O'Connor has been criticized by conservatives for being a moderate. Both Rehnquist's and O'Connor's replacements are being highly anticipated to be filled with judges of much more conservative ideologies. <br><br>If conservatives are so eager to replace these two to tilt the court strongly to the right, did Reagan screw up in these appointments? Rehnquist has not been conservative enough either? Since President Reagan is the godhead of all modern Republicans, why is he never held responsible for the court's stand on issues like RvW, or did he actually do the right thing in appointing a moderate? Could Bush learn from Reagan's example?<br><br><br><br><br><br>

Roe V Wade was before Mr Reagans time. So effectively the judges he placed on SCOTUS took the correct stand - we've ruled and that's it - Congress must enact a law to change the ruling.<br><br>While that old horse keeps coming up, I don't think you can blame Reagan for its continued stance on the issue.<br><br><br><br>We all do what we do for the same reason: because it seems like a good idea at the time.

Where did the acronym SCOTUS come from? It sounds like some kind of venereal disease! <br><br>-- Charlie Alpha Roger Yankee Whiskey<br>

Probably the same place as POTUS and FLOTUS - now buried in myth.<br><br><br><br>We all do what we do for the same reason: because it seems like a good idea at the time.

Roe V Wade was before Mr Reagans time. So effectively the judges he placed on SCOTUS took the correct stand - we've ruled and that's it - Congress must enact a law to change the ruling.<br><br>Why is it so widely discussed that Bush's appointments will target RvW? Why then this conservative notion that the SCOTUS has failed in this respect to represent the will of the people and new appointments should meet the proverbial litmus test? <br><br><br><br>

I think the problem is that SCOTUS applied its will on the people in the Roe v Wade matter. In the UK they voted to allow abortion and it was enacted into law. Had SCOTUS just said we don't like the laws you have change them, then the people and congress would have had a say in the result. There is a lot of hard feelings on both sides of the aisle when if comes to abortion.<br><br>The other issue appears to be the carte blanche "women's right to choose". The UK model allows a choice in the 1st trimester, but anything after that is "medical necessity" only - if there is a threat to life of either the mother or the child, then abortoin may be used.<br><br>The left argument seems to revolve around the - if you define the parameters where an abortion may be used, then it's the first step in banning it altogether.<br><br><br>We all do what we do for the same reason: because it seems like a good idea at the time.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Llewelyn on 07/05/05 02:03 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

That's not exactly the legal pro-choice argument. I'm sure it's one of the rhetorical ones, but one of the issues at the heart of an abortion law is privacy. Is it a woman's prerogative to keep a pregnancy secret and if so, does she have the right to seek a doctor in confidence? I'm not incredibly well informed on this, but from what little I understand, the decision of Roe v Wade hinged on the privacy of a woman seeking an abortion and her right to seek any medical necessity.<br><br>I'm worried that our privacy as US citizens is at risk with a new President pick for the Supreme Court. The government is already reserving rights over our lives more and more in its so-called war on terror. A heavily political judge would be more likely to hand over our rights to the government out of deference for a given political party, not out of concern for the Constitution.<br><br>-- Charlie Alpha Roger Yankee Whiskey<br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>did Reagan screw up in these appointments<p><hr></blockquote><p>Absolutely. He also screwed up with Kennedy. <br><br>Bush Sr. also screwed up with Souter. <br><br>In fact, of the 7 Republican-appointed justices currently on the court, I would only classify Thomas and Scalia as real conservatives. <br><br>

I'll give them both credit for being wise in seeing the need for balance on the court. <br><br><br>

Reagan was always too good-natured to publicly bitch about how his scotus appointments turned out, but Bush Sr. doesn't hide his hatred for Souter, calling him his biggest regret in life, or something along those lines. <br><br>