The Indianapolis Star wants everyone to play nice when it comes to the upcoming nomination battle to replace Justice O’Connor.
The Star mentions that the Senate confirmed Ginsburg 96-3. It doesn’t mention that President Clinton sought the advice of Republican Judiciary Committee leader Orrin Hatch before submitting Justice Ginsburg’s nomination. If President Bush seeks the advice of Senator Lehey before submitting the next nomination, I’m sure there would be a similar result. But that’s not going to happen.
The Star essentially asks the Left to tie its hands behind its back. No heated rhetoric. No litmus tests. No filibusters. Only “judicial qualifications” but no indication of what to use as a standard. I posted the following over at a few of the blogs I frequent, but I’m already tired of the nomination process.
We’ll hear a lot about “activist judges,” but as the estimable Mr. Brayton has pointed out, that combination of words has basically become meaningless.
The left will cherry-pick all of the worst bits from the nominee’s background such that I won’t really be able to trust their assessment of whether this guy (or gal) is a loon or merely a person of sound jurisprudence with some poorly turned phrases in his or her opinions. By the same token, the right would loudly proclaim that a pro-life ham sandwich was the second coming of Blackstone, Marshall, Hand, and Holmes all rolled into one if it was nominated by George Bush.
Television “news” will treat me to an endless array of “experts” determined not to provide any substantive analysis but who merely throw buzzwords at each other between Pepsi ads.
So, I’m already tired.
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