Orrin Hatch: Obama Speaking In "Code"

WASHINGTON — A senior Republican on the Senate committee that will consider President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee says he's worried the president might pick a judicial activist instead of someone who bases decisions on the law.

Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah says Obama's comment last week about naming a justice who understands Americans' problems and has empathy for people is "code" for putting in place a person who legislates from the bench.

Hatch says he realizes the president will choose a more liberal person for the opening created by Justice David Souter's retirement. Hatch, a top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, says he expects the nominee to favor abortion rights.

Hatch spoke Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

Comments

[dcrinaz]

I suppose that Orin Hatch (did you know that "Orín" in Spanish means "urine"?) would prefer a judge with water-boarding experience or who could justify torture. He obviously doesn't want anyone with human empathy or understanding of the other.

[EconPadawan]

Speaking in code? Hmm.... Is The President consulting with J.J. Abrams now? LOL

[Eyeheartfreedumb]

The idea that judges are legislating from the bench is so tired in a post-Bush, post-willful-stupidity world. It just speaks to the lack of civic understanding throughout our society today. You mean to tell me judges are reading the laws that congress has passed, and they're deciding how the interpretation of said law relates to modern societal custom. Why, they must be fascist, socialist, elitist, cheese eaters (in a narrow worldview, cheese comes from France, which aparently is a bad thing).
No, they are being the judicial branch of government. If you can't tell me the very simple basics of how three branches of government check each other (FOX, I'm talking to you), then you don't deserve to be in government (Mr. Boener I'm talking to you). When will we begin teaching civics in school again? I don't want to have to listen to the legislating from the bench argument again.

[bogues]

President Obama speaks in very clear,plain and intelligent english. Orrin Hatch like so many others in the Repubican party has decided to continue the fear and hate mongering.

[Cynth]

Considering that established power has been speaking in code for generations in their attempt to maintain power, I guess it only makes sense that this would be Hatch's frame of reference. In this case, the sensible, compassionate, and thoughtful SCOTUS candidate need not apply....

[Jaybot]

It must be really galling for Mr. Hatch. When Clinton had the opportunity to appoint two Supreme Court Justices, Hatch was in a position to choreograph the entire drama. He even went so far as to provide lists of "acceptable" nominees. (Do the Wingers know that Hatch is as responsible for the Judge Ginsberg as anyone?) But how the times have changed, he's now reduced to playing word games with the press, trying to kibitz a process over which he has no input and no control. I have some advice for Mr. Hatch, wear a looser fitting collar and necktie. I've seen some of his past performances and so much constriction about the neck could facilitate a stroke, or worse.

[WarSkeptic]

He's clearly correct
There's really no way to just follow the constitution in terms of its actual language or original intent anymore, much of it is quite outdated.

For example the second amendment:
It doesn't say the right to bare "guns", its says the right to bare "arms".
With the original intent being that the public should be allowed to own any weapon the gov't could. Today this translates to nuclear warheads, and surface to air missiles. There is nobody arguing the actual law and original intent anymore. Not even the most most right wing gun nuts. Yet our politics are so stagnant we can not change the law.
So the law becomes BS. It clearly says things that we don't follow, at all

[LindaCat]

In the Heller decision they actually refer to arms 'in common use'. Today this refers to semi-automatic handguns, pistols if you will, capable of accepting large capacity magazines. It also refers to rifles capable of select-fire of semi-automatic and 3-round burst selector options on the trigger. These arms are in common use as virtually all service members are trained in their use and are issued such arms. In the Marines the Officers are even issued such equipment. The Air Force issues such weapons to it's pilots to carry when possible or necessary to ensure survival.. The Army issues such to all support personnel. Nuclear devices are not commonly issued to service personnel nor are cannons, rocket launchers etc.

[WarSkeptic]

Come on buddy. You must know that your argument is BS
Arms = all weapons. It did then and it does now
Hence: Nuclear Arms, Armament, ect.
And the original intent is also very clear. It was not mainly to protect citizen from citizen. It was to protect the citizen from the government

This is just one example. Modern Constitutional law is build on a series of twisted logic whether you are on the left or the right

[jaggededge]

is that why michelle obama goes sleeveless? the amendment also states you should quarter militia, because we had no army to fight the british. those that are so concerned about the 2nd amendment should be happy to do room & board for ther states' national guard

[GLT21]

Quick, get an Enigma machine for Hatch so he can decode.

[jaggededge]

if you know hatch -you need to remove the g from that eniGma machine

[BadgersBite]

Orin just because you don't understand what the President is saying doesn't mean its code he's speaking.

Regan ran on a political campaign of code like "states rights", "welfare mothers" and "crime in the streets" all code for race and people of color. Nixon was no stranger to use of code when he talked about "law and order" a code term for the urban race riots and rising crime rates. Nixon also sopke about appointing strict conservative judges to the Supreme Court, code term for justices who won’t insist on mandatory busing. And he talks explicitly about how we ought to have ‘local control of schools.’ Without explicitly using the language of race, he is saying whites shouldn’t have to go to school with blacks.”

Now that is code Orin.

[jnah]

yes, that code is the english language

[ddtaurus22]

Is it really a shock that a nominee would be pro-abortion? After all, the President is pro-abortion, so why does that seem to enrage Republicans? It's the same with Sebelius for HHS Secretary. Why is such a shocker to the Republicans that he nominated someone who actually agrees with him? I don't get it.

[GLT21]

its pro-choice.

[TParrish]

I wonder if there is any way to ever explain to the conservatives the difference between being against dismantling the constitution in order to force a religious view down the collective throats of the entire country, and being pro-abortion. I doubt it, the information needed to come to that understanding is cleverly concealed in books.

[BadgersBite]

NO!

The goal on both sides of the aisle is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies right? - NO - if that were to happen to point where there were no abortions the right would lose one of their most valuable wedge issues and that would be bad for conservatives. The right loves unborn children but once their born they don't want to support any legislation to help them with things like Pell Grants or Student Loans, after school programs and the like.

[RRoadrunner]

Dear Mr. Hatch,

I have always admired how direct the republicans have been about Supreme court nominees. Harriet Miers is the perfect example. No hidden agenda with that pick. Before you criticize the current administration shouldn't you know who is the nominees are?

The party of NO just keeps on complaining

[HLL]

Orin Hatch was condescending, arrogant and dismissive when he questioned the brave and honest Anita HIll, making way for the sub-mediocre Clarence Thomas. Hatch and Specter's treatment of Anita Hill was disgusting. The last thing this country needs is Orin Hatch's in-put on the next Supreme, given his Clarence Thomas background. He is an old white Republican man -- out of touch, irrelevant and lethal as a cobra.

[mdn]

I heard him do this. More Republican spin. Come on sir, find some integrity. How can you all live with yourselves and be so denigrating? About everything!

[jaggededge]

hatch is the same guy who went on & on about clinton being obsessed with the capture/death of bin ladenin 1998. hatch said it was a smokescreen to divert from the very important lewinsky topic. yet after 9/11 he was on the "it's clinton's fault" bandwagon. he's a pieceofshit

[avshanbh]

What code is that Orrin?