CNN's Jeffrey Toobin: Liberals on SCOTUS are 'Surprisingly Moderate'

Photo of Warner Todd Huston.

If we needed more proof that CNN's legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, is one of the most disingenuous legal minds of our day, the Saginaw News helped us out with that quest. Toobin made an appearance at a Midland, MI event this week where, among other comments, he ridiculously claimed that the left leaning Justices that sit on the Supreme Court are "surprisingly moderate."

We will remember one of Toobin's other recent absurdities when he claimed that the GOP likes voter I.D. laws because they "stop Democrats from voting," despite the fact that all evidence shows that requiring an I.D. has not stopped anyone from voting.

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In his remarks in Michigan, Toobin predicted that Barack Obama will eventually become a Supreme Court Justice because the Court "needs that kind of person, that kind of mind."

One might wonder if the "kind of mind" Toobin means is the kind that would say that Americans who support the Second Amendment and are religious are "bitter"? If THAT kind of mind is something the SCOTUS needs, obviously the Constitution isn’t important to Toobin!

Toobin also tried to raise fears in the audience that if John McCain became president he'd try to fill the court with right-wing fanatics.

He pointed to a little-covered May 6 speech by GOP presidential candidate John McCain, one spoken in code, that indicates McCain will accelerate the court's conservative bent that the current President Bush began.

What Toobin disingenuously didn't mention to his audience was the fact that if McCain becomes president, he will have a solidly Democrat controlled Congress (both Houses) and he will not have the power to seat Constructionist or conservative judges.

The fear that Toobin tried to fan in his audience was bazen because Toobin knows full well that McCain will never be able to get conservative judges past a Democrat controlled Senate who have the "advise and consent" role to play in seating judges.

Next Toobin took a stab at labeling the left leaning Justices on the SCOTUS and came up with an absurd assessment.

Nixon, who served only 51/2 years, nominated four (all of them surprisingly moderate).

Moderate? It was Nixon’s appointees that ruled that capital punishment was unconstitutional. And let us not forget that the Warren Burger court, filled with Nixon appointees, was the Court that forced Roe v. Wade on the nation, as well as school desegregation and forced busing.

Toobin also went on to attack the left's favorite whipping boy, Justice Clarence Thomas.

And from October 2006 to June 2007, the court heard 104 oral arguments, and in those cases Justice Clarence Thomas did not ask one single question.

Justice Stephen Breyer uttered 35,000 words during the oral arguments, Thomas zero.

And... so? Toobin hangs that out there and just allows it to sit like an indictment. But, notice how he doesn't say a word about Thomas' decisions? It does not matter how much blather one does in the courtroom. It is the written decisions that matter.

But, Toobin knows all this stuff and he doesn’t care a whit. Because, you see, Jeffrey Toobin isn't a mere legal analyst. He is an activist for the far left and he will use his position at CNN to promulgate that agenda every time, "analysis" quite aside. This is why I call him the most disingenuous legal mind in the country. It's all about his far left agenda, not about the law.

(Photo Credit: CNN)

(H/T http://conservathink.blogspot.com)


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Warner... There are no

Warner...

There are no Nixon appointees serving on the Supreme Court.  They are all dead.

Jer

Obama as a Justice?

Barack Obama has only briefly engaged in the practice of law. To suggest him as a Supreme Court justice shows only political thinking on Toobin's part.

Obama is even less ready for the Court than he is for the Presidency.

There's a reason for that . . .

Those who prefer an activist-style SCOTUS like the Warren Court, don't want the justices to have backgrounds on the bench. They want SCOTUS made up of agitating lawyers with liberal agendas who circumvent the Constitutional process.

Jer

I think I was unclear. In his comments, Toobin called all of Nixon's appointees "moderate" even though they are responsible for some of the worst, most liberal decisions in history. Sorry for the confusion. My fault.

No problem, Warner...I have

No problem, Warner...I have a serious question about the accuracy of the reporter's recollection or characterization of Toobin's remarks--or else Toobin is a complete dunderhead.

Toobin was supposedly referring to the four justices appointed by Nixon:  Rehnquist, Powell, Blackmun, and Burger [all Republicans].   Powell was indeed a moderate/centrist, Blackmun drifted from conservative steadily leftward, Burger was center/right and Rehnquist was a [generally] reliable conservative.

But maybe Toobin's point was that they were "moderate" in the sense that they were not far-right Bork-type ideologues that many on the left originally feared.

Jer

No, Toobin is a left wing tool

Just read his last book. He is more than capable of making these statements. His liberal bias in his legal reporting is obvious (see, e.g. his coverage of the Indy voter id case), but I am always amazed at how poorly he does as a political analyst especially on election nights. He consistently makes errors about basic facts and often comes off as a buffoon. I would not be surprised to see CNN quietly drop him from their election coverage.

Toobin's a tool?

maybe so...and I am very aware of Toobin's "bias", but I find it hard to believe his liberal predilection would cause him to characterize William Rehnquist as a "moderate".

By the way, Judge Neopolitano's conservative bias was very evident during his long association with Fox.

Jer

Actually...

And he was one of the very-few, so I hate to admit this, it was more like libertarian bias than conservative, Jer. Napolitano's truly a rare breed...And yes, Toobin's a tool, too.
JMR

The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.

sarc...

I agree with your amendment to my comment, sarc.  I had years ago heard that Napolitano was regarded as "the most conservative judge in America."   However, after seeing him many times on O'Reilly, I surprisingly found that he espoused a number of views which were more consistent with libertarian [anti-government intrusion] and in some instances, social liberal positions.  In contrast, O'Reilly, on numerous occasions, would be considerably to the right of the Judge.

Jer

Supreme Justice

Barak couldn't even make a burrito supreme let alone be on the supreme court. Maybe Michelle "My Belle" could be in the Supremes.

Toobin almost has it right,

Toobin almost has it right, he just didn't finish the sentence. "Republicans like voter I.D. laws to stop Democrats from voting three or more times".

Sure Toobin...

if by "Democrats" you mean "illegal aliens," then yes, you're right.

perspective

It all depends on perspective. When you sit on the left and you have a bunch of people sitting with you and you're mighty comfortable (i.e. CNN, Mr. Toobin) you can call it anything you'd like but you're still a nutcase, leftist jerk. I've watched Jeff spew lefft winged fear-mongering for a few years and he's far more comfortable with the likes of Ruth Ginsberg than anyone else. Idiot.

Time called lib justices moderate

Not too long ago, before the 04 election, I think, Time Magazine had a write up on all 9 justices and they ranked Ginsberg as either a centrist or moderate.

Of course Scalia and Thomas were hard right-wingers.

O'Connor was till on the court at the time and was still considred right-wing, although they called her a swing-vote.

The notion of using foreign

The notion of using foreign law as replacement for US federal law is not EXACTLY a moderate position.

Toobin is saying what he WISHES to believe.

Lib Lexicon

"moderate" = extremely Left Wing.

"liberal" = moderate.

"conservative" = Satanic, evil, diabolical, stupid, wrong, dangerous, etc.

BTW - Is Toobin on CNN because he can't get a real Lawyer gig?  Anyone who would say GOPers like voter I.D. because it prevents Democrats from voting doesn't have the logical skills required of the legal profession - but which do fit perfectly in Ted Turner's cable fantasy news world...

During a FoxNews commercial

During a FoxNews commercial break last night I switched to CNN. Anderson Cooper and his guest analysts were discussing the speech John McCain had just given. Jeffrey Toobin began to ravage McCain’s speech, from the green backdrop behind McCain’s podium to McCain’s lackluster performance. Toobin did not make one positive comment regarding the speech. Surprisingly, one of the other analyst, David Gergen, came to John McCain’s defense and indicated he thought McCain’s speech was quite good.

Unfortunately, when it comes to presidential appointees, a President never knows for certain how his selections will turn out, whether it is for the Supreme Court or Press Secretary.

 

"You're entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts"

mistake

Next time, watch the commercial. CNN isn't worth switching to during anything, not anytime.  Once in a while, I try just to see what the enemy is saying and I end up shouting at the tv. That makes me look like a fool, doesn't it?

This guy is a joke.  To

This guy is a joke.  To call Souter and Ginsburg mainstream is insanity.  I would say the center of the Court is Breyer, Roberts, Kennedy and Alito.  The intellectual center is Roberts, Breyer and Scalia.

 

Ginsburg and Souter can phone in their decisions.  I wonder if the ACLU tells them when and how to vote.  They are mere puppets.  George Bush Sr should be ashamed of the souter appointment.  Souter should be so ashamed he resigns and lets GW nominate someone decent.

buddyc...read the article

buddyc...read the article linked by Warner.  Toobin was not referring to the currently sitting justices.

Jer

Toobin: calm down, let's

Toobin: calm down, let's take baby steps.

First POTUS, THEN Chief Justice.