May 10, 2009

"Empathy" Obama's Buzzword

As President Barack Obama moves into the heavy-lifting phase of his office, he is stuck with his favorite buzzword empathy – “ understanding and entering into another’s feelings.”

Ultra-liberal friends insist it is his “duty” to appoint a like-minded Supreme Court Justice to replace David Souter who announced retirement last week.  The latter obviously delayed his retirement until Mr. Obama was elected.

Now, the President is stuck with his populist yardstick.

Lady Democrats want him to appoint a woman.  Liberal congressmen push for a Justice of dark skin to counter-balance Justice Clarence Thomas.

The forthcoming debate undoubtedly will be hot and heavy.

INTENT

Supreme Court Justices are expected to determine if laws enacted by Congress meet “Constitutional Intent.”

Not whether the laws are insufficient or meanly applied -- thereby deserving rectification by justices appointed for life by politicians.

For the record, here are the present Justices:

• John Roberts, Chief, appointed by President George W. Bush.
• Samuel Alito, appointed by President George W. Bush.
• David Hackett Souter
• Ruth Bader Ginsberg
• Clarence Thomas
• Stephen Breyer
• Anthony Kennedy
• Antonian Scalia
• John Paul Stevens

DOG EAT DOG

In light of current dog-eat-dog politics, it is interesting to recall controversies regarding some previous Justices.

Sandra Day O’Connor -- formerly an Arizona judge – was appointed the first lady Justice by President Ronald Reagan.  She served from 1981 to 2006 with generally conservative decisions.

A woman in the Supreme Court! What is the nation coming to?

Nevertheless, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, a prominent Washington, D.C attorney with liberal leanings, was appointed a second lady Justice by President William Clinton in 1993 and is still active.

The two ladies served together for 12 years.

LYNCHING

Clarence Thomas, was chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – and then a Court of Appeals judge for the District of Columbia.  He was nominated for the Supreme Court by President George H. Bush in 1991.

However, Thomas was strenuously opposed by liberal Democrats whose bias was painfully obvious during televised hearings.

Those ended abruptly when indignant Thomas declared:  “This is a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves!”

BLACK CAUCUS

The Congressional Black Caucus is pressuring Obama to appoint one of their members to the Supreme Court seat vacated by Justice Souter.  Thus, Justice Thomas would be stymied.

Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va.)  is favored.  House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.)  says he will recommend Scott to Mr. Obama.

Rep.  Scott has no judicial experience.  However, Conyers says Scott “does a brilliant job on the committee by separating out constitutional questions.”

Scott earned an undergraduate degree at Harvard, and his law degree from Boston College in 1973.  He practiced law at Newport News until he was elected to Congress in 1992.

LADIES FIRST

Knowing President Obama’s penchant for doing the unexpected, don’t be surprised if he appoints a woman to the Supreme Court.

After all, 45 percent of voters are women.

The only woman now on the Supreme Court is Ruth Bader Ginsberg.  Even if she hangs in there for a half-century, the Court will be understaffed female-wise.  Ladies do have special characteristics.

On the short list for Supreme Court Justice, Obama has some great ladies on his short list.

Undoubtedly it includes Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, and Washington Governor Christine O. Gregoire.

Kathleen Sullivan, former Stanford Law School Dean and First Amendment expert, shares a Harvard Law School tie with Mr. Obama.

Kim Wardlaw is a judge on he 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals – and a Hispanic.

And don’t short-change Leah Ward Sears, a Black lady chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court.

By Lindsey Wilger Williams, retired newspaper publisher and syndicated columnist