George Bush's position on Judical Nominations

Judicial Nominations: The next president will likely nominate between two and four justices to the Supreme Court, as well as scores of judges to the federal district and appeals courts. These judges will probably have to deal with issues such as gay rights, medical marijuana, and possibly the review of Roe v. Wade.

George W. Bush:

Description of candidate's position: George W. Bush believes in appointing judges that will strictly interpret the constitution. He says that he doesn't have a litmus test for selecting judges. He says he will not question judges as to their position on specific issues.

Quotation from the candidate: When asked about judges at the second presidential debate President Bush said, "I would pick somebody who would not allow their personal opinion to get in the way of the law. I would pick somebody who would strictly interpret the Constitution of the United States. I wouldn't pick a judge who said that the Pledge of Allegiance couldn't be said in a school because it had the words "under God" in it. I think that's an example of a judge allowing personal opinion to enter into the decision-making process as opposed to a strict interpretation of the Constitution."

Assessment of the proposal:

Positive: The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) stands firmly behind President Bush's nominees for federal judgeships. They agree that President Bush will appoint judges who will interpret the law, rather than legislate policy. The ACLJ claims its goals are to protecting the US Constitution; protecting religious liberty; fighting to protect life; and fighting to protect the religious rights of Americans.

Negative: The National Women's Law Center (NWLC) argues that President Bush will appoint judges that will overturn Roe v. Wade based on Bush's remarks that his model judges for the future will be Judges Scalia and Thomas, two of the more ardent opponents of abortion on the court.

Comparison: Senator Kerry is in favor of appointing judges with a record of enforcing the nation's civil rights and anti-discrimination laws. Senator Kerry likes to say that a good judge is a judge whose decision does not tell if it's written by a man or a woman, or a liberal or a conservative.

Link to Kerry Judicial Nominations page