ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>OnlineColumnist&reg;.com: Duke's Damage Control</title> <meta name="generator" content="Adobe GoLive 4"> <style type="text/css"> .style1 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } </style> </head> <body bgcolor="white" vlink="black"> <center> <table cool width="624" height="2719" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" gridx="16" showgridx gridy="16" showgridy> <tr height="79"> <td width="116" height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="110" width="62" src="images/discobolos.logo.transp.gif" border="0"></a></td> <td width="24" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="465" height="79" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="18" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="79"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="79"></td> </tr> <tr height="39"> <td width="182" height="39"></td> <td width="283" height="39" valign="top" align="left" xpos="322"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="14" width="267" src="images/divisionofNEW.GIF" border="0"></a></td> <td width="1" height="39"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="39"></td> </tr> <tr height="26"> <td width="624" height="26" colspan="6" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="black" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#99ffcc" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"> <tr> <td align="center"> <div align="left"> <a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong>HOME</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> &#149; <a href="articlesindex.html">ARTICLES</a> &#149; <a href="books.html">BOOKS</a> &#149; <a href="teflon.html">THE </a><a href="teflon.html">TEFLON</a><a href="teflon.html"> REPORT</a> &#149; <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com">REACTIONS</a> &#149; <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">ABOUT DISCOBOLOS</a></strong></font></div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr height="1"> <td width="116" height="2574" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="489" height="1" colspan="3"></td> <td width="18" height="2574" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> <tr height="2573"> <td width="489" height="2573" colspan="3" align="left" xpos="116" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="5"><b> <br /> Souter Bails Out</b></font><p><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b>by John M. Curtis<br> (310) 204-8700</b><br> </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright May 4, 2009<br> All Rights Reserved.</i></font></p> <p><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span> <span class="style1">O</span>ne of the youngest seniors on the U.S. Supreme Court, 69-year-old Justice David Souter, decided to call it quits and return to his home state of New Hampshire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Conservatives had high hopes in 1989 when then President George H.W. Bush picked Souter for the High Court.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Conservatives should have been leery of Souter s Harvard senior thesis on celebrated Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When he traveled to Oxford and graduated in 1963 with an M.A. as a Rhodes Scholar, conservatives should have known his independence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>His graduation from Harvard Law School should have dashed all hopes of someone expected to follow religious and social conservatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Conservatives felt betrayed by Souter, growing more progressive over his 20-year tenure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Souter s expected replacement will do little to change the Court s current ideological complexion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>President Barack Obama responded to Souter s retirement, promising a careful pick of someone who could live up to Souter s fierce independence and brilliant legal mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Conservatives like to call progressive jurists  activist judges, accusing them of  legislating from the bench. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>They have few complaints about conservative jurists opposed to Roe v. Wade, stem cell research and gay marriage, characterizing them a  constructionists who simply interpret the Constitution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Souter, a plain white jurist from New Hampshire, championed the rule of law with keen sensitivity to how the Constitution, with its manifold interpretations, affected ordinary people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Though many High Court watchers expect Barack to pick another woman, the president should steer clear of racial, religious or gender politics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Picking a replacement in Souter s mold, Obama may look outside the federal bench.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <![endif]>Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, expects to confirm a moderate candidate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> I don t see an ideologues of either the right or the left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>I didn t think we re going to have one, said Leahy on CNN s  Sate-of-the-Union with John King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Former President George W. Bush s two picks in 2005 of Chief Justice John Roberts to replace the late Chief Justice William Renquist and Associate Justice Samuel Alito to replace Associate Justice Sandra Day O Connor, both got few votes from Democrats at confirmation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>While both tend to side with conservatives, they ve still shown healthy judicial autonomy, especially Roberts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Few on the left complain about Roberts temperament as Chief Justice, respecting his balanced approach to writing opinions and managing the High Court.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Renquist fostered a far more combative atmosphere before the High Court.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <![endif]>Whoever Barack picks, he needs to avoid politics, or, for that matter, make his choice based on race, ethnicity or gender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Penn.), who recently switched to Democrat April 28, suggested that Barack pick another woman, Hispanic or African American.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> We have a very diverse country, said Specter, urging Obama to find a justice that reflects the country s diverse makeup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Stating ethnic or racial preferences runs counter to the time-honored tradition of picking candidates based on merit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Despite saying he has no litmus test, Obama won t pick a candidate opposed to Roe v. Wade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Conservatives on the Senate Judiciary Committee won t be too happy with pro-choice candidates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Conservatives know that with all three branches of government controlled by Democrats, it s very unlikely that Barack would pick anyone without a liberal track record.. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <![endif]>Souter s replacement will do nothing to change the court s makeup at least for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>With a conservative-leaning Chief Justice John Roberts and solidly conservative justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Anthony Kennedy, the right still has the edge on today s controversial issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>On the other hand, replacing Souter with a progressively thinking justice would reinforce a liberal bent among the remaining four left-leaning justices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> If he will appoint a pragmatist, someone who is not an ideologue, that some is no just going to ling all the light bulbs in America on the left, I thin that would be could for the country, said Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Al.), hoping Barack picks a politically moderate jurist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>If Barack picks a pro-choice woman, that won t satisfy Shelby or other conservatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>They d like to see Souter s replacement opposed to abortion, gay marriage and stem cells.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Republicans on the Sentate Judiciary Committee probably won t get their wishes for a so-called  pragmatic or moderate that shows respect for  innocent life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While picking a competent jurist is the top priority, Barack will be pressured, as urged by newly minted Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter, to pick a progressive jurist that supports the vast array of  Great Society programs destined to grow under Barack s first term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Souter was supposed to be a moderate Republicans, paralleling the views of former President George H.W. Bush, whose politics were far more  pragmatic than his right-leaning son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; Barack</span> lucked out with his first pick within the first six months in office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Over the course of his first term, it s unlikely, barring some medical mishap, that Barack will get to replace any conservative justices. Whoever Barack picks, conservative won t spill too many tears over Souter s retirement.</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;<u><b>About the Author</b></u></p> <p><b>John M. Curtis</b> writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.&nbsp; He&#39;s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of <a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet </a>and <a href="books.html">Operation Charisma</a>.<u><br> </p> <p></p> </td> <td width="1" height="2573"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2573"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td width="116" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="116" height="1"></td> <td width="24" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="24" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="283" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="283" height="1"></td> <td width="18" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="18" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="597"> <tr> <td><font size="1" face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica"> <hr noshade size="1"> </font><a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong>Home</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> || <a href="articlesindex.html">Articles</a> || <a href="books.html">Books</a> || <a href="teflon.html">The Teflon Report</a> || <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com">Reactions</a> || <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">About Discobolos</a></strong></font> <div align="left"> <p><font size="1" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">This site designed, developed and hosted by the experts at</font><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"> <a href="http://www.cmeonline.net" target="_blank"><img height="30" width="138" src="images/cmelogoANIM.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></a></font></p> </div> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">&copy;1999-2002 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>