Some of the most liberal judges were appointed by conservative presidents and visa versa. These people have the job for life unless they are impeached and after they get in they don't have to play politics anymore. With the track record of the judges going their own way after getting in I don't see why some senators are so set in blocking them.
Quote:
The Supreme Court guessing game
THERE ARE few things that a president gets to do with the lasting impact of nominating a Supreme Court justice. But often, presidents often don’t get what they bargained for--because changing public opinion and social struggles frequently have more of an impact on the justices than the politics of the president who appointed them.
The simple truth is that Democratic presidents have not automatically produced more liberal Supreme Courts, nor have Republican presidents necessarily made the Supreme Court more conservative.
For one thing, justices nominated by Republicans have frequently gone on to support liberal positions, while justices nominated by Democrats have backed conservative ones. More crucially, the personal ideology of individual justices has frequently proven less important that what is going on in society as a whole--above all, whether public opinion or mass movements are putting pressure on the court.
Try guessing which Supreme Court justice was nominated by a Democrat and which by a Republican:
William Brennan
Played a major role in Supreme Court decisions that required busing to desegregate public schools; banned officially sponsored prayers and Bible readings from public schools; and strengthened free speech and free press rights. Supported rulings in favor of affirmative action and abortion rights.
Appointed by: Republican Dwight Eisenhower
Byron White
Opposed affirmative action; opposed the 1966 Miranda v. Arizona ruling that requires police to recite constitutional rights to those they arrest; was the main opponent of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision; crafted a 1984 decision allowing police to use evidence unlawfully seized through a defective search warrant.
Appointed by: Democrat John F. Kennedy
Warren Burger
Wrote the opinions that established busing as a tool to end segregation and forced Richard Nixon to release the Watergate tapes; favored abortion rights in Roe v. Wade.
Appointed by: Republican Richard Nixon
David Souter
Took a range of liberal positions, including upholding affirmative action and abortion rights, and ruling that the Boy Scouts of America should be required to accept gay scoutmasters.
Appointed by: Republican George Bush Sr.
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