John Kerry's stance 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, marijuana, and possibly the review of Roe v. Wade.

John Kerry:

Description of candidate's position: John Kerry says that he will only appoint judges with a record of enforcing the nation's civil rights and anti-discrimination laws. Senator Kerry would also appoint judges that would strengthen civil rights laws and be in favor of strengthening hate crime laws.

Quotation from the candidate: When asked about judges at the second presidential debate John Kerry said, "the mark of a good judge, good justice, is that when you're reading their decision, their opinion, you can't tell if it's written by a man or woman, a liberal or a conservative, a Muslim, a Jew or a Christian. You just know you're reading a good judicial decision."

Assessment of the proposal:

Positive: In a report entitled Turning Point: Judicial Selection and the Politics of Power, The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Judicial Independence Project stated "what is at stake in the fight over judicial nominations is the continued ability of Congress to protect our civil rights and fundamental freedoms: the right to be free from discrimination based on race, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability; the right to organize in a union and be protected by national labor standards; the right to clean air and water; and the right to equal opportunity in employment and education for all Americans. While many have fought for years for these rights, they are not secure without a federal judiciary ready to stand vigilant to protect them". Civil Rights.Org website.

Negative: Nathaniel Stewart of the Ashbrook Center, a conservative think tank focused on constitutional, educational, and economic issues, argues that John Kerry would have a hard time appointing judges who are pro-anything that John Kerry is not? He points out that John Kerry has said he will, "only nominate individuals to the federal bench whose records demonstrate a respect for the full range of constitutional rights, including the right to privacy and the right to choose."

Comparison: President Bush says that he will appoint judges that will not allow their personal opinion to get in the way of the law. He says that he would pick judges that will strictly interpret the Constitution of the United States.

Link to Bush Judicial Nominations page