Obama's Supreme Pick

[Just A Man]

(excerpts from a November article in the Washington Times by Susan Miller)

President-elect Barack Obama will be the first president to have participated in Senate filibusters of judicial nominees - a distinction that conservatives say will haunt him in showdowns over anticipated nominations of liberal, activist judges to the federal bench.

Steeling themselves for battle over nominations, Senate Republicans say the president-elect's voting record and long simmering resentments over Democrats' treatment of President Bush's nominees will leave Mr. Obama hard-pressed to call for bipartisan help confirming judges or even an up-or-down vote on his picks.

"It appears he is more committed to the appointment of activist judges than even President Clinton," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican, a member of the Judiciary Committee. "One of the most troubling things of all was that he was in a distinct minority to vote against [Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.]. That says a lot about his judicial philosophy, I'm afraid."

Mr. Obama joined an unsuccessful filibuster against Justice Alito in 2006 and numerous successful filibusters of circuit court nominees. He sided with 39 fellow Democrats, one Republican and one independent in opposing the Alito nomination and was one of 22 Democrats to vote against confirming Judge Roberts in 2005. Both nominees to the Supreme Court won confirmation.

Mr. Sessions said Mr. Obama's nominees will face Republican roadblocks in committee and filibusters on the Senate floor if there is any indication they threaten to politicize the courts or legislate from the bench.

The Rev. Wright should have taught Obama he will "Reap what he sows". In my opinion I think Obama will pick an ultra-liberal United States hater who will ignore the constitution and try to legislate social programs from the bench. And I hope the pick gets "Borked". Obama needs a dose of his own medicine and I look forward to it if he picks the likes of his friends, Wright and Ayers.