I would just like to say hello and let you know that I’m happy to be a member – been a lurker long enough

Hope to contribute some and gain some knowledge along the way….

I can name an idealog: Justice Ginsberg, former counselor for the American Civil Liberties Union. She’s tried to re-write the constitution with each opinion she’s written. None of the conservatives have. Not Thomas, not Scalia, not Alito and not Roberts!

You can screech all you want to, but you can’t change the facts.

I mention that because I can understand wanting change, but it’s tough to respect Shaw’s clarion call for “independent” judges when he has little idea what he means by that. All nominations at federal level positions will naturally reflect the ideology of the president – it’s a recognition that not only do judges hold great power to change society (they’ve assumed this role), but the president’s supporters demand that their vision be reflected on the bench. Furthermore, there likely isn’t a more ideological person in any administration than the president – it’s the reason they run for the position of most powerful person in the world. You don’t work that hard to make it into the Oval Office so you can field moderates to the bench. Barack believes he’s strengthening the country he loves by nominating ACLU attorneys to the federal bench.

Don’t underestimate him (folks like BackwardsBoy). Barack Obama is well versed in the law and the Constitution – he’s a highly educated man who is deeply ideological, who earned his political stripes battling in the dog eat dog world of Chicago politics. He’s never shown the willingness to compromise with his political adversaries, and assumes an air of entitlement now that will either propel him or destroy him. Only the hopelessly idealistic would expect he would now recognize a responsibility to nominate “independent” judges. We call the “hopelessly idealistic” Obama followers.

Political moderates like Jazz serve a purpose, but too often folks like him think moderation means the absence of partisanship. They’ll argue that partisanship happens when people stuck in ideological boxes labeled “conservative” or “liberal” won’t give up thoughtless positions and give in to pragmatism. Moderates believe they’re above the fray by virtue of their political magnanimity. But that’s a ruse. Shaw’s broadsides against Sarah Palin or Joe the Plumber show he’s eager to spit political poison when personal assaults are good for marketing his name, but he wags the finger when political poisons are sprayed in debates on issues beyond personality – like war, taxes or judicial nominees.

We can’t wish away our disagreements, and there’s no virtue in passivity when America faces the challenges it does. Freedom is worth fighting for. Barack Obama is worth fighting against.

Did you really write that? Are you kidding? Don’t you know anything about these people?

The only major problem the Messiah is going to have filling these seats is finding enough tax-cheats. In the case of appointing judges, I’m sure he’s going to run out of available ACLU attorneys.

I want someone who has a judicial philosopy that doesn’t create new law out of thin air but returns the onus to the legislative branch where it rightfully belongs.