Group urges more aggressive appointments of liberals to the bench

[alp227]

Source: Michael D. Shear, The Washington Post

President Obama on Wednesday nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit a California law professor who has criticized conservative legal theories and strongly opposed Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s nomination.

The selection of University of California Berkeley professor Goodwin Liu was announced even as a group of liberal law professors urged the president to be more aggressive in reshaping the judiciary by stepping up the pace of progressive nominations.

In a letter delivered to the White House on Wednesday afternoon, the 11 professors took Obama to task for failing to make transformation of the federal bench a priority the way President George W. Bush did during his tenure.

"They have been playing it a little too carefully," said Geoffrey Stone, a law professor and former Obama colleague from the University of Chicago. "This administration has been very cautious in terms of nominating people who are in any way subject to attack from the right. We want to make sure that he's willing to take some risks."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/24/AR2010022404495.html

[cascadiance]

1. Erwin Chemerinsky would be a good candidate for SCOTUS when it comes around...

Especially if it is replacing on of the male members of the court. He has a history of expressing his opinions against corporte personhood, so would be a good constitutional scholar to counteract "the five"...

http://www.reclaimdemocracy.org/nike/public_interest_briefs.html

I'm sure he won't feel overly bound to Cal-Irvine, where he got a lot of flack before being hired there for being "too liberal".

Probably need to find a decent woman to replace Ginsberg though when she retires, which is likely with her recent health issues.

[Left Coast2020]

5. I would second that nomination in a nano-second.

I think he was interviewed on Air America a few times. A good minded legal professional. Good Choice!!

[pleah]

2. K&R

[Hawaii Hiker]

3. Bravo to the professors for speaking up

I totally agree with Mr. Stone, the administration has been too careful & cautious w/its judicial nominations...

Bush went hard right with his picks (Supreme Court & other judicial posts) & President Obama needs to pick some solid liberals in future picks.....

[cstanleytech]

4. I'm crossing my fingers its a long term plan personally by the Obama administration.

Ya know, keep nominating moderates until after 2012 and let the republicans relax and have some of the conservative SCOTUS members either die or retire and then appoint more liberal judges to SCOTUS because its SCOTUS that concerns me more, after all just look at some of the rulings by Alito and his fellow conservative asshole SCOTUS judges.