PDA

View Full Version : Ruth Bader Ginsburg Skewers Senate Partisanship Over Supreme Court Confirmation




bobbyw24
08-10-2010, 09:24 AM
SAN FRANCISCO — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told the country's largest lawyers' group Monday that she hopes Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees can become more collegial.

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/191070/thumbs/s-RUTH-BADER-GINSBURG-SENATE-large.jpg

Ginsburg, 77, recounted her own uncontroversial confirmation during an address at the American Bar Association's annual meeting in San Francisco. Her nomination by Democratic President Bill Clinton was approved 96-3.

Votes on the last four nominees have been much closer and acrimonious, a departure from the long-standing tradition of giving the president wide deference on appointees.

"May the U.S. Senate someday return to the collegial bipartisan spirit that Justice Breyer and I had the good fortune to experience," Ginsburg said, referring to Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, the next nominee to follow her to the bench.

The justice spoke after receiving the ABA Medal, the association's most prestigious award. Ginsburg said she had delayed her trip to the ABA's meeting to attend the Saturday afternoon swearing-in of Elena Kagan

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/09/ruth-bader-ginsburg-senate-bipartisan_n_676399.html

NewFederalist
08-10-2010, 09:55 AM
Since she is in ill health she is probably worried another "living constitution" type may not make it through after the November elections.

Brian4Liberty
08-10-2010, 10:18 AM
Since she is in ill health she is probably worried another "living constitution" type may not make it through after the November elections.

Yeah, she wants the next totalitarian communist to breeze in to replace her...

jmdrake
08-10-2010, 12:21 PM
SAN FRANCISCO — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told the country's largest lawyers' group Monday that she hopes Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees can become more collegial.

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/191070/thumbs/s-RUTH-BADER-GINSBURG-SENATE-large.jpg

Ginsburg, 77, recounted her own uncontroversial confirmation during an address at the American Bar Association's annual meeting in San Francisco. Her nomination by Democratic President Bill Clinton was approved 96-3.

Votes on the last four nominees have been much closer and acrimonious, a departure from the long-standing tradition of giving the president wide deference on appointees.

"May the U.S. Senate someday return to the collegial bipartisan spirit that Justice Breyer and I had the good fortune to experience," Ginsburg said, referring to Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, the next nominee to follow her to the bench.

The justice spoke after receiving the ABA Medal, the association's most prestigious award. Ginsburg said she had delayed her trip to the ABA's meeting to attend the Saturday afternoon swearing-in of Elena Kagan

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/09/ruth-bader-ginsburg-senate-bipartisan_n_676399.html

What a hypocrite! Long standing tradition of deference my eye! Robert Bork? Harriet Myers? I wasn't crazy about either of those nominees, but they certainly weren't show "deference". They didn't even get through the process. And now the senate just confirmed someone who openly said she wouldn't strike down a federal hypothetical federal law saying what kind of food you'd have to eat everyday?

NewFederalist
08-10-2010, 01:02 PM
Don't forget Clement Haynesworth (Nixon nominee) who didn't get confirmed either.

Aratus
08-10-2010, 01:06 PM
if Justice Ginsburg either waits until 2012 or 2013 to step down, or if the Democrats control more senate seats
than the folks around Mitch McConnell expect that they shall, and if she opts insted to leave the court in a year's
time, again i feel that the odds are quite high that Ms. Hillary Clinton will have her name before the senate in full...

TonySutton
08-10-2010, 01:07 PM
Good link with historical vote counts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsuccessful_nominations_to_the_Supreme_Court_of_t he_United_States

NewFederalist
08-10-2010, 01:23 PM
if Justice Ginsburg either waits until 2012 or 2013 to step down, or if the Democrats control more senate seats
than the folks around Mitch McConnell expect that they shall, and if she opts insted to leave the court in a year's
time, again i feel that the odds are quite high that Ms. Hillary Clinton will have her name before the senate in full...

Given that Justice Ginsburg has cancer she may not be able to wait.

Krugerrand
08-10-2010, 01:25 PM
Good link with historical vote counts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsuccessful_nominations_to_the_Supreme_Court_of_t he_United_States

Great find, TS!

The last non-confirmation for a Democrat appointee was 1968. Since then, the Republicans had 5 non-confirmations.

It's also interesting to note that the average timespan between non-confirmations is 7.6 years. Yet, it had been 18 years since prior to Harriet Miers and 17 years since prior to Robert Bork. It really looks like the trend for the most part has been more frequent non-confirmations.

Aratus
08-10-2010, 01:27 PM
ms. hillary may be a slightly tougher sell than was elena kagan. there is a VERY narrow
window for the white house prior to the fall election to get their person thru the senate
should justice ginsburg decide to step down now, before we know how the voters vote.

klamath
08-10-2010, 01:28 PM
Or how about justice Thomas? That guy was ripped from one end to the other.

low preference guy
08-10-2010, 01:31 PM
Or how about justice Thomas? That guy was ripped from one end to the other.

But he is a black conservative, i.e., not worth being treated as a human being. So he doesn't count, of course.

johngr
08-10-2010, 01:46 PM
Since she is in ill health she is probably worried another "living constitution" type may not make it through after the November elections.

Another co-ethnic as well.

johngr
08-10-2010, 01:49 PM
But he is a black conservative, i.e., not worth being treated as a human being. So he doesn't count, of course.

http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/uncle-tom-cabin.jpg

Pericles
08-10-2010, 01:51 PM
But he is a black conservative, i.e., not worth being treated as a human being. So he doesn't count, of course.

This /\ and he is probably the best of the nine.