Increasing Number Of Americans View Supreme Court As ‘Too Conservative’

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/07/28/supreme-court-poll/

Increasing Number Of Americans View Supreme Court As ‘Too Conservative’


During the full first term of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, the court has taken a sharp turn to the right. In June, the court ruled that local school authorities “cannot take modest steps to bring public school students of different races together.” It also upheld a ban on the so-called “partial birth” abortion procedure and repeatedly sided with big business in decisions.

According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, an increasing percentage of the American public is unhappy with this shift:

The percentage who said the court is “too conservative” grew from 19 percent to 31 percent in the past two years, while those who said it is “generally balanced in its decisions” declined from 55 percent to 47 percent. {…}

{A} majority disagreed with the court’s decision that sharply restricted the ability of local school boards to use race when making school assignments to achieve diverse student bodies. Fifty-six percent of those polled disapproved of the decision; 40 percent approved.

During their nomination hearings, Roberts said he had “no agenda.” Alito said he would rule in a “neutral fashion.” Yet the two Bush nominees have sided with one another approximately 90 percent of the time.

The Senate is frustrated that the two justices have not lived up to their promises. Yesterday, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) said that the Senate “should not confirm another U.S. Supreme Court nominee under President Bush ‘except in extraordinary circumstances.’” Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), who championed the nominations of Alito and Roberts, plans to review their Senate testimony to “determine if their reversal of several long-standing opinions conflicts with promises they made to senators to win confirmation.”

[Xipe Totec]

1. I wish we'd stop using that term - conservative

This is a rabid right wing reactionary regressive court. There's nothing conservative about it; they are trying to turn back the clock to the 19th century. That's not conservative; that's regressive.

[malaise]

5. Ditto n/t

[Vincardog]

6. RAdical Reich wing fascist = not conservative

[sandnsea]

15. right wing regressives

My god you're right, regressive is the term we should have been using all this time. I will try to remember and you keep hammering away to make everybody else use that word too.

[Swamp Rat]

2. k&r

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

3. In other news, some Americans continue to wake up.

Too little, too late.

Those asshats will be sitting on the supremes for years.

The single best reason I know of to vote Dem.

[terrya]

7. No kidding.

Thomas and Scalia can be on the court for at least 25 more years, Alito and Roberts at least 35.

And let's not forget that Stevens is 84 years old.

[Golden Raisin]

14. I believe Stevens is 87,

[seemslikeadream]

4. Keep those coat hangers handy

[depakid]

8. They ain't seen nothin' yet

All those people who wanted "more conservative" judges have gotten their wishes.

And I for one have ZERO sympathy for them.

[viat0r]

9. too conservative huh?

Its ALWAYS been conservative. Its just becoming fascist now.

[leftofthedial]

10. how fucking stupid are americans anyway?

[candice]

11. A Dem president can increase the numbers of Supremes and make the

Court reflect the people it is supposed to serve. The Supremes picked the loser 5 to 4 and the world has paid a huge price.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/opinion/26smith.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Still, there is nothing sacrosanct about having nine justices on the Supreme Court. Roosevelt’s 1937 chicanery has given court-packing a bad name, but it is a hallowed American political tradition participated in by Republicans and Democrats alike.

If the current five-man majority persists in thumbing its nose at popular values, the election of a Democratic president and Congress could provide a corrective. It requires only a majority vote in both houses to add a justice or two. Chief Justice John Roberts and his conservative colleagues might do well to bear in mind that the roll call of presidents who have used this option includes not just Roosevelt but also Adams, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln and Grant.

[sandnsea]

17. That is so incredibly irresponsible

If Bush had done something like that in order to overturn all the decisions that have gone against him, we really would have come unglued. How can you think to suggest we do something that would horrify us if Bush did it? That's the kind of talk the right uses to scare their base with, and half the time it's shit that some naderite nincompoop started.

[KittyWampus]

18. actually, an article proposing this was posted here yesterday (?). Historically, it's been done

and done by both parties.

[sandnsea]

19. Go ahead and suggest that next year

The Democrats are going to stack the court. See how quick we tank. Are people really too stupid to know that?

[shanti]

12. "too flippin bad"

says the SCOTUS Five, all the while laughing maniacally! they have us by the short hairs.

[Bitwit1234]

13. We also know four of them are liars.

Roberts and Alito lied to the confirming committee. Scalia lied when he said he could be impartial after being bribed by the vice president and Thomas lied when he said he was a sexual harrasser...

[Golden Raisin]

16. And just think --- it was the previous

"more liberal" court that incoronated Bush. Justice Stevens is 87. If he retires or dies soon and Bush gets to nominate another justice we are totally fucked. Schumer's recent protestations aside, I have zero faith that Congress will not acquiesce once again, just as they did with Roberts and Alito.