For those who think that they CANNOT vote for John McCain, here's Sen. Obama with Wolf Blitzer on what makes a good SC Judge:
I'm for civil rights, but Ginsberg, Breyer and Souter wouldn't be my first choice. Scary...
full link:http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/05/obama_tells_cnns_wolf_blitzer.html
On criteria for picking a Supreme Court Justice
OBAMA: Well, I think that my first criteria is to make sure that these are people who are capable and competent and that they are interpreting the law and 95 percent of the time, the law is so clear that it’s just a matter of applying the law. I’m not somebody who believes in a bunch of judicial lawmaking.
BLITZER: Are there members, are justices right now upon who you would model, you would look at? Who do you like?
OBAMA: Well, I think actually Justice Breyer, Justice Ginsburg are very sensible judges. I think that Justice Souter, who was a Republican appointee is a sensible judge. What you’re looking for is somebody who is going to buy the law where it’s clear. Now there’s going to be those 5 percent of cases or 1 percent of the cases where the law isn’t clear and the judge then has to bring in his or her own perspectives, his ethics, his or her moral bearings and in those circumstances, what I do want is a judge who’s sympathetic enough to those who are on the outside, those who are vulnerable, those who are powerless, those who can’t have access to political power and as a consequence, can’t protect themselves from being dealt with sometimes unfairly. Then the courts become a refuge for judges. That’s been the historic role. That’s what this role in Brown versus Board of Education. I think a judge who is unsympathetic to the fact that in some cases, we’ve got to make sure that civil rights are protected, that we’ve got to make sure that civil liberties are protected because oftentimes the pressures that are placed on politicians to want to set civil liberties aside, especially in times when we’ve had terrorist attacks, making sure that we maintain our separation of powers so that we don’t have a president who is taking over more and more power. I think those are all criteria by which I can judge whether or not this is a good appointee.
I'm for civil rights, but Ginsberg, Breyer and Souter wouldn't be my first choice. Scary...
full link:http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/05/obama_tells_cnns_wolf_blitzer.html