"I would like to see more people from outside the judicial monastery, somebody who has had some real-life experience, not just as a judge," Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said on ABC's "This Week."
Sen. Arlen Specter, who this past week announced he was switching his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, said the next Supreme Court justice need not be a judge, or even a lawyer.
He told NBC's "Meet the Press" that he hopes Obama will bypass the federal appeals court, historically the breeding ground for Supreme Court nominees, in his search. He said the president could choose a "statesman or stateswoman" for the position instead.
"I would hope that he would look beyond the Circuit Courts of Appeals which now populates the Supreme Court and pick someone with a greater world experience and diversity," Specter said, noting that the sitting justices have "lives and experiences which are all very similar."
"It would be good to get people who know something besides wearing a black robe," Specter said.
He said women, Hispanics and African-Americans need to be better represented on the high court.
Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also said the court needs more women and minorities.
Hatch said he hopes Obama chooses "somebody of great dimension."
Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., also warned against picking a so-called activist judge.
Why would you hire someone simply because of their skin color, background, or ethnicity? One would think that your hire would be based the applicant/nominee's qualifications for the position. No matter who it is. If the most qualified person for the position of Supreme Court Justice is an African-American female, a second generation Mongolian immigrant, or, God forbid, a Caucasian male, then they should be the one to fill the vacancy. It does not do a black person or a Latino justice to have one of their own on the bench simply because of their ethnicity. You are doing a diservice to their respective groups. Why would you not want the best, even if that is a white man? Why should an activist get the job over a judge?
The quotes above reveal the new mindset of our government and most liberals: look "good" and hire someone who does not deserve it and do an injustice to the American people rather than to fill the position with someone who knows what they are doing. These mindsets and practices are in place in our admission systems and our corporate hiring structures, among other things. If an African-American can become President of the United States, why should any minority be thought of as having less of an opportunity to succeed? We want the best at what they do, no matter WHAT jobthey will be doing, whether black, white, yellow, or green is the color of their skin and no matter their gender.
We have not progressed as far as we like to think we have with race issues if we cannot disregard the color of one's skin when it comes to hiring or going to school, just as same as any other time.
wow this is scary...
ReplyDeleteAh, the old affirmative action concept is still around. I thought liberals were all about change, but I guess not.
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