I believe 2008 will give us a Democratic White House.

[saltpoint]

The next U.S. president will likely get to make two Supreme Court appointments.

If Al Gore decides not to run for our nomination, I think he would make a good choice.

And so would Mario Cuomo.

Anybody else think Al Gore and Mario Cuomo on the Supreme Court would make Scalia's head explode?

[fightthegoodfightnow]

1. Wow

My vote would be Gore (if he doesn't want to be President). What a pleasant thought. That might just get me through the week! Thanks.

[saltpoint]

3. -- -- --

:dem: :hi:

[CTyankee]

2. Don't know about exploding heads, but has there ever been a nonlawyer on the Court?

Al Gore doesn't have a law degree and I really don't know about Mario Cuomo.

Intriguing idea tho!

[SaveElmer]

4. Actually there is no requirement that Supreme Court justices be lawyers...

There have been a number of them over the years that were not...it has become part of the tradition now, but there is no requirement...

Having said that, I highly doubt Gore would be picked because of that...

[saltpoint]

5. In the early days of the Court it was common. We could claim it as a revived

precedent. Many state court have non-lawyers on the bench, but recent welcome in the Senate Judiciary Committee has favored the experience jurist over the nonlawyer.

2008 could be one of those years when conventional wisdom just flies out the window.

[EST]

7. Might want to re-check that...

There's been a number of scotus justices who were non lawyers.

[saltpoint]

11. I think you are right. In the past it was common, in fact.

I'll amend the post upthread.

thank you.

[billyoc]

6. Not Gore. I don't believe he would break up the media monopolies

that he himself orchestrated.

[Cha]

8. I think you'd be

wrong on that.

[CitizenLeft]

9. I think that's what's behind a lot of the "softness" of the party...

...that we're seeing now, and that a lot of us are sick of. The Dem leadership is determined, above all else, to take back the White House. They will do NOTHING, including risk impeachment, to jeopardize that. We could argue all day over whether or not that's the "right" decision, but, actually, it almost should be the top priority. If we lose the '08 election, we are fucked fucked and fucked again. Right now, we've only got 2 "fuckeds." We hand SCOTUS over to the right wing for the next 2 generations, and we will cease to exist as a democracy. Right now, we're hanging on by the skin of our teeth, but most of the damage can be reversed in time, with a Dem in the WH and with a Dem Senate. If we lose SCOTUS with no hope of recovering it for decades, we're toasted fucked. I think that's behind a lot of the compromising that driving us all crazy. And it's something they could never say or admit to.

[saltpoint]

12. Well at our house, we're calling for a Democratic victory in 08

at all levels of the ballot and 2 or more progressive votes on the SCOTUS.

I'm proposing Gore and Cuomo.

That ought to meet the progressiveness quotient fairly well.

[CTyankee]

18. Winning in 08 is essential to the future of this country. That is why I am looking

for the Dem candidate who stands the best chance of winning in the general election. I'm getting edgy about Hillary and Obama. One of the talking heads on MTP today echoed my fear: Obama would raise real (altho unspoken) racial bias. But then he went on to say that that wasn't a big a fear for Hillary. Well, I disagree with that. So now I am leaning toward Edwards because I like what he has to say and I think he is electable. But just leaning at this point...

[Sadie4629]

10. I don't think it's a good idea to have a non-lawyer on the USSC

But how about President Clinton? Or would the deal in his perjury case preclude his serving? I know he can't argue cases anymore, but what about serving as a SC Justice? Could a NEW President Clinton overturn his deal, so he could serve?

[saltpoint]

13. It's a provocative thought, but I think a President HClinton should

not be seen as granting favors to her husband.

I think Bill is going to have to get a hobby, though. I mean other than THAT hobby.

There was talk a while back of his maybe running fo Mayor of New York. It's a tougher job than U.S. President, but I think the Big Dog can handle it.

[CTyankee]

20. OMG, who in their right mind wants to be mayor of NYC?

IMHO, it is practically ungovernable. Bloomberg is doing fairly well, but he never looks like he has blood in his veins. But something happens and the snow doesn't get shoveled in Queens and there's a near riot in front of Gracie Mansion. Or the unions start striking to tie up the city in knots. And on and on. Poor Bill would be crapped on by every group in New York. I think he prefers his current adulation...

[saltpoint]

25. Yeah, probably he does. On the other hand, he needs something to

do.

Not sure how it will all shake out but he can't just do luncheons and lawn fetes.

[CTyankee]

28. Yes, it is a waste of his talent. I love to see him on TV whatever

he is doing. He was on Rachel Ray's program recently cooking with her. I got a huge kick out of that!

[sellitman]

14. Nominate Kucinich and watch not only their heads explode but

every fiber of their being.

[saltpoint]

15. I'm envisioning a dinner conversation between Scalia and Dennis.

With Scalia trying to squash him like a bug and Dennis outflanking him the way dolphins take out a white shark.

I'd pay very good money to hear and watch an event like that.

[salin]

16. Robert Reicht? Robert Kennedy Jr? Patricia Schroeder?

Any of those would be cool.

I agree about the WH, btw.

AND if we get decent margins in the two houses of congress - I predict the current investigations get handed over for federal prosecutions... with no hope of presidential pardons.

[saltpoint]

21. The three folks you list are A-OK in my book, salin. Love 'em all.

So it's official, then. We'll put Reich, RFK Jr., Schroeder, Cuomo and Gore on the next Supreme Court.

That means 3 people have to leave.

I have my list of those 3 already and I bet it's real similar to yours.

[JDPriestly]

17. Gore is a great guy but not an attorney.

It would be difficult to serve as a Supreme Court justice for someone who has no experience as an attorney. You have to know a lot of things about the history of law including common law that lay people just don't know. Also you need to be very practiced in legal research and in dealing with lawyers. He probably would not want to learn all that stuff on the job.

[saltpoint]

22. Agree that in modern times the jurist is preferred over the nonlawyer.

But Gore has the intellectual rigor to pull it off he he wanted to.

Anyway, I'd like to see Scalia challenged and defeated in legal debate.

[JDPriestly]

24. I believe that Gore has the wisdom to say "no" if asked.

That aside, Gore's book, The Assault on Reason is great. I hope he writes more books.

[Blue_In_AK]

19. I love that, OC...

Exploding heads on the Supreme Court would be a welcomed sight for these sore eyes. :)

[saltpoint]

23. Hi, Blue_In-AK. Yep -- a change is needed on the SCOTUS, and a

Democratic White House would bring it about.

We lost 5-4 in the Florida decision in 2000. Time to tilt that number the other direction!

[Like It Is]

26. Gore would be a great choice for the Court.

But he may be having too much fun doing the Global Warming thing. It's important too. Mario Cuomo would be a great choice except for his age. We need young Justices who will be around a while.

[saltpoint]

27. Hi, Like It Is. Yeah -- there'll be some pressure to choose younger

appointees.

Thank god Harriet Miers isn't on the Supreme Court. There's enough kooks on it already.

[Like It Is]

35. She may have been better than Alito ! n/t

[MonkeyFunk]

29. Mario Cuomo is too old

and Al Gore has no experience in jurisprudence.

[saltpoint]

30. Some of my best friends are old.

And the Constitution permits nonjurists to serve on the High Court.

The point is the balance moving back left from the Scalia/Robert/Thomas axis of evil.

[MonkeyFunk]

36. Cuomo will be 77 years old

by the time any Dem could appoint him.

It would be pointless to nominate him - he'd serve a couple years.

[ronnykmarshall]

31. Oh my ..... Cuomo!!!

God I love that man.

[saltpoint]

33. Me too, ronnykmarshall. I volunteered for his mayoral campaign way

back in New York. I lived in Queens then. What a mayoral race it was, too. Those were the days of Abe Beame, Mario Cuomo, Ed Koch, Bella Abzug and then-Democrat Herman Badillo.

It was a smokin' hot time to learn how to be a Democratic volunteer, let me tell ya.

And I would absolutely love to have Mario Cuomo on the U.S. Supreme Court.

[illinoisprogressive]

32. Explode, yes. but, Gore would not want to be on it.

[CK_John]

34. Both have a common trait, then are fact finders and not decision makers. Neither would take it. nt

[AtomicKitten]

37. Although I concur that is an important position -

I think Gore if not interested in running for president should work on the national stage. He has such a knack.

I'd like to see RFK, Jr. in the White House or on the Supreme Court.

[saltpoint]

38. RFK, Jr. as Attorney General, maybe... sounds pretty good to me.

[jgraz]

39. It will either be a Democrat or Hillary

The question is whether they'll have a friendly congress to work with...