NOTE: The Centrist Coalition has issued this statement on the upcoming Supreme Court nomination battles. The link to that is here but we’re running it in full to ensure readers check it out. TMV has been involved in some of its conferences and applauds its efforts to work for thoughtful discussion:
The Supreme Court Vacancy
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and the upcoming confirmation of her successor, offer our political leaders an important opportunity to rise above the extreme politics of left and right. Through a blend of consultation, cooperation, and the renunciation of harsh rhetoric, President Bush and Democratic leaders in the Senate can come together to show the American people that a Supreme Court nomination does not have to result in a political scorched-earth campaign.
So far, so good. The president’s statement on the morning of O’Connor’s announcement set an appropriate tone, and Republican and Democratic Senate leaders have been both constructive and reasonable in their public statements concerning the Court vacancy.
This will not be an easy path to follow. Interest groups ranging from the most liberal to the most conservative are issuing shrill “calls to arms,” and have already begun direct-mail campaigns urging Americans to “prepare for a battle over the Supreme Court.” They were seeking financial donations to fund television ad campaigns and lobbying efforts even before the ink was dry on Justice O’Connor’s announcement letter.
We at the Centrist Coalition do not believe America needs or wants a “battle” over the Supreme Court. A debate, yes — but not a battle. We could not agree more with a statement President Bush made last week in Denmark: “I hope the United States Senate conducts themselves in a way that brings dignity to the process and that the senators don’t listen to the special interest groups, particularly those on the extremes that are trying to exploit this opportunity for not only … what they may think is right but also for their own fundraising capabilities.”
The same, of course, goes for the President. Just as senators should concern themselves with the good of the nation and the representation of their constituents, so should President Bush take into account the long-term consequences of the choice he makes — not any short-term political gains or losses that might result.
A consultative and cooperative nomination process, followed by full, fair and open Judiciary Committee hearings for the nominee will, we believe, result in the timely confirmation of a Supreme Court justice that all Americans can be proud of. It will require much fortitude from the president and leading senators not to fall into the trap laid for them by the extreme interest groups, who would like nothing more than to see the debate devolve into name-calling and gridlock.
It doesn’t have to go that way. The Centrist Coalition offers a choice between the two extremes, a voice for the vast majority of Americans who recognize that those who seek to divide us only succeed if we let them. So far, the signs from President Bush and leading senators are encouraging: we must speak as one to support continued dialogue and collaboration, and to renounce divisive and unnecessary rhetoric. Together, we can prove that a Supreme Court nomination doesn’t have to mean political war.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.