When Obama says he's looking for a judge with "empathy" it is clearly code talk

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

that he is trying to find someone who is not a frigging "Just Us" a!@hole. Good.

[Cha]

1. Yeah, it's code talk for

Liberal:P Just playin'

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. If that's what he's saying , it's a good sign.

If there's one thing the four horsemen of the apocalypse ( Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito) are lacking in.... it's empathy.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

4. Agreed. Empathy speaks to understanding at the deepest levels.

It's a gift.

[mzmolly]

3. Oh no! That means he's certain to choose Judge Larry Seidlin!

;)

[pink-o]

7. lol!!! n/t

[bulloney]

5. Orafice Hatch is convinced it's code.

[Vinca]

6. His magic underwear told him so.

[harun]

8. The language he has used to describe what he is looking for is making

an excellent point to the public about so called "Conservative" judges. The point being they tend to side with the powerful over the weak. Which is just as "activist" as anything else.

[Aloha Spirit]

9. His floor speech on Alito's confirmation was amazing. My takeaway:

Any talk about Obama seeking a politically "centrist" or "moderate" nominee for the sake of greater concensus or bipartisanship is dead wrong.
Obama thinks people who side with the powerful DO NOT BELONG in the supreme court period.
How can I say this... I don't think he views the justices as liberal or conservative, but as good or bad (not as people, but as being appropriate for the job).
He won't pick someone that's a little bad the same way that he'd endorse a Senate candidate who's a little conservative.

Here's the floor statement in case anybody forgot:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Floor_Statement_of_Senator_Barack_Obama_on_the_Confirmation_of_Judge_Samuel_Alito


Also, as far as activism, that term has different meanings to different people, so I find it really hard to have a useful discussion about that.

[harun]

10. Agree.