Obama's Philosophy on SC Justices:
"Now, the process of selecting someone to replace Justice Souter is among my most serious responsibilities as President. So I will seek somebody with a sharp and independent mind and a record of excellence and integrity. I will seek someone who understands that justice isn't about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a case book. It is also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people's lives -- whether they can make a living and care for their families; whether they feel safe in their homes and welcome in their own nation.
I view that quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people's hopes and struggles as an essential ingredient for arriving as just decisions and outcomes. I will seek somebody who is dedicated to the rule of law, who honors our constitutional traditions, who respects the integrity of the judicial process and the appropriate limits of the judicial role. I will seek somebody who shares my respect for constitutional values on which this nation was founded, and who brings a thoughtful understanding of how to apply them in our time."
1 comment:
It is interesting, I watched the Sunday Morning shows this weekend, and all of the Republicans were trying to latch on to this phrase on "empathy" and turn it into evidence that Obama favors some kind of litmus test for judicial activism.
I don't think he meant that at all. I think he honestly wants people who are cognizant of the effect of decisions on real-life people, which if you read anything about the history of USSC judicial philosophy this used to be a least a considered aspect.
Anyway, I can't wait for the GOP to be the party against empathy! Hahah. Also, I dare them to filibuster the first Hispanic nominee to the court. Please, oh God, make them do it.
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