John Roberts the Ideal Pick
Andrew Quinn
Issue date: 9/27/05 Section: Opinions
Though Roberts is perhaps the least controversial choice that President Bush could have made, in today's charged political atmosphere there are some that would make rhetorical mountains out of molehills when it comes to Roberts' points of view. Many liberal interest groups are unable to accept that, short of choosing a so-called "liberal" judge, Roberts is the best nomination they can expect from a Republican President. The opposition's unwillingness to accept a remotely conservative nominee and its insistence at chasing after mere wisps and shadows of doubts about Roberts qualification hurts only itself. This stubborn resistance to a moderate candidate, stemming from petty partisan politics, is historically unprecedented. Indeed, seven out of the nine sitting Justices on last year's court were appointed by Republicans (Ginsberg and Breyer are the two exceptions, having been appointed by Clinton).
There is some unknown factor to be found in any nominee; Justices Anthony Kennedy and David Souter, probably the two most liberal justices on the Court, were appointed by President Reagan and Bush, Sr., respectively. Not knowing every detail of a nominee's judicial philosophy is not a valid reason to withhold support from their confirmation.
Not only is the opposition to Judge Roberts historically unprecedented and illogical, the concerns raised by it are on many counts ludicrous. The most serious resistance to his confirmation revolves around memos written during his tenure at the Reagan Administration's Justice Department. These memos were written literally half of Robert's lifetime ago. They represent the views of a young and intemperate lawyer swept up in a national wave of conservatism. In many cases, Roberts has affirmed under oath in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee that he no longer agrees with the often-times rash views of those memos.
Ultimately, Roberts will probably follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He will be a moderate conservative, perhaps rolling back some of the abuses of the Commerce clause perpetrated by Congress. He will unite the Court behind his viewpoint, perhaps even better than the also talented and articulate Rehnquist was able to.
The appointment of Roberts will not destroy the rights of women or minorities, nor will it change the balance of liberals and conservatives on the court. The Roberts Court will carry on the legacy of the respected Rehnquist Court, and that is a great thing for America.
There is some unknown factor to be found in any nominee; Justices Anthony Kennedy and David Souter, probably the two most liberal justices on the Court, were appointed by President Reagan and Bush, Sr., respectively. Not knowing every detail of a nominee's judicial philosophy is not a valid reason to withhold support from their confirmation.
Not only is the opposition to Judge Roberts historically unprecedented and illogical, the concerns raised by it are on many counts ludicrous. The most serious resistance to his confirmation revolves around memos written during his tenure at the Reagan Administration's Justice Department. These memos were written literally half of Robert's lifetime ago. They represent the views of a young and intemperate lawyer swept up in a national wave of conservatism. In many cases, Roberts has affirmed under oath in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee that he no longer agrees with the often-times rash views of those memos.
Ultimately, Roberts will probably follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He will be a moderate conservative, perhaps rolling back some of the abuses of the Commerce clause perpetrated by Congress. He will unite the Court behind his viewpoint, perhaps even better than the also talented and articulate Rehnquist was able to.
The appointment of Roberts will not destroy the rights of women or minorities, nor will it change the balance of liberals and conservatives on the court. The Roberts Court will carry on the legacy of the respected Rehnquist Court, and that is a great thing for America.
