Here is an interesting petition:
Dear Mr. President:
With the recent retirement of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, you have a monumental decision before you. We urge you to make an appointment to the Supreme Court that would unify our nation, not divide it further.
We urge you to appoint former United States Senator John Danforth of Missouri to the U.S. Supreme Court.
We are a nation at war abroad, and a nation deeply divided on many issues at home. This is not the time for an appointment that would offend half the nation and potentially provoke a bitter and prolonged confirmation battle.
You have twice called on Sen. Danforth for important positions. Twice he has answered that call. We urge you to call on him again for the good of the nation. Mr. Danforth knows better than anyone that harm that can come from a bitter confirmation battle. There is little doubt that his sense of duty would require him to answer such a call.
Sen. Danforth is eminently qualifed and would be promptly confirmed by the United State Senate. He is an obvious choice for our nation in this time and place. We urge you to make him your choice as well.
Interesting. (Via WaveFlux)
eileen from OH
I don’t know much about Danforth outside of the two editorials he wrote regarding the separation of Church and state along with his dismay over the undue influence of the religious right. On the basis of just that, I’m on board.
eileen from OH
Doug
Too old, among other things. I’d assume the Bush admin would want to appoint a relatively young guy. Danforth is about 70 years old, I think. And he’s Episcopalian. That’s hardly even Christian! (joking).
Dave Schuler
Danforth is a good decent man and would be an excellent choice for any number of reasons but at 69, he’s probably too old for the job. Besides he went to Country Day School (where Steve Green, VodkaPundit, went) ;-)
Dave Schuler
Danforth is a good decent man and would be an excellent choice for any number of reasons but at 69, he’s probably too old for the job. Besides he went to Country Day School (where Steve Green, VodkaPundit, went) ;-)
p.lukasiak
I’ve been saying Danforth would make a good choice since before O’Connor resigned.
The only “bad mark” against Danforth was his sponsorship of Clarence Thomas for the Supreme Court. And given the possibility that with Danforth on the Court, Thomas might actually stop shuckin’ and jivin’ for Scalia occasionally and listen to what Danforth has to say, the former Senator is an even better choice.
Andrew J. Lazarus
You must be joking. Bush and Turdblossom want a bitter and divisive nomination battle. Danforth would get all 100 votes. Their motto is 50% plus 1. And their other motto is “Bring it on!”.
I think I was rash in predicting Roy Moore as a nominee, but I wouldn’t be surprised by one of his proteges or elected allies.
Defense Guy
I doubt very much that this will not divide. He promised us strict constructionalists and I think that is what he is going to nominate.
Stormy70
Thomas didn’t just rule to take away private property rights. though, did he?
Bush will nominate who he wants, and the nominee will be confirmed.
Sojourner
You may be right but it will further divide this country. And if the Supreme Court selects another Republican president, the consequences could last at least for the rest of our lives. Public opinion of the Supreme Court is already down. What happens when even regular people see it as an ideological arm of the Republican party? Not that Bush cares about those things – he lacks the vision and leadership qualities to recognize their importance.
Defense Guy
Sojourner
I don’t suppose that in that outcome it will be much different than those who feel it is an arm of the Democratic party. The sun will continue to rise, babies will continue to be made and I will have to keep going to work.
Kimmitt
It really depends on how many people hold the position that the Supreme Court is nearly exclusively political, and whether or not it is fundamentally the position of cranks.
Sojourner
When was the SC ever an arm of the Democratick party?
JoshA
Danforth criticized Republicans as catering to the religious right too much. There is a better chance that Karl Rove will announce tomorrow that he is ashamed that he outed a CIA agent and destroyed a CIA front company monitoring WMD than of Bush appointing Danforth.
Jess
Do y’all know anything about the Draft Prado drive? What do you think about that?
ps: Stormy, no one on the SC ruled to take away private property rights–they ruled to leave it up the states. Not that I agree with that ruling, but it is more strictly constructionalist, I guess.