McCain Outlines Judicial Philosophy, Slams Obama

By: Andante Higgins
Topics: John McCain

(CBS)

From CBS News' Andante Higgins:

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- John McCain said he would nominate Supreme Court justices in the mold of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. "My nominees will understand that there are clear limits to the scope of judicial power, and clear limits to the scope of federal power," McCain said. "They will do their work with impartiality, honor, and humanity, with an alert conscience, immune to flattery and fashionable theory, and faithful in all things to the Constitution of the United States."

McCain is speaking on the trail about his judicial philosophy, highlighting his participation in the "gang of 14," where seven Democrats and seven Republicans got together and helped moved Justice Roberts through the nomination process. "Over the years, we have all seen the dreary rituals that now pass for advice and consent in the confirmation of nominees to our Supreme Court. We've seen and heard the shabby treatment accorded to nominees, the caricature and code words shouted or whispered, the twenty-minute questions and two-minute answers," McCain said. "No tactic of abuse or delay is out of bounds, until the nominee is declared 'in trouble' and the spouse is in tears."

McCain maintains that he will not nominate judges who legislate from the bench and uses this reasoning to go after Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. "Senators Obama and Clinton have very different ideas from my own," McCain said. "They are both lawyers themselves, and don't seem to mind at all when fundamental questions of social policy are preemptively decided by judges instead of by the people and their elected representatives."

He also accused Obama of choosing partisan politics over working together during nomination processes. "Senator Obama in particular likes to talk up his background as a lecturer on law, and also as someone who can work across the aisle to get things done. But when Judge Roberts was nominated, it seemed to bring out more the lecturer in Senator Obama than it did the guy who can get things done," McCaid said. "He went right along with the partisan crowd, and was among the 22 senators to vote against this highly qualified nominee."

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by memekiller May 7, 2008 12:27 AM EDT: Heh. And then McCain, without irony, says he wants bipartisan agreement on judicial nominees.; Reply to this comment


by rrcampbell1 May 6, 2008 11:52 PM EDT: Does McCain have a law degree? Those senators who have one should comment on judicial activism.; Reply to this comment


by hopeful08 May 6, 2008 7:09 PM EDT: Obama''s comments at Robert''s confirmation hearings
http://obama.senate.gov/press/050922-remarks_of_sena/

"The problem I had is that when I examined Judge Roberts'' record and history of public service, it is my personal estimation that he has far more often used his formidable skills on behalf of the strong in opposition to the weak. In his work in the White House and the Solicitor General''s Office, he seemed to have consistently sided with those who were dismissive of efforts to eradicate the remnants of racial discrimination in our political process. In these same positions, he seemed dismissive of the concerns that it is harder to make it in this world and in this economy when you are a woman rather than a man."; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 May 6, 2008 2:54 PM EDT: Judge Roberts is pro big business and Corporatism. This is the reason that many senators impeded the nomination they were looking out for the interests of average private American citizens.

The American Working Class needs to stand for themselves and vote to have their interests represented locally, statewide, as well as the US Congress, Judicial, and Executive branches of our fore father%u2019s intentions of check and balance government.; Reply to this comment


by akhajawall May 6, 2008 1:59 PM EDT: Dear Fellow Americans,

Our Great-grand Nation, the United States of America
is and will face very critical and substantial "Challenges" in coming,
months, years, and decades to come.
It is very essential that we pick out our next President on following criteria in mind.

1. A candidate with "Vision and Mission".

2. A candidate with " Stable Character and Integrity" .

3. A candidate with "Presidential Temperament" and
"stable Judgment".

4. A candidate with "little "Washington" exposure" and
"real connectedness with New Voters".

5. A candidate who "Inspires us up" rather than
"Tears us down".

6. A candidate not based on sexism, racism, and ageism.

In my professional and personal opinion, the only candidate who has the above qualities and characteristics and is also cool, calm, and collected is Senator Obama.

I am sure that we will get it right this
time and elect Senator Obama our next President.

Let us remember that our Greatgrand is constituted of
family, friends,fellowships, faith, funds,foundation, fun, and future with fairness and freedom and without fear or favor.

God Bless our Great grand Nation and its diverse people.

Our Greatgrand nation needs present and future stability, security, safety,sustained progress and restoration of our due status in this perilous Global World at the all levels.

Yours sincerely,

COL.[retd] A.M.Khajawall
Forensic Psychiatrist.
Disables American Veteran.
Las Vegas Nevada.; Reply to this comment