Day: May 24, 2009

Within the next few days, President Obama will be selecting a Supreme Court Justice to replace retiring Justice David Souter.

He has emphasized the need for a Justice with "empathy" and "real life experiences", and that makes me wonder if he is leaning against selection of a sitting judge.  It has been a long  time since a non-judge has been picked for the Court,  and there is strong reason to pick a person who has dealt with the world outside a court room to add diversity and a different perspective to the Supreme Court.

That is what makes me think that an excellent choice would be Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm,  who was elected Attorney General in 1998, and twice has been elected Governor of her state.  With excellent education at the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard Law School, and with her experiences governing a state which has had major economic problems throughout this decade, I think Granholm is the perfect person to pick for the Court. 

Of course, some would say that she has presided over the Michigan economic disaster brought about by the collapse of the domestic auto industry, but that cannot realistically be said to be caused by her policies, but simply by circumstance.  She has been a strong advocate of her state’s interests in difficult times but cannot be expected to solve the problems all by herself.  She also has the advantage of being only 50 years of age this year, allowing for the possibility of a long career on the Court.

It can also be said that being a white woman of Canadian birth does not satisfy the issue of putting an Hispanic or black woman on the court, but remember that there will be probably two more opportunities for Obama to go in those directions when Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and John Paul Stevens retire in the next few years, which is certainly likely based on age alone.

So let’s see whether my projection of Governor Granholm as the next Supreme Court Justice pans out!  🙂

Today, two leading moderate Republicans spoke up in defense of promoting inclusion and a broad base for the future of the Republican party.

Colin Powell said he was not going to allow Dick Cheney or Rush Limbaugh or anyone else to read him out of the GOP.  He said that the party is self destructing as it stands now, losing the coastlines, much of the Midwest, both genders,  the suburbs,  the different racial groups, and generally those with an open mind, and that this was counterproductive, and he was willing to fight to promote his view of the future of the party.

Tom Ridge, former Governor of Pennsylvania and Homeland Security Secretary,  also was aggressive in promoting a party that is open to different views and does not expect absolute slavish loyalty to every view held by the conservatives who control the party apparatus at this time.   He was not afraid to challenge Cheney and Limbaugh and the other talk radio spokesmen.

To have a former heroic General and Secretary of State and a Homeland Security Secretary speak so openly and defiantly of the conservative capture of the party apparatus is a sign that possibly the GOP will finally start to really reconsider its future,  which is so gloomy at this point.  The health of our political system requires a strong opposition party, and there was even a hint that just possibly Ridge himself might consider a Presidential run in 2012, with his socially progressive views on  issues such as gay rights and abortion.   The moderates are not giving up, and this is good news!