O'Connor to Retire

[toasty]

Oh shit

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&u=/ap/20050701/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_o_connor_4

[thesightless]

Re: O'Connor to Retire

you know what, im glad this is going to happen, i think that most of the legal cases (outside of civil rights like abortion) should be handled by a more conservative judgeship. just look at the recent decisions about the emminent domain etc. im all for smaller, less involved gov't. just provide us with what we really need and stay away from regulating everything. during clinton's admin, the court was conservative. now its liberal and obviously things arent getting better. conserv courts+moderate pres+ liberal congress is the best combo i can think of.

[superdave]

Re: O'Connor to Retire

This is going to be a good fight and I'm looking forward to this battle.

It sounds if Bush doesn't fight for a strong conservative candidate then his base is going to be upset with him. And I don't see the Democrats being happy with any candidate he recommends.

[pacific493]

Re: O'Connor to Retire

I'll be glad when it's over. The dems really need to recognize that they have no good outcome with this...if they shoot down one far right candidate, he/she will be replaced with another and another. IMHO they should put up a good fight, but suck up the fact that Bush is going to replace SOC with someone they aren't going to like.

[eye-p]

Re: O'Connor to Retire

you know what, im glad this is going to happen, i think that most of the legal cases (outside of civil rights like abortion) should be handled by a more conservative judgeship. just look at the recent decisions about the emminent domain etc. im all for smaller, less involved gov't. just provide us with what we really need and stay away from regulating everything. during clinton's admin, the court was conservative. now its liberal and obviously things arent getting better. conserv courts+moderate pres+ liberal congress is the best combo i can think of.

You are aware that 6 of the 9 on SCOTUS were appointed by Republicans right? Rehnquist is a Republican, as is O'Connor. So, that lovely Emminent Domain ruling WAS done by a conservative court. Also, the court added Clarence Tomas during Clinton, making it more conservative, not less. Are you sure you are an attorney? Shouldnt you know these things?

Also, in case you were in some way misinformed, Rebublicans ARE NOT for smaller government. At all. This is just another common misconception. Remember, Reagan ran up the highest defecits EVER. Then, poppy Bush topped Reagan with outrageous spending.

Of course, Bush Jr has spent more, and increased the size of the govt faster than any President in history. Ever.

And all this is for non-military spending. Factor that in, and the Republicans look like drunken sailors with an Am-Ex card.

BTW, the only president to see contraction of govt in the last 50 years? Clinton. A Democrat.

Sightless, please stop watching Fox News.

[Pataky P]

Re: O'Connor to Retire

Thanks the link brother!!I like it!

[pacific493]

Re: O'Connor to Retire

You are aware that 6 of the 9 on SCOTUS were appointed by Republicans right? Rehnquist is a Republican, as is O'Connor. So, that lovely Emminent Domain ruling WAS done by a conservative court. Also, the court added Clarence Tomas during Clinton, making it more conservative, not less. Are you sure you are an attorney? Shouldnt you know these things?

Also, in case you were in some way misinformed, Rebublicans ARE NOT for smaller government. At all. This is just another common misconception. Remember, Reagan ran up the highest defecits EVER. Then, poppy Bush topped Reagan with outrageous spending.

Of course, Bush Jr has spent more, and increased the size of the govt faster than any President in history. Ever.

And all this is for non-military spending. Factor that in, and the Republicans look like drunken sailors with an Am-Ex card.

BTW, the only president to see contraction of govt in the last 50 years? Clinton. A Democrat.

Sightless, please stop watching Fox News.

Eye-P...a few things. Thomas was a Bush 41 appointee. Clinton appointed Breyer and Ginsburg. Actually 7 of 9 justices were republican appointees...Breyer and Ginsburg are the only dem appointees. Even though the numbers stack up that way, Souter and Stevens are pretty much universally regarded as lying on the liberal side of the Supreme Court. Stevens was appointed in the days when the republican party was quite different than it is today. Souter was a fluke.

The court is decidedly conservative, but the four "liberals" vote together often enough that it only takes Kennedy or O'Connor (or even Scalia sometimes) to result in "liberal" opinions.

The eminent domain opinion was a result of the liberal wing of the court voting together along with one of the cons (can't remember if it was O'Connor or Kennedy).

There are republicans out there who are for smaller government. However, they are not the republicans in control these days. The Bush/Rove republicans are less interested in smaller government as they are in amassing power. Unfortunately, governmental power is not amassed by cutting government, but by increasing its size and financial outlays.

The most depressing thing about Bush's tenure is that he has increased the government largely for political reasons...prescriptions drugs and homeland security have less to do with helping seniors and making us secure, than they do with winning political points either for republicans or against democrats. It's depressing because the one thing I had hoped for when Bush won was that we would actually see a reduction in the size of government and maybe even the elimination or severe scaling back of some of the executive branch departments. Unfortunately, we've only seen their increase.

The insanity of it all to me is that we have systematically cut revenue while raising spending...that to me is absolutely insance and fiscally dangerous.

[eye-p]

Re: O'Connor to Retire

my mistake(s).

So 7 of 9 are Repub appointees? Scalia is the biggest wingnut of them all, so if he is writing "liberal" opinions, that, to me, shows just how far right the country has gone.

As for the Emminent Domain ruling, Rehnquist will eventually decide what cases SCOTUS even hears, so that is that.

The funny thing about todays political climate is that the Right has actually convinced the public that they are fiscally conservative. In reality, the last three republican presidents have expanded the government so much, that even FDR would be shocked.

Defecit spending will be the ruin of this country, and GWB has done more of it than any president in history.

[pacific493]

Re: O'Connor to Retire

my mistake(s).

So 7 of 9 are Repub appointees? Scalia is the biggest wingnut of them all, so if he is writing "liberal" opinions, that, to me, shows just how far right the country has gone.

As for the Emminent Domain ruling, Rehnquist will eventually decide what cases SCOTUS even hears, so that is that.

The funny thing about todays political climate is that the Right has actually convinced the public that they are fiscally conservative. In reality, the last three republican presidents have expanded the government so much, that even FDR would be shocked.

Defecit spending will be the ruin of this country, and GWB has done more of it than any president in history.

I use "liberal" in quotes because Scalia has been in the majority in opinions that many conservatives don't like...such as Texas v. Johnson which held that flag burning is constitutionally protected speech. He's really not that much of a wingnut. If you read his opinions, he has fairly consistent themes that I have a hard time disagreeing with.

Rhenquist does not get to decide what cases the SCT hears. The entire court decides which cases are heard...it takes 4 justices to grant cert in a given case.

I agree with the canard of today's republican party being fiscally conservative. It's a joke.