Article on Judge McConnell
Tony Mauro has this very interesting article (via How Appealing) on the increasing prominence of Judge McConnell in discussions of prospective Supreme Court nominees.
Two things about the article struck me. First, the seeming suggestion of “detractors” — a suggestion you get the strong sense Tony wouldn’t agree with — that McConnell moved to Utah to further “his judicial aspirations” by becoming “a constituent of powerful Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah” seems absurd to the point of hilarity. Others know the Judge much better than I do, but those who do know him think of him as among the least manipulative and calculating people you could meet.
Second, the article quotes Jay Sekulow not only as strongly favoring Judge McConnell’s nomination but also heartily endorsing John Roberts. The former is not at all surprising — given Judge McConnell’s views on Roe and church-state relations — but the latter may be quite signficant, given that Judge Roberts’s short track-record on abortion and religion might otherwise have been thought to give religious conservatives pause. In that community, you cannot have a more prominent champion than Jay Sekulow.
Rehnquist Will Step Down in the Next Four Weeks
Confirm Them has the poop on the William Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the Unites States Supreme Court stepping down here:
I don’t think this news will come as a surprise to anyone, but I just received a phone call from an extremely reliable source…
Comment by FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog — June 4, 2005 @ 2:12 pm
Jay Sekulow’s friendship with John Roberts goes back many years when Jay argued a series of cases before the Supreme Court, and John Roberts was Deputy Solicitor General under Ken Starr. The S.G.’s office supported Jay Sekulow’s position in several of those cases, most notable Bd. of Ed. v. Mergens (1990), in which the Supreme Court upheld the federal Equal Access Act allowing student-led religious clubs in public schools.
Comment by Jordan Lorence — June 6, 2005 @ 12:52 am
Tom, from the work of his I’ve read and what I’ve heard (I don’t know him), I like Judge McConnell a great deal, although I would favor two, perhaps three, candidates ahead of him for the Supreme Court.
However, I think it was fair for Mauro to mention the idea that McConnell leaving Chicago, declining Harvard, and moving to Utah for family reasons didn’t hurt his chances for an appellate judgeship and, based on that, a U.S. Supreme Court position. I’m not sure if any 7th Cir. or 1st Cir. positions existed or how they would have been filled, so ex ante, at the time he made the decision, I would think moving to Utah would have maximized McConnell’s shot at a judgeship in the near future compared with staying at Chicago or going to Harvard.
I certainly take at face value that McConnell’s decision was motivated by family considerations, as the move to Utah strongly makes sense from that perspective. The point of these unnamed “detractors,” I think, may be that there’s no reason to see what McConnell did as somehow sacrificing his judicial prospects to advance his family’s interests. I don’t read this as detractors saying McConnell is making something up; it just strikes me that they don’t want McConnell supporters to suggest McConnell’s move to Utah was a career sacrifice to help his family. Perhaps a subtle distinction, but I thought a mild challenge to your post might be in order.
Comment by Brent Cooper — June 6, 2005 @ 9:46 pm
2005 Volkswagen Jetta Review
The Jetta
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2005 Honda Civic Review
Three specialized Civics are designed specifically to minimize environmental impact and deliver better fuel economy than all but a few cars currently available.
Comment by 2005 Honda Civic Review — August 11, 2005 @ 10:31 pm
Honda Civic
Three specialized Civics are designed specifically to minimize environmental impact and deliver better fuel economy than all but a few cars currently available.
Comment by Honda Civic — September 1, 2005 @ 6:12 pm
Lamborghini Gallardo
The handsome furnishings deftly blend form and function
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