« Rehnquist's Legacy | Main | A Matter of Perspective »
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Confirmation Hearings
E
ven citizens who can talk informatively about our legislative and executive branches of government are less sure of all the duties of the U.S. Supreme Court's chief justice.
T
he position holds great power over the federal judiciary and Congress. The chief justice influences the priorities for the federal judiciary and assists in the selection of the judges who sit on judicial committees, influencing policy.
T
he chief justice chooses those who do the committee work that decides how we access or are protected by the courts as litigants.
T
o say that we need to give all due deliberation to who will wield this power is a gross understatement. That the Senate must take seriously its obligation to serve the best interests of the nation goes without argument. That many Americans will sit back and simply watch the proceedings without comment is unconscionable.
Posted by fm on September 10, 2005 at 12:36 AM