tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post2058669636995275310..comments2023-10-16T07:13:12.123-05:00Comments on A plain blog about politics: Wanna Fight?Jonathan Bernsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-28345548144381256742010-04-14T14:12:06.682-05:002010-04-14T14:12:06.682-05:00One of my friends pointed out that for practical p...One of my friends pointed out that for practical purposes, anybody who is a 'moderate' in the sense that they will rarely vote with Justices Roberts, Alito, Scalia and Thomas is as good as a Justice Douglas--this is not a court that is going to be breaking new progressive ground in the next decade. The only advantage that a nomination that is perceived to be a real liberal has is if it makes it easier to nominate another such in the future, which seems iffy to me.<br /><br />Of course, it's not clear to me that President Obama loses much 'political capital' if he first nominates some leftist law prof, has it blocked, and <i>then</i> nominates one of the people currently being talked about. But the difference in actual court decisions is probably not that great any way you look at it.<br /><br />Thanks,<br />-V.Vardibidianhttp://www.kith.org/journals/vardibidian/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-82989122636607579992010-04-13T13:32:26.017-05:002010-04-13T13:32:26.017-05:00I think that this is one of the most--if not the m...I think that this is one of the most--if not the most--important decisions President Obama will make during his entire term of office. Given that the court has turned so decisively to the right in the last 30 years, I am saddened that you seem to be willing to concede the fight to turn it back to the left unfought.<br /><br />This is a fight that is worth fighting, Mr. Bernstein. And as we saw during the health care debate, winning a fight provides it's own political capital. In the face of the largest Democratic majorities in the Senate and the House we are likely to see for a generation, I'm surprised that you don't feel this should be fought out now, when we can, rather than kicking it down the road. Your proposal seems like more of the triangulation that we saw from Clinton, honestly. In the face of the mess left by Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II, we need genuine boldness. Perhaps when Republicans stop behaving like unhinged lunatics we will be able to treat with them. In the meantime, there's a country to run.<br /><br />Or so it seems to me.Douglas Moranhttp://open.salon.com/blog/douglas_morannoreply@blogger.com