July 13, 2005

Judging judges: the Supreme Court tutorial

By Selwyn Duke
The long—awaited moment has come.  After years of speculation about Supreme Court retirements, it was announced recently that Sandra Day O'Connor will be stepping down from the bench.  Now the speculation has ended and the consternation begins: who will replace her?     Among partisans, hair is losing pigmentation on both sides.  Liberals fear another Scalia—like appointee, and the savvy conservatives — more than once bitten and at least twice shy — nervously suspect that their increasingly pusillanimous politicians will again be led down the road to Stevensville, the land of wolves in constitutionalists' clothing.     For their part, the media portray this battle as typical partisan wrangling.  Each side, we're told, is vying for ideological primacy, advocating for judges who embrace its platform and will rule accordingly.  After all, isn't that the case with any appointment?  When the President...(Read Full Article)