The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : David Souter Reportedly Stepping Down

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The Spectacle Blog

David Souter Reportedly Stepping Down

By Doug Bandow on 4.30.09 @ 10:55PM

One of George H.W. Bush's great mistakes, his appointment of David Souter to the Supreme Court, reportedly is stepping down. It's good news since that means this "100 percenter," as White House Chief of Staff John Sununu called him, won't be able to do any more harm to the Constitution and to our liberties. But his replacement isn't likely to be any better. Still, at least his replacement will likely be an honest liberal, an open liberal appointed by a liberal president and confirmed by a liberal Senate. It got to be a bit tiresome to have allegedly conservative presidents appoint stealth liberals or soon-to-be-liberal-converts to the high court.

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Dan| 5.1.09 @ 2:51AM

Was it a "mistake" as you term it, or did GHWB get EXACTLY the kind of justice he desired.

I'm convinced that he desired to offset the nomination of a Conservative justice with that of a staunch liberal.

The selection was made for him by Andy Card, Warren Rudman and Sununu Sr. EACH OF THOSE MEN was ardently pro-choice, and to the extreme left within the Republican party.

BUSH KNEW.

We saw that inclination within the Bush family to appoint non-conservative justices exposed once more with GW himself.

GW NEVER wanted to pick a John Roberts or an Alito. Recall well that he first tested the waters with a Gonzales, and then tried to offset Roberts by sneaking through Harriet Meirs, who was recommended by who? Harry Reid himself.

Bush men think there's something "dirty-pool" like in Conservative Republicans getting to nominate Conservative justices, so in their weird WASP ways, they sought to balance out the equation by appointing creatures who the party would have rejected out of hand.

Just more dishonesty from the establishment WASPS, just more mendacity from those paragons of the establishment. Both father and son CAMPAIGNED on appointing originalists to the court, then both men sought to worm through nominees that belied oft repeated campaign promises.

Both of 'em, pieces of work!

whiterb| 5.1.09 @ 5:28AM

A Rino/conservative Senate got Roberts and Alito on the bench. But, we now have a strictly conservative Republican party, and thus no such collaborations of reasonable and pragmatic people will ever again be possible. Radical leftist will dance through the Senate unscathed, and dominate the USA till eternity. But, this is all for the best conservatives insist. Rino free don't cry as any hope of relevancy goes bye, bye.

whiterb| 5.1.09 @ 5:33AM

whiterb| 5.1.09 @ 5:34AM

Red Phillips| 5.1.09 @ 1:39PM

I don't think Sununu was the "extreme left" of the GOP, but they definitely knew what they were getting with Souter. They did not want to have to deal with as a party the aftermath of an overturned Roe. They have blood on their hands as a result and will have to answer to their Maker for their treachery. But who in the GOP opposed Souter when his thoughts on Roe were easily discernable? I recall Howard Phillips did. Anyone else?