have heavy ties in either political party.  Supreme Court Justices are supposed to be politically neutral, as a way of safeguarding crazy interpretations of our Constitution.  That’s part of the reason why Supreme Court Justices are not elected.  With that said, opinions are like assholes- we all have one.  No matter who is selected, they are going to lean, at least, slightly, in one philosophical direction or another in terms of how the Constitution should be interpreted.  Also, they will their own personal opinions on topics ranging from abortion to gay marriage. (Keep in mind, though, marriage is a state issue, not a federal one.) Religion can also play a role into a person’s belief system.  However, a good Supreme Court Justice should be able to separate his/her own personal beliefs from those dictated in the Constitution.  We have the nomination process to determine if the judge will be able to carry on the direction our forefathers set when they created the Constitution, or if they’ll go off the deep end like Scalia…. I seriously can’t stand that guy. 

I do feel that although I am content with the nominee not being a judge, it must be someone who has studied Constitutional Law and has passed the Bar.  I don’t feel that someone who has supported or been a part of any political campaign should have a chance at the seat.  Again, the Supreme Court is supposed to be neutral and the leadership in Washington needs to maintain that level of neutrality.  This is one of those times that the Democrats, who have majority, need to ensure that they don’t pick someone who’s a heavy liberal.  It will come to bit them in the ass if they do so.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | Constitution, Justice Souter, Obama, Senator Leahy, Senator Specter, Supreme Court Justice