Senators confirm nominees whose rulings reflect the winning president’s platform

Evidence

His opinions during his 15 years on the bench confirmed that he was a judicial conservative, and his nomination was greeted with enthusiasm by Republican conservatives; Senator Trent Lott described the nomination as “a home run.” Democratic senators and liberal groups were considerably less pleased. The Feminist Majority Foundation charged that Alito would “turn back the clock on women’s rights and civil rights,” while the Alliance for Justice warned that he would tip the Court “in a direction that could jeopardize our most cherished rights and freedoms.” Yet as Senator Mike DeWine noted: “This nominee should not have shocked anyone. George Bush won the election.” — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 365

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Presidents must balance confirmability against ideological purity when choosing nominees; Constitutional design gives the president and Senate shared federal judicial appointment power — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 646

Broader Connections

• Constitutional design gives the president and Senate shared federal judicial appointment power #complicates (0.82) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 646