Questions for Roberts
by TChris
Sen. Arlen Specter provides a not-very-helpful user's guide to judicial confirmation hearings in today's NY Times. Senators can ask any question they like, Specter reminds us, and the nominee can evade the question as he sees fit. Any controversial question will be met with "I don't want to give the impression that I've prejudged any issue that might come before the Court," a shorthand way of saying "If I answer that, half the country will think I'm unfit for this job."
Specter suggests that process based questions are more appropriate, but coaxing a nominee to assure the Senators that he respects precedent isn't likely to provide much insight into the kind of Supreme Court Justice John Roberts might be. More useful questions the Senators should consider asking: Did anyone in the White House ask you about Roe v. Wade? If the word abortion came up during any conversation with a member of the White House, please repeat that conversation for us. Was Guantanamo mentioned during your job interview? If given the chance, would you go duck hunting with Dick Cheney? Who should decide elections: voters or the Supreme Court?
< Washington and Anonymous Sources | Cheney Lobbies Against Pentagon Abuse Reform > |