Sessions Not Necessarily Opposed To Gay Supreme Court Justice

(CBS)

Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), the key Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, says that he could support a gay Supreme Court justice, The Hill reports.

"I'm not inclined to think that's an automatic disqualification," Session said of the prospect of a gay justice. Gay rights groups have called on President Obama to install an openly gay justice.

"I may disagree with some legal opinion on those issues, but I think fundamentally it will be up to the president to submit somebody who would unite the country and would be a clear statement of a mainstream judge who commits himself to the law," he added.

It's a significant statement for Sessions, who was ranked the fifth most conservative U.S. senator by National Journal in 2007. Sessions also drew fire years ago for making statements that some legislators have considered racially insensitive.

The senator is well acquainted with the vagaries of judicial confirmation, having gone through that process himself in 1986 when he was nominated to a federal judgeship by President Reagan. The Senate Judiciary Committee eventually rejected his nomination.

The rest of the Republican party replied in similarly muted tones about the possibility of a gay justice. "It's not been part of the calculus for me," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

"I don't look at disqualifying people, I look at qualifying them. A judge who is qualified to me is someone who doesn't legislate from the bench," added Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia.

But others warned that it may be too soon for such a step.

"It seems to me this first pick is going to be a kind of important one, and my hope is that he'll play it a little more down the middle," GOP Chief Deputy Whip John Thune said. "A lot of people would react very negatively."

[rosemam]

How do you spell "No Experience"?? Easy...O B A M A!!
Those of you Obamamaniacs who think he's doing a good job - lets not forget that there were many who thought Hitler was doing a good job too - till it was too late. Those of us with common sense who didn't vote for obama just have to sit back and watch the media lift him up as a god, and watch him destroy everthing around him.

[pensacola8-2009]

I wonder if Senator Session would be agreeable to legislation that rewrites the IRS tax code that replaces the wording of 'Married' or 'Marriage', with 'Civil Union' and grants the tax exemption or treatment. Under such a law, any form of civil union would be possible as currently dictated by states and replace the 'marriage license', with a 'civil union license' leaving the wording of marriage to used and controlled by 501c3's (Churches) .

If civil union rights were extended as a matter of economic unity between two adults for economic and taxation purposes, it would get government out of the marriage morality business and permit closure allowing the government to get on with other more important business.

[endurorob]

You're taking me too seriously - this is just my way of taking a jab at affirmative action and all this talk about the expected sex/color/orientation of the next Justice. It should absolutely be about picking the most qualified candidate and not the most qualified black handicapped lesbian candidate. We'll see just how much better a job Obama makes with his pick - he has already made serious missteps in some of his selections for posts in his government (all the income tax forgetting)
Posted by rational_1


There is a story about his nomination for Deputy Secratary Department of Housong and Urban Development being involved in the illegal withholding of public records concerning the King Dome and the new Qwest Field. I have only seen it in one news outlet so far.

[hakori]

167irishboy...you are right....it's just your opinion, and quite frankly it's an opinion you don't even have enough sense to be embarrased about. You use the same dehumanizing arguements that racists used in the past to justify the continued illegality of interracial marriages. Tell a gay couple who've been together longer than you've been born that their relationship is on par with beastality and should have no right to what you take for granted! Fortunately you're becoming a relic of the past.

[hungry1968-15]

Posted by rational_1 at 6:04 AM : May 7, 2009

You are talking about hypothetical people ... Bush wanted Harriet Myers for a job for which she had absolutely no experience. Obama, so for, is doing a much better job ...
Posted by abbe91 at 6:09 AM : May 7, 2009





It was worse than that:

At the time Meiers was nominated, she hadn't even been in a courtroom, in OVER 19 YEARS!!!!

She was a "political adviser", rather than a lawyer or judge that was actually practicing law during that time!!

[abbe91]

A woman, yes, but white and able-bodied and as far as I know, straight.
Posted by rational_1 at 6:04 AM : May 7, 2009

You are talking about hypothetical people ... Bush wanted Harriet Myers for a job for which she had absolutely no experience. Obama, so for, is doing a much better job ...

[hungry1968-15]

Imagine if they can find a black lesbian in a wheelchair - the Holy Grail of affirmative action! Hope she actually went to law school or is Obama going to allow 'life experiences' to substitute for legal training?
Posted by rational_1 at 5:51 AM : May 7, 2009





Ala "Harriet Meiers"?

[abbe91]

Posted by rational_1 at 5:51 AM : May 7, 2009

For me, the holy grail of affirmative action was Harriet Myers.

[abbe91]

Posted by Wolfear at 5:45 AM : May 7, 2009

I don't know why ... with this topic, it's always tempting to quote Niemoller ...

[abbe91]

"If a person is gay , they have some sort of metal defect..
Posted by the_sir_mr at 5:39 PM : May 6, 2009"

Sure, and a simple magnet would let you find out ...