Court battle could upend President Obama's agenda

[usregimechange]

The White House’s aggressive drive to recalibrate its message and emphasize the issues it thinks will resonate best with voters could be upended if — as is widely expected — John Paul Stevens, the Supreme Court’s senior justice, decides it is time to retire.

The retirement of the court’s 89-year-old liberal stalwart would confront President Barack Obama with a difficult and highly partisan confirmation battle that could drag on for months at a time when the White House wants to focus on selling the administration’s historic health care legislation and efforts to turn around the economy.

Facing a markedly different political landscape than last spring, when David Souter’s retirement provided the first chance to put a Democrat on the court since 1994, Obama will likely decide on a successor to Stevens based on a calculation of how contentious a confirmation fight he wants to have, and whether it would help mobilize his party’s liberal base for the mid-term election in November.

The possibility of Stevens’ retirement – he has said he will decide within weeks – already has the interest groups that gear up for court fights debating which way Obama should lean in choosing a successor.

“Given that it's an election year, I expect Republicans to aggressively oppose whomever Obama nominates, in order to stir up their base,” said Nan Aron of the Alliance for Justice. “Faced with a Republican fight no matter who the nominee is, the president ought to choose a fitting successor to Justice Stevens.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35348.html#ixzz0jzSXiaxH

[Dr Morbius]

1. I'll take that fight.

I can handle the argument. In fact, I have absolute confidence in winning the argument.

But the noise! The GOP will crank up the noise machine, no doubt about it. Maybe, though, that noise machine figures to be set to eleven anyway, so why not push back a little bit?

Yeah, if they want to fight, let's take them on.

[usregimechange]

3. They will throw a fit no matter who you put up so screw em!

[bluestateguy]

2. Just don't pick Elena Kagan

She has baggage.

[Stargleamer]

4. I just thank Stevens for holding out as long as he did

I was so glad Stevens lasted all 8 years of the Idiot's criminal enterprise.

[usregimechange]

5. He has been a trooper and has saved this country a lot of grief

[bluestateguy]

6. His longeivity may have saved Roe v. Wade

nt