Justice Souter retiring

[Donald L.]

Justice Souter retiring (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/30/AR2009043004347.html)


News media reports say Justice David Souter plans to retire from the Supreme Court at the end of the court's term in June.

Speculation that the 69-year-old justice will be stepping down has been fueled by his failure to appoint law clerks from the fall term.

National Public Radio is reporting that Souter has informed the White House of his intentions and will remain on the bench until a successor is confirmed.

[Jason McCullough]

Is there a legal restriction on how old they have to be? Getting a 18 year old stoner through would be awesome.

[Andrew Mayer]

Is there a legal restriction on how old they have to be? Getting a 18 year old stoner through would be awesome.

Jesus dude, you should write a script.

[Guido Jones]

Is there a legal restriction on how old they have to be? Getting a 18 year old stoner through would be awesome.

No - but with no term limits, if you appoint a 18 year old you're concievable going to impact legal decisions for the next 60 years or so.

[Lum]

And the first 5 years of them would be AWESOME.

[Linoleum]

In other words it would be just like this (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118836/) only with the highest court in the land?

[mouselock]

the highest court in the land?

Dude! Movie title!

[jerri blank]

Too long. Let's go with High Court. Here are some other notes, mostly on the cast:

Seth Rogen
Jack Black
Dave Chappelle
Both dudes from the Harold and Kumar movies (Kal Penn will need to take leave from the White House)
Jonah Hill
Michael Cera
Paul Rudd
Jason Segel
Katherine Heigl
Leslie Mann
Ellen Page
Jason Bateman

I smell a HIT, people!

[BennyProfane]

Okay, on a serious note. Prognosticators seem to think Obama is likely to nominate a woman to the court, but personally I would love to him him nominate Deval Patrick, who fits pretty much perfectly with the justice Obama described during his campaign.

Anyone else want to propose any nominees?

[Omniscia]

Alan Dershowitz?

I don't know.

[Ben Sones]

MICHELLE BACHMAN!

[extarbags]

Hillary Clinton.

[Major Malphunktion]

This guy (http://www.2000adreview.co.uk/reviews/2007/images/1520/judge-dredd.jpg)

[Jason McCullough]

I can't top Jerri's title.

Based on the way oral arguments went for that strip-search the high-school girl for ibuprofen case they definitely need another woman on the court.

[Miramon]

Seems like the Republicans will have to go along with the nominee, because Specter's switch removes him as a Republican on the committee.

[Brian Seiler]

Well, the entire Republican party combined could filibuster a potential nominee, but it shouldn't be an issue. Souter was one of the "liberal" justices, so there's no change to the court if another "liberal" justice goes up in his place. I mean, there's a reason Souter's retiring now.

I actually kind of hope this blows up into a big slapfight. Maybe somebody could use a racial epithet at somebody else. Anything to get swine flu out of the news.

[jeffd]

I think it's pretty clear we need to replace Souter with Judge Floro!

[shift6]

Who are you to wave your Con-sti-tu-tion at me?
You must... have been... out of your mind!

[corsair]

This was coming from a while back. Obama may be replacing upwards of three of the liberal judges (net no effect) and maybe a bonus conservative that steps off a curb at the wrong time. So there should be plenty of opportunities to spread around a few minority, female and maybe even another white guy appointments. Republicans will probably get a taste of their own recent medicine with any nominee being close to 50 at the oldest.

[alexlitel]

Jesus dude, you should write a script.Definitely, I cannot imagine Sony Pictures not optioning this for their slate of direct-to-DVD titles. Maybe QT3 should collaborate on this.

INT. SPRING HEIGHTS COMMUNITY COLLEGE AUDITORIUM

We zoom in from the back of the auditorium to see Max Stockfield, a middle-aged Blue Dog Democrat up for re-election, taking questions from students who feel newly empowered in the Obama era.

STUDENT
What the fuck is the deal with the Supreme Court? I mean the motherfuckers there are older and whiter than the Pope? Why can't a young person be on the Court?

[Andrew Mayer]

I'm thinking he starts out on a bet, or a dare.

Oooh! Or maybe his father was supposed to get it, and the give it to him accidentally.

[Linoleum]

This is 2009, he'd be nominated via a web poll which would be stuffed by 4chan.

[extarbags]

Too long. Let's go with High Court. Here are some other notes, mostly on the cast:

Seth Rogen
Jack Black
Dave Chappelle
Both dudes from the Harold and Kumar movies (Kal Penn will need to take leave from the White House)
Jonah Hill
Michael Cera
Paul Rudd
Jason Segel
Katherine Heigl
Leslie Mann
Ellen Page
Jason Bateman

I smell a HIT, people!

Dude, this cast is terrible. Obviously this movie stars Method Man as the young guy who gets appointed to the Court and Redman as his best friend who keeps him grounded (and causes hijinx!).

[Joe M.]

Whomever Obama nominates, Fox will breathlessly report that it's the most liberal nomination ever.

[russellmz00]

Too long. Let's go with High Court. Here are some other notes, mostly on the cast:

Seth Rogen
Jack Black
Dave Chappelle
Both dudes from the Harold and Kumar movies (Kal Penn will need to take leave from the White House)
Jonah Hill
Michael Cera
Paul Rudd
Jason Segel
Katherine Heigl
Leslie Mann
Ellen Page
Jason Bateman

I smell a HIT, people!

i'd replace heigl with elizabeth banks, myself.

[croman]

There's an interesting article over at Huffpo (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/01/how-obamas-supreme-court_n_194688.html) on just how the Republican caucus Can deny Obama's nomination. Apparantly (it's all complicated, which the article tries to explain about the original Cornell Law School professors explanation), it can be stalled by having no member of the Judiciary committees minority party vote for confirmation. Which may be harder now that Specter is a Democrat. Plus they can just not show up for the confirmation hearings, which can stall the process in the same way.

Kinda hard to explain and it does have work arounds, but if the Republicans want to be asses ( *shock* *horror* ) , they can muck up the process pretty good.

[Andrew Mayer]

Kinda hard to explain and it does have work arounds, but if the Republicans want to be asses ( *shock* *horror* ) , they can muck up the process pretty good.

The party of no strikes again.
What's hilarious is that they think this will win them elections.

I am positive that they Republicans are going to go after this in a manner that they think will win them points and will get schooled badly.

[Anders Hallin]

I can't top Jerri's title.

Based on the way oral arguments went for that strip-search the high-school girl for ibuprofen case they definitely need another woman on the court.
That's my thought as well. "Most qualified" is a good thing, and I'd say that being a minority or a woman makes you more qualified than being a middle-aged/old white guy, considering the current court.

[alexlitel]

Oh, and his decisions on the Court end up being pretty righteous and are very popular with the 18-45 crowd.

[Moggraider]

I'm going to miss Souter. I think Obama will replace him with Sotomayor, which is a goddamned shame because she isn't liberal enough.

[jerri blank]

i'd replace heigl with elizabeth banks, myself.

You're right - she's more credible in a movie like this. Done.

[Anders Hallin]

A shortlist has been leaked:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iVIF9OnrgW2kTS53D8szV4l9GLewD985S7CO0

Among those Obama is considering are Solicitor General Elena Kagan, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Appeals Court judges Sonia Sotomayor and Diane Pamela Wood. California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno is also under review by Obama.

[Cubit]

dear lord please not napolitano.

[Moggraider]

I vote for Kagan. Wood would be the second choice, but she's too old. As for the others, I'm a spic myself, but I find the spics up for nods too... bipartisan. As for Napolitano and Granholm, I don't like branch-switchers.

[Jason McCullough]

Napolitano would be terrible. What is she even doing on that list?