Crossposted over at DEMbloggers.com
Former President Reagan stirs passion on both sides of the aisle. Even though most of us may disagree with the former President’s political philosophy you cannot deny that he treated the process of appointing a Supreme Court justice with tremendous respect.
If you don’t believe me just take a look at the facts. 3 of the 4 nominees that Ronald Reagan appointed to the Supreme Court passed with zero opposition in the Senate. This means that Democrats and Republicans both supported these nominees. Check the chart below:
During the nomination process of O’Connor the Senate was solidly controlled by Republicans and Strom Thurmond was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Taking all of the above into consideration Ronald Reagan could have appointed an ultra-conservative judge with relative ease but he chose to appoint Sandra Day O’Connor.
Granted Ronald Reagan did appoint Scalia and Rehnquist but both of them passed with minimal opposition in the Senate so we will focus on Reagan’s more moderate appointee, Sandra Day O’Connor
Ronald Reagan was a master at consultation. Reagan never really needed to consult the Congress regarding his Supreme Court appointments but he used the weapon of negotiation and got three of his nominees passed with no opposition in the Senate.
George W. Bush is often compared to Ronald Reagan but one of the many things that set him apart is his refusal and his inability to negotiate with his opponents.
Time and time again George W. Bush has “gone at it alone” and America has paid the price. Bush didn’t bother to consult our allies in the run-up to the war in Iraq and look where that has gotten us. Bush didn’t bother to negotiate with the Democrats in the Congress and pushed his radical judicial nominees through threatening the nuclear option and burning bridges the entire way. Bush again didn’t bother to consult the Congress with his appointment for UN Ambassador and now Mr. Bolton is stuck in a congressional limbo at the fault of the President.
As I mentioned George W. Bush is compared to Reagan but the fact is that Reagan would have never sent John Bolton to the Senate knowing that it would stir such opposition in both parties. Reagan would have never appointed such radical judicial nominees in the Senate and then threaten the nuclear option when they were opposed. Reagan wouldn’t have “gone at it alone” and let American men and women in uniform pay the price.
Ronald Reagan has set a clear standard for consulting the Congress and appointing Supreme Court justices. Sen. Ted Kennedy put this into perspective on the floor of the US Senate this past Friday:
So do we Senator, so do we…
