SCOTUS makeup to change?

[jimlongley]

Justice Souter has announced his impending retirement.

So, does this change the makeup of the court in favor of the Brady bunch?

If it does, I predict that it will give bambam and his anti-rights forces just the opening they need.

[nitrogen]

Not terribly.

Souter ended up being more of a liberal from what little I know of him. He dissented against heller, for instance.

[The Annoyed Man]

As I posted on another site this morning, please pray for the good health and longevity of Justices Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito, and Kennedy. As long as they keep serving, the worst that Obama can do is replace 4 liberal justices with 4 more liberal justices. At the very worst, the balance of the court will not be affected. Of course, in a perfect world, Obama loses in 2012, we get a dynamic conservative president, Justice Kennedy retires to be replaced by a conservative, and the cause of gun rights is advanced and protected for years to come. But at least Kennedy is a swing voter and not a complete liberal. IIRC, he supported the majority opinion in Heller.

We can dream, can't we?

[jimlongley]

As I posted on another site this morning, please pray for the good health and longevity of Justices Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito, and Kennedy. As long as they keep serving, the worst that Obama can do is replace 4 liberal justices with 4 more liberal justices. At the very worst, the balance of the court will not be affected. Of course, in a perfect world, Obama loses in 2012, we get a dynamic conservative president, Justice Kennedy retires to be replaced by a conservative, and the cause of gun rights is advanced and protected for years to come. But at least Kennedy is a swing voter and not a complete liberal. IIRC, he supported the majority opinion in Heller.

We can dream, can't we?

Amen, but I can still picture bambam appointing someone more liberal and adding dynamic, which Souter has never even approached being, and charismatic, ibid, leading to a more persuasive liberal sitting there instead of someone who is primarily a follower.

[tfrazier]

You know, everyone says this ammo shortage is almost over...a change in the Supreme court (meaning replacement with an equal or more liberal justice) will just crank it all up again.

Sigh
"Oh, bother"...as Alton Brown would say.

[Wrightwing]

It will be replacing a liberal with a liberal, but, Instead of a 69 yr old Souter we will have 40 yr old relative of Ted Kennedy

[stevie_d_64]

While Souter is a surprise to some, this will make it easier for Ginsburg and Stevens to exit as well...

My theory will be that Obama has in place a full course press ready to name and have confirmed Souters replacement...That effort may not be very effective again when the other two decide to "retire"...

So if we get someone left of Stalin as Souter's replacement, the other replacements I believe will have to be judicial moderates, and that may work in our favor in some cases...

Obviously we'll have to wait and see...

Just remember, they never waste a good crisis, and they use issues like this to misdirect, and diffuse other concerns we have...

Just my opinion...

[ErnieP]

Remember, Bush got surprised. Whomever is appointed will most likely be no worse, and we could get lucky if the new Justice chooses to be more open to considering the opinions of the others. Once sworn in, no Justice has any recall concern at all; she/he is there for life unless they choose to retire. A woman would probably make Ginsburg decide to stay awhile longer to sustain two women on the Court, and help the new Justice adjust. Bottom line, unless a conservative leaves, not much change should be expected.

[Wildscar]

Obama hopes to replace Justice Souter by October (AP)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090501/ap_ ... r_retiring" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AP - President Barack Obama said Friday he will replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter with someone who shares the president's respect for "constitutional values" and hopes to have "him or her" seated on the nation's highest court by the start of the next term in October.