Supreme Court Justices are the Reason to Vote ABB

[jansu]

Last Presidential election cycle, 4 or 5 of the Justices said they would retire in the next 4 years, if a Republican won to appoint their replacement. They made sure that this would happen. I expected that they would quickly leave and Bush would appoint the most extreme Judges.

None have quit. Did they have "buyers regret"? Also, only one Justice shows up for Bush's State of the Union addresses. This has never happened before.

We can not hope that they can all hold on for another 4 years of Bush's second (really first)term, (wonder if he would try for a third, stating that since he really didn't win the first time, he is entitled to another term...oops, the mind is getting weird thoughts). They are getting old, and even if they don't retire, they may well die or become disabled. Remember, several of the "Religious leaders" have prayer circles praying for the deaths of those who don't decide the way "they think" they should. Bush will appoint a Chief Justice and probably 3 or 4 others. Can you imagine what kind of judges he will appoint? The Democrats have done their best to stop his most extreme appointments to the lower courts, but they are not showing much of a backbone all around and this will be a long, dirty fight.

We must do our best to make sure ABB happens! And, we must also work hard to replace the members of the House and Senate, so that a Democratic President has the Congress which will work with him. And don't forget the Governors!

DEMOCRATS ACROSS THE NATION!

[spooky3]

1. I agree that this is a very critical issue.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. This deserves its own post:

William H. Rehnquist, born: October 1, 1924...79 years old.

John Paul Stevens, born: April 20, 1920...83 years old.

Antonin Scalia, born: March 11, 1936...67 years old.

Sandra Day O'Connor, born: March 26, 1930...73 years old.

Anthony M. Kennedy, born: July 23, 1936...67 years old.

David Hackett Souter, born: September 17, 1939...64 years old.

Clarence Thomas, born: June 23, 1948...55 years old.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, born: March 15, 1933...70 years old.

Stephen G. Breyer, born: August 15, 1938...65 years old.

(Got this on Freeperville Central- it's occasionally good for something)

[lovedems]

3. That is pretty scary.

I hope for a dem in 2004 or my kids will grow up in a country that is foreign to me.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. I actually had no idea Ginsburg was 70.

Although thank God Bryer and Souter are relatively "young". I worry mightily for Stevens. :scared:

[lovedems]

5. No doubt, alot of these people are still working in their 70's and 80's

and my grandmother only lived to the ripe age of 70.

I sense an overhaul of the SCOTUS in the next 4 years. Really, this sense of desperation has just come over me that the chimp must go!

[jansu]

10. Thanks for the list and repost this often!

We need to keep our eye on this fact! It may help many moderate Republicans and Independents to vote ABB, also!

[beanball]

18. Uncle Clarence

"a young tom turkey"

[John_H]

6. Exactly Right. even replacing Stevens with a "moderate" rethug

will dramatically tip the balance.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

7. even losing O'Connor will be bad

because (amazingly) we can actually do worse than her!!!!

[maxanne]

8. this is a critical issue

The Senate confirmed Antonin Scalia with a vote of 98-0, in 1986.
John Kerry was elected in 1984.

http://www.oyez.org/oyez/resource/legal_entity/103/print

[lastliberalintexas]

17. You aren't supposed to point that out

You are supposed to blindly accept the mantra that only the Dems can save the courts from the repubs! You obviously didn't get the memo! ;-)

It's ironic that the people who NOW seem so concerned about the High Court apparently don't have the capacity to remember that we wouldn't be in this situation without our spineless Dem party that now demands our blind support. Scalia and Thomas were both confirmed by DEMOCRATIC Senates. And something like 98% of Shrub's appointees to the lower courts have been confirmed over the last 3 years- some of that time while WE still controlled the Senate. So tell me again why I sould trust our party to protect the courts? Certainly not based on past history.


And for those of you who keep shouting this mantra as if it is the reason we will all blindly submit come November, please think about this. If it looks like Shrub will lose in November (which he won't if Kerry is the nominee), 1 or 2 will retire before then and Shrub will get to appoint with a repub Senate to confirm. And I doubt that we'd be able to hold a fillibuster together, given the likes of Miller and Bayh.

Sorry- it's never a good year to lose the presidency. But it's time that our party started learning that we voters can't be taken for granted.

[maxanne]

19. thanks

lastliberalintexas!

I was waiting for someone to get it. The Democrats haven't exactly been tough on fighting against crappy judicial nominees.

[Zomby Woof]

9. one of my biggest concerns too

Just ONE appointment by Bush and the SCOTUS could be lost for another generation - literally 20 years or more.

[Walt Starr]

11. This is the one and only reason I will probably voite for Kerry come

November 2nd.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. Age of Supreme Curt Justices one year from now

Rehnquist 80

Stevens 84

Scalia 68

O'Connor 74

Kennedy 68

Souter 65

Thomas 56

Ginsburg 71

Breyer 66

[Kahuna]

13. Ken Starr, Ted Olsen, John ASScroft are potential justices..

This election is dire for the future of our democracy. Those who protest the most have the most to lose. They'd better wake up before it's too late. They cry the loudest about our loss of freedoms while doing all they can to assure that we lose even more freedoms.

[adamrsilva]

14. This is why I will support whoever is the nominee

anyone else is an idiot, plain and simple.

[mzmolly]

15. This is a key issue for me and one that sucks me back into complacency

time and time again.

[Goldberg]

16. The whole country is a friggen mess right now..and the world.

That's another reason to vote ABB. Hell, every reason under the sun is a good reason to vote ABB.

[GRClarkesq]

20. The next president will have a big impact on the court.

Either way the confirmation battles will be bloody. Senate races are important to this cause too.