Supreme Court

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Why Sotomayor's a Lock
 Why Sotomayor's a Lock 
OPINION
May 26, 2009 9:52 AM CDT

Why Sotomayor's a Lock

Savvy Obama's pick would be political suicide for the GOP to oppose

(Newser) - The way to really win a fight is to be in too strong a position for it to even start, and President Obama is showing some of that kind of savvy with his Supreme Court pick, writes Mark Halperin in Time. Nominating Sonia Sotomayor maneuvers Republicans into a position where...

Obama Picks Sotomayor for Court
 Obama Picks 
 Sotomayor for Court 
UPDATED
May 26, 2009 7:48 AM CDT

Obama Picks Sotomayor for Court

(Newser) - Barack Obama named Sonia Sotomayor his Supreme Court pick this morning, the AP reports, setting the 54-year-old appeals court judge up to be the high court’s first Hispanic justice. Obama noted that she'd "worked at almost every level of our judicial system," saying she had more experience...

How to Diversify the Court: Pick a WASP
How to Diversify the Court:
Pick a WASP
Analysis
May 26, 2009 6:40 AM CDT

How to Diversify the Court: Pick a WASP

...Or a non-lawyer, or a public school grad, or a Westerner, or...

(Newser) - If you’re looking to diversify the Supreme Court, Robert Barnes of the Washington Post has an idea: Why not pick a WASP? There hasn’t been a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant nominated since David Souter in 1990. The current court boasts five Catholics and two Jews—not exactly representative. Of...

Top Court Candidates Differ Widely on Exec Power

New justice will be key to defining prez limits

(Newser) - Most Supreme Court watchers say that Barack Obama's choice to succeed David Souter will change little, since the retiring justice was a reliable member of the court's liberal bloc. But on critical questions of presidential power, which Souter regularly sought to check, the new justice's vote could...

Obama: Court Pick Will Go Beyond 'Ivory Tower' Smarts

(Newser) - President Obama said today he would be announcing his nominee to the Supreme Court “soon” and hopes to have the new justice confirmed by Congress’ August recess, Bloomberg reports. In a C-SPAN interview, Obama laid out his criteria, which includes not only “ivory tower learning” but also empathy....

Supreme Court Buzz Centers on Wood, Kagan

Both in DC; sources say Obama began interviews with Wood

(Newser) - The Washington rumor mill is focusing on two names as President Obama steps up the search for a Supreme Court nominee,  the Washington Post reports. Federal Appeals Court Judge Diane Wood visited the capital Tuesday, ostensibly to attend a judicial conference, but insiders say she met with the president...

GOP Must Get Revenge in High Court Hearings
GOP Must Get Revenge in High Court Hearings
OPINION
May 20, 2009 8:10 AM CDT

GOP Must Get Revenge in High Court Hearings

Democrats changed the rules by opposing Roberts, Alito

(Newser) - When Democrats waged an ideological war on the Supreme Court nominations of conservatives John Roberts and Samuel Alito, they set a dangerous precedent that should boomerang on whoever President Obama selects, says the Bush official in charge of those confirmations. Previously, the Senate graciously ushered through anyone with sufficient intellect,...

Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Calif. Pot Law

Court declines to hear case arguing federal drug act is being flouted

(Newser) - The US Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to California's medical marijuana law from two holdout counties, the Los Angeles Times reports. The court, without giving a reason, declined to hear the case brought by San Diego and San Bernardo counties that argued federal anti-drug laws contradicted the state's authorization...

Roberts Is Bush's 'Enduring' Court Legacy

(Newser) - George W. Bush’s historical reputation seems to be sinking by the day, but John Roberts, his slick, smiling appointee as the Supreme Court’s chief justice, remains as an “enduring and faithful reflection of the Bush presidency,” writes Jeffrey Toobin in the New Yorker. Though Roberts promised...

Supreme Court Shoots Down Jefferson's Appeal

But will review Conrad Black's conviction

(Newser) - The Supreme Court today refused to hear William Jefferson’s appeal, meaning the former New Orleans congressman’s corruption case is headed for trial, the Times-Picayune reports. The court will, however, consider overturning the fraud conviction against former media mogul Conrad Black and two of his compatriots.

Supreme Court Dumps Suit Vs. Mueller, Ashcroft

9/11 detainee faulted FBI head, former AG over confinement rules

(Newser) - The Supreme Court says a lawsuit against FBI Director Robert Mueller and former Attorney General John Ashcroft by a former Sept. 11 detainee cannot go forward. The court today overturned a lower court decision that let Javaid Iqbal's lawsuit against the high-ranking officials proceed. Iqbal is a Pakistani Muslim who...

Lefties: Obama's Becoming Dubya
 Lefties: Obama's 
 Becoming Dubya 
ANALYSIS
May 17, 2009 9:53 AM CDT

Lefties: Obama's Becoming Dubya

Left feeling spurned by new president's policies

(Newser) - Sorry, ladies: Hell has no fury like a political base scorned, and tensions are simmering among liberals, who feel spurned by President Obama, Josh Gerstein writes for Politico. With his reversals on military tribunals and releasing photos of abused detainees, and reluctance to tackle gay rights and immigration reform, some...

Gay Marriage Is New GOP Litmus Test for Supremes

Same-sex unions replace abortion debate as heated issue

(Newser) - Abortion has long been the hot-button issue at Supreme Court confirmations—but this year, gay marriage is taking over, conservatives say.  Senate Republicans believe that questioning over the matter could be the new litmus test to help reveal a candidate's overall philosophy, reports the Washington Post. “It may...

GOP Takes Aim at Obama High Court Noms

(Newser) - Republican groups have already prepared dossiers and attack strategies on a host of possible Obama Supreme Court nominees, the New York Times reports. Ten memos obtained by the Times—all about female judges and scholars—focus on records of abortion rights, gay rights, and the citing of foreign laws. Weakened...

'Baseball Savior' Sotomayor on Justice Shortlist

Federal judge ended strike to save '95 season

(Newser) - Most federal judges live anonymous lives, but for a moment in 1995, Sonia Sotomayor was the toast of the town. That was the year Sotomayor ended baseball’s players strike, saving the ’95 season. The Philadelphia Inquirer declared her a baseball hero on par with DiMaggio, Robinson, Mays, and...

Five Women on Obama's Short List for Supreme Court

(Newser) - President Obama has narrowed his list of Supreme Court picks to at least six names, with women in five of the top spots, reports CNN. Obama is expected to make a selection by Memorial Day, sources say. Among the finalists: Federal appeals court judges Sonia Sotomayor and Diane Wood; Solicitor...

Obama Meets With Senators on Court Choice

Nominee coming 'soon,' should be seated by October, say Dems

(Newser) - President Obama’s choice for the next Supreme Court justice is coming “soon,” said Democratic senators after a meeting with the president. The White House says the appointee won’t be announced this week, but Harry Reid and Patrick Leahy say he or she should be seated by...

High Court Pick's Gender, Race Not an Issue: Poll

Proportion wanting female appointee shrinks from 2005

(Newser) - Americans don’t feel strongly that the next Supreme Court appointee should be a woman, Hispanic, or black, Gallup Poll results suggest: most say it’s a non-issue. Some 64% say it “doesn’t matter” whether the appointee is a woman; 68% say it doesn’t matter whether he...

Liberal Bent, 'Empathy' Mark Potential Justice
Liberal Bent, 'Empathy' Mark Potential Justice
ANALYSIS
May 12, 2009 11:15 AM CDT

Liberal Bent, 'Empathy' Mark Potential Justice

Diane Wood was Chicago law faculty colleague of Obama's

(Newser) - In choosing a new Supreme Court justice, President Obama says he wants not just a savvy legal brain, but also someone who can show “empathy.” Diane Wood, his former University of Chicago colleague and a judge on the Seventh Circuit, meets both criteria, the New York Times reports....

Supreme Wish List: Pragmatist, Easy to Confirm, 'Home Run'

As Obama vetting begins, 4 women lead

(Newser) - President Obama's choice to replace David Souter on the Supreme Court will be a pragmatist unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom, insiders tell the Washington Post. While Obama will not play it safe, they say, neither does he want a provocative choice that will create another partisan confirmation battle. "He's...

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