| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"johac" |
| Date: |
02 Oct 2004 03:43:57 AM |
| Object: |
OT: Next President Could Get to Reshape High Court |
Anybody need another reason to vote for Kerry? Think about a 6-3 fundy
majority on the US Supreme Court.
---
Next President Could Get to Reshape High Court
Fri Oct 1,10:30 AM ET
By James Vicini
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The winner of the presidential election could
reshape the Supreme Court and could have a long-lasting impact on
important issues such as abortion, gay marriages and church-state
separation.
Political and legal experts said the next president could make several
appointments over the next four years and could shift the balance of
power on the closely divided court, which generally has been
controlled by a 5-4 conservative majority.
Although the Supreme Court has not emerged as a major issue in the
campaign, President Bush (news - web sites) and his Democratic rival,
Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), have expressed sharply contrasting
views on the type of judges they would appoint.
Bush said at the Republican Convention in New York that he supports
judges who strictly interpret the law, while Kerry has vowed to
appoint judges who "protect our rights and liberties."
"The makeup of the Supreme Court could well be one of the next
president's most lasting and far-reaching legacies," said Ralph Neas
of the liberal advocacy group People for the American Way Foundation.
The conservative Family Research Council agreed. Its president, Tony
Perkins, said the court's future composition was very important, even
though it has been overshadowed as a campaign issue by the economy and
the government's war on terrorism.
Bush has cited Justices Antonin Scalia (news - web sites) and Clarence
Thomas (news - web sites), widely regarded as two of the court's most
conservative members, as models for his appointments.
In contrast, Kerry in a recent Time magazine interview cited his
Senate vote to confirm Scalia as one of his regrets. Referring to the
November election, Kerry said, "The Supreme Court of the United States
is at stake."
Although no one knows for sure whether there will be any vacancies
over the next four years, legal experts said the odds of a retirement
appear to be increasing, given the advancing age of the three oldest
justices.
MOST STABILITY SINCE 1823
The last change in the court's composition took place more than 10
years ago with the confirmation of Justice Stephen Breyer (news - web
sites). It has been the longest period of stability since 1823.
The experts said the most likely candidates to retire over the next
four years would be the oldest justices -- Justice John Paul Stevens
(news - web sites), 84; Chief Justice William Rehnquist (news - web
sites), who turned 80 on Friday; and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (news
- web sites), 74.
"If and when someone leaves, politics will have a lot to do with it,"
Washington attorney Tom Goldstein said. Rehnquist and O'Connor would
be more likely to leave if Bush wins while Stevens would be more
inclined to depart if Kerry wins.
"I would think that all three will be around for a couple of years.
They are not anxious to walk away from their job," said Goldstein, a
court-watcher who has argued cases before the justices.
Rehnquist, Scalia and Thomas are the court's most conservative
members, O'Connor and Justice Anthony Kennedy (news - web sites) are
more moderate conservatives who often cast the decisive votes.
The court's more liberal faction consists of Justices Stevens, David
Souter (news - web sites), Ruth Bader Ginsburg (news - web sites) and
Breyer.
Possible Bush choices for the Supreme Court include federal appeals
court judges Michael Luttig and J. Harvie Wilkinson of Virginia,
Samuel Alito of New Jersey, Emilio Garza and Edith Jones of Texas and
John Roberts in Washington.
Kerry's choices for the Supreme Court could include federal appeals
court judges Sonia Sotomayor of New York, Jose Cabranes in
Connecticut, Sandra Lynch in Boston and David Tatel and Merrick
Garland in Washington.
Duke University law professor Erwin Chemerinsky said the nominees that
either Bush or Kerry select could depend on what happens in the
November elections in the Senate. Any Supreme Court nominees must be
confirmed by the Senate.
---
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=615&ncid=703&e=1&u=/nm/
20041001/pl_nm/campaign_court_dc
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
-The ability to change one's mind, ideas, and opinions when confronted with
new facts is the sign of the rational and intelligent. The inability to do
so is the hallmark of the dimwitted and the fanatic. This applies not only
to science and philosophy, but also to politics.-
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| User: "raven1" |
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| Title: Re: OT: Next President Could Get to Reshape High Court |
02 Oct 2004 07:13:25 AM |
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On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 01:43:57 -0700, johac <jhachm@ixpresremove.com>
wrote:
Anybody need another reason to vote for Kerry? Think about a 6-3 fundy
majority on the US Supreme Court.
Not to mention a draft.
.
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| User: "John Hachmann" |
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| Title: Re: OT: Next President Could Get to Reshape High Court |
04 Oct 2004 12:45:47 AM |
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In article <mo6tl05qdkdsp96fejishkcee38115nr66@4ax.com>,
raven1 <quoththeraven@nevermore.com> wrote:
On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 01:43:57 -0700, johac <jhachm@ixpresremove.com>
wrote:
Anybody need another reason to vote for Kerry? Think about a 6-3 fundy
majority on the US Supreme Court.
Not to mention a draft.
Or they'll just keep on extending the tours for reservists until we have
60 and 70 year old codgers fighting in Iraq.
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
-The ability to change one's mind, ideas, and opinions when confronted with
new facts is the sign of the rational and intelligent. The inability to do
so is the hallmark of the dimwitted and the fanatic. This applies not only
to science and philosophy, but also to politics.-
.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: OT: Next President Could Get to Reshape High Court |
04 Oct 2004 12:05:41 AM |
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On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 12:13:25 GMT, raven1 <quoththeraven@nevermore.com>
wrote:
On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 01:43:57 -0700, johac <jhachm@ixpresremove.com>
wrote:
Anybody need another reason to vote for Kerry? Think about a 6-3 fundy
majority on the US Supreme Court.
Not to mention a draft.
From the further leaching of intelligence.
**
Contempt of Congress meter reading-offscale.
Vote for Bush. Why vote for the lesser of two evils?
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| User: "Fred Stone" |
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| Title: Re: OT: Next President Could Get to Reshape High Court |
02 Oct 2004 10:15:13 AM |
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raven1 <quoththeraven@nevermore.com> wrote in
news:mo6tl05qdkdsp96fejishkcee38115nr66@4ax.com:
On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 01:43:57 -0700, johac <jhachm@ixpresremove.com>
wrote:
Anybody need another reason to vote for Kerry? Think about a 6-3 fundy
majority on the US Supreme Court.
Not to mention a draft.
The Democrats want a draft, not the Republicans. Just look up who actually
is sponsoring the bill in the Congress.
--
Fred Stone
aa# 1369
Cthulhu for President! Why vote for a lesser evil?
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