(2010-04-26) — Eager to avoid the controversy that surrounded his last Supreme Court pick, President Barack Obama today categorically rejected “empathy” as a characteristic he seeks in a court nominee.
“On the contrary,” the president said emphatically, “I’m looking for a judge who cannot be swayed by the subjective feelings that the Founding Fathers enshrined in the Constitution. My Supreme Court nominee will strictly enforce justice without regard to the vagaries of human emotion that swept away Madison, Washington, Franklin, Hamilton and the others.”
President Obama’s remarks come after recent White House suggestions that he’s scouring the nation to find candidates, not with empathy, but with “a keen understanding of how the law affects the daily lives of the American people,” which is an entirely different quality.
The president noted that he, as a former Constitutional law lecturer and past president of the Harvard Law Review, is “eminently qualified to locate an associate justice for the high court who can overcome the Framers’ knowledge deficit regarding the actual impact of the law on citizens.”
“Those old, white men drafted this charter of negative liberties,” Mr. Obama said, “and like a band of grandfathers, gone soft out of compassion for their grandchildren, they tried to free the individual from bondage to the government, when in fact, it’s the government that has their best interests at heart. It’s the government that can deliver so much more justice to them than any Constitution could ever hope to accomplish.”
Mr. Obama added that, “Empathy was the Framers’ undoing, and I intend to restore to the court a steely-eyed regard for established law…as it may be established from time to time by the court.”
15 responses so far ↓
1 boberin // Apr 26, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Ah, "from time to time"…that makes sense.
Of corse Obiwan could nominate Mitt Romeny and the Republican's would reject him…
I'm still pulling for Sarah P…she's our man for the job
2 Hawkeye_R // Apr 26, 2010 at 1:23 pm
As President, Barack Obama's first lie came when he swore to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." He's been lying ever since.
3 camojack // Apr 26, 2010 at 1:34 pm
“On the contrary,” the president said emphatically…
Emphatically, or empathetically?
(Inquiring minds, an' all)
4 jodark // Apr 26, 2010 at 1:34 pm
This is like an article out of the Onion or "1984."
"Freedom is slavery, slavery is freedom."
5 ScrappleFace // Apr 26, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Thank you.
6 Obama Rejects ‘empathy’ As High Court Nominee Litmus | Who Died and Made You Boss? // Apr 26, 2010 at 10:38 am
[...] (2010-04-26) Eager to avoid the controversy that surrounded his last Supreme Court pick, President Barack Obama today categorically rejected empathy as a characteristic he seeks in a court nominee. … The president noted that he, as a former Constitutional law lecturer and past president of the Harvard Law Review, is eminently qualified to locate an associate justice for the high court who can overcome the Framers’ knowledge deficit regarding the actual impact of …Read More… [...]
7 onlineanalyst // Apr 26, 2010 at 3:53 pm
President Government's short list of SC nominees certainly do the trick of challenging the Constitution.
8 ChileSerrano // Apr 26, 2010 at 4:28 pm
What, no empathy ?! ?
OK, so, I'm just guessing …
Does this mean that Faith, Hope and Charity are out of the running too?
9 boberin // Apr 26, 2010 at 4:31 pm
at least Sonny and Cher's daughter could still be in the running!
10 Upnorthlurkin // Apr 26, 2010 at 7:33 pm
PSSSST! Could someone please tell the dolt in the WH he's president of ALL the people?! Like it or not, he's stuck with us honkies (honkeys) too!
11 JamesonLewis3rd // Apr 27, 2010 at 2:07 am
"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." ~~John 5:28-29
12 JamesonLewis3rd // Apr 27, 2010 at 2:07 am
"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." ~~John 5:28-29
13 JamesonLewis3rd // Apr 27, 2010 at 2:07 am
"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." ~~John 5:28-29
14 onlineanalyst // Apr 29, 2010 at 2:02 am
Comedy gold in Quincy, IL: http://hotair.com/archives/2010/04/28/video-swat-...
15 onlineanalyst // Apr 28, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Nice salute to you today, Scott, in WSJ;s "Best of the Web" re your take on the health care analysis by Medicare and Medicaid chief. The rush to legislate O-care before the facts were out would indeed lead to the termination of executives in the private sector had they been so unethical.
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