A Proactive Strategy for SCOTUS Nominees

[suigeneris]

We all know it's coming. Bush will nominate Estrada or Pickering or someone similar to the court and we will go into full obstructionist mode. We should, too, but in doing so we play into yet another of the political traps that Reeps cynically lay for us.

Here is an idea to get out in front of the obstructionist charge.

We need to put together a list of distinguished moderate to center-right jurists of sterling judicial or legal or political credentials that are undeniably highly qualified to serve on the court. Let them all be Republicans so long as they are not conservative ideologues and activists. Lots should be minorities - plenty of Hispanics, blacks and Asians and plenty of women. There should be plenty of foreign born immigrants. Some should be old, too, :-)

Obviously, we choose people whose views are not hardened and inimical to our own on human rights and social justice issues, etc.

The list can be gotten together by Dem senators, who are always in close contact with those in their states who are potential judges.

By assembling a roster of undeniably excellent Republican candidates and publishing and promoting that list far and wide before a vacancy develops, when Bush sends up a fundie and we have to object we can loudly and convincingly make the charge that we are for any number of highly qualified Republican even conservative potential nominees but not the extremist Bush has just sent up.

The flip side is we stand a decent chance of confirming someone we can live with.

The side benefit is that we do not step into the Rovian trap Bush will set when we are forced to oppose an otherwise attractive minority or woman and do ourselves damage with everyday folks who don't have the time to get to the bottom of judicial temperments.

I think it's a helluva idea. How do we get it to Reid? There is no time to lose.

[shoelace414]

1. It will be a minority.

the republicans WILL (and have been) play the race card.