Reaction From The Left-Side Of The Blogosphere To O'Connor Stepping Down
By John Hawkins on Judges
Right Wing News
"Sandra Day O'Connor has retired. This is going to be bloody." -- The Washington Monthly ***
"Mark the date. In all likelihood, July 1, 2005 will be remembered as the day women's choice died." -- Lean Left ***
"In any case, I'll be very surprised if (Bush) chooses someone in the least bit acceptable to anyone but the James Dobbsians. The want to set loose the hounds of hell." -- Hullabaloo ***
"Fantastic. Alberto "the Inquisitor" Gonzales is a possibility (to replace O'Connor)... what could possibly be worse?" -- Daily Kos ***
Also from Daily Kos, a list of some key decisions where O'Connor was the swing vote. ***
"The battle for America is now underway." -- Oliver Willis ***
"Bob Brigham mentioned that the right will spend $18m for their wingnut, but they were going to spend more on social security and that hasn't worked for them. It's a gut check for everyone, and I don't think another Thomas will slip on the court.
Hey, security mom, when you have to get birth control from Canada and leave the state for an abortion, while Osama is still living and breathing, you'll feel really good about voting for Bush." -- The News Blog ***
So here's a question: can we actually block anyone that Bush wants? The last heroic victory was the rejection of Robert Bork, and that was pulled off by a 55-45 Democratic majority. I guess we can filibuster, at least assuming the nuclear option can be blocked, but what, realistically speaking, is the plan here? -- Ezra Klein ***
"People in comments have reminded me that until O'Connor's retirement the "pro-Roe" crowd numbered 6. So, perhaps this issue will be punted for another couple of years. Someone make sure Stevens has a good doctor." -- Eschaton *** (*** Hawkins Note: This is correct. Replacing O'Connor will not change Roe v. Wade unless unpredictable Kennedy has a change of heart, which isn't impossible, but would seem to be unlikely)
This is will be an even more brutal fight than a Rehnquist retirement because O'Connor is a swing vote, and replacing her with a right-winger shifts the ideological balance of the court.
Short of actual war, this will be as brutal as it gets. -- Liberal Oasis ***
On a personal note, given that we have a President who has promised to nominate conservative justices and 55 Republicans in the Senate, I should be totally confident and happy right now, especially after reading all those hysterical liberals. But instead, I feel like we're at the start of one of those movies where the "heroes" are "lovable" but goofy screw-ups like Adam Sandler or Chris Farley who are just as likely as not to turn a "can't lose" situation into a disaster. Except in those movies, everything turns out all right in the end, but in this case we'll somehow end up with Alberto Gonzalez on the court. Cross your fingers and write your Senators folks, cuz it should be a wild ride....
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