USSC nominee
Bush’s nominee for the US Supreme Court seems to have surprised everyone. For those of us who don’t believe the Constitution is a mirror, he sounds like a great choice. The Washington Blade cites this AP report:
“The court’s conclusion in Roe that there is a fundamental right to an abortion … finds no support in the text, structure or history of the Constitution,” the brief [from Roberts] said.
In his defense, Roberts told senators during his 2003 confirmation hearing that he would be guided by legal precedent. “Roe v. Wade is the settled law of the land. … There is nothing in my personal views that would prevent me from fully and faithfully applying that precedent.”
Of course, the usual spokespersons are saying the usual things, and they’ll all be paraded across the news channels for the foreseeable future–I know some people like that aspect of politics, but I frankly find it wearying. One thing I would like to see, though, that I haven’t come across in the news reports yet: Arlen Specter’s reaction. He’s a triangulating moderate himself, and he was fond of Sandra Day O’Connor. I mean, obviously, he’s going to say something politic. When does he not? Still, Roberts looks more consistently conservative than he’d hoped for.