The Official Trump U.S Supreme Court Justice Nomination Thread

Tecumsehsbones

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 18, 2013
60,212
9,451
113
Washington DC
Kavanaugh's financial disclosure forms indicate the net value of his assets less debts might only be in the range of $50,000 or less. For a 53 year old jurist serving on the second highest court in the land that's not a lot. He apparently has a nice house, mortgaged to the hilt, and ran up 10's of thousands credit card debt buying Nats season tickets. It doesn't sound like he's on the take any way. Living in Washington as the sole provider of a family of 4 is an expensive proposition.

Except that he somehow managed to retire $50,000-190,000 in one year. Nice trick for a guy who makes $211,200.

Maybe he sold his bobblehead collection.
 

coldstream

on dbl secret probation
Oct 19, 2005
5,160
27
48
Chillliwack, BC
My general sense of Kavanaugh is that he's a fairly typical Ivy League, Washington Insider Jurist with well honed contacts to the Republcan Establishment (especially the Bush neocons).

He's certainly bright and likely predictable on some conservative cultural icons (like abortion and homosexuality); but he's no revolutionary and no visionary who is going to annihilate precedent. He is much less prectable on issues related to a strict constructionist intepretation of the Constitution and 'States Rights'. He's cooperative rather than combative, flexible rather than dogmatic. He relies on consensus building over adversarial maxims.

He does not have the gravitas of Anton Scalia nor his intense juridical rigour. He might be most closely aligned with Roberts, who has taken moderate positions, especially with respect to issues related to equitable distribution of wealth and access to opportunity (which is actually quite Catholic as opposed to Evangelical libertarianism).

I doubt he fills the archetype of a judicial trail blazer and iconoclast that Trump foresees for the post. I'm sure Amy Coney Barrett was much closer to that image. And her name will likely appear again when 85 year old Ruth Bader Ginsburg finally dies in office.
 
Last edited:

Curious Cdn

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 22, 2015
37,070
8
36
My general sense of Kavanaugh is that he's a fairly typical Ivy League, Washington Insider Jurist with well honed contacts to the Republcan Establishment (especially the Bush neocons).

He's certainly bright and likely predictable on some conservative cultural icons (like abortion and homosexuality); but he's no revolutionary and no visionary who is going to annihilate precedent. He is much less prectable on issues related to a strict constructionist intepretation of the Constitution and 'States Rights'. He's cooperative rather than combative, flexible rather than dogmatic. He relies on consensus building over adversarial maxims.

He does not have the gravitas of Anton Scalia nor his intense juridical rigour. He might be most closely aligned with Roberts, who has taken moderate positions, especially with respect to issues related to equitable distribution of wealth and access to opportunity (which is actually quite Catholic as opposed to Evangelical libertarianism).

I doubt he fills the archetype of a judicial trail blazer and iconoclast that Trump foresees for the post. I'm sure Amy Coney Barrett was much closer to that image. And her name will likely appear again when 85 year old Ruth Bader Ginsburg finally dies in office.

I'd like to know if he thinks that a President is above the law and legally able to pardon himself.
 

Curious Cdn

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 22, 2015
37,070
8
36
A sitting U.S. President cannot be indicted period. He can only be impeached. I think Kavanaugh has already stated such.

This is the first President to have declared himself to be above the law. It is by no means a "given". Trump's belief that he is outside of the legal constraints is a symptom of Trump's lack of fitness to lead.

Nobody is above the law, whether he declares himself to be so or not.
 

Tecumsehsbones

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 18, 2013
60,212
9,451
113
Washington DC
This is the first President to have declared himself to be above the law. It is by no means a "given". Trump's belief that he is outside of the legal constraints is a symptom of Trump's lack of fitness to lead.

Nobody is above the law, whether he declares himself to be so or not.

The President is not above the law. The supreme law of the land specifies how he is to be dealt with.

A sitting U.S. President cannot be indicted period. He can only be impeached. I think Kavanaugh has already stated such.

Brace yourself. I agree. For a number of reasons. Expressio unius. Sovereign immunity. And the reasoning behind Congressional immunity.
 

Curious Cdn

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 22, 2015
37,070
8
36
Expressio unius.

I tried that check-out aisle at the supermarket and, lo and behold, I didn't have to pay!
 

Hoid

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 15, 2017
20,408
4
36
There is no good legal answer to get rid of Poop Stain.

Needs to be voted out.
 

coldstream

on dbl secret probation
Oct 19, 2005
5,160
27
48
Chillliwack, BC
I think the Dems in Congress would be well advised to confirm Kavanaugh who is likely as moderate a choice as Trump is going to make.

Kavanaugh has made some statements that seem to agree with Roberts that Roe v. Wade is 'settled law'. That is an anathema to Trump's religious base whose whole impetus in supporting him is to see Roe overturned.

I doubt Trump will be so compliant to feminist sensibilities once this 'collusion and impeachment' nonsense is dispensed with. That will likely be early next year after the Republicans retake both House and Senate.. and the Dems realize their Trump bashing crusade has been a complete failure.

I expect future nominations will be hard line social conservatives and constitutional constructionists who will view nothing minted as 'unenumerated rights' in the modernist zietgeist as as being 'settled'.
 
Last edited:

EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
44,168
96
48
USA
The Republicans already have the House and Senate.

Who wins in 2018 is anyone's guess but if the GOP loses.... Russians.

Oh and anything bad that happens will be the Democrats fault.

*snicker*