A judge out of time
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A judge out of time
I don't have a lot to say about the ruling on the Proposition 8 case over gay marriage in California -- the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages was overturned by a federal judge -- because the only decision that counts will be made by the monstrosity that is the John Roberts Supreme Court, and one can imagine how that one will go down. This was like the equivalent of that pre-season game the Birds play against the Jets every August, entertaining for a moment or two but largely meaningless. I'm guessing the only leftover excitement tomorrow will be when right-wing radio goes after the chief federal judge of the circuit in northern California, Vaughn Walker, as another loopy California liberal activist judge.
Really? Except that Ronald Reagan tried to name Walker to the bench way back in 1987, and his first nomination was blocked by liberal Democrats in Congress. One reason? He was perceived as anti-gay, because he represented the Los Angeles Olympic Committee in suing to shut down an event called "the Gay Olympics." But there's more. Walker -- who was nominated again by the next Republican, George H.W. Bush, and confirmed -- is gay. He is currently one of only two openly gay federal judges. And despite his support from Reagan and Bush 41, he's not exactly a conservative but an honest-to-goodness libertarian. Thus, liberals still complain about Walker favoring rich people in many key decisions. But he's also a proponent of drug legalization. And now he's issued what is -- until it's probably overturned -- one of the landmark progressive rulings of the 21st Century.
The thing is, I'm wondering if someone like Vaughn Walker could ever become a federal judge today. We want people to fit into the Glenn Beck box or the Michael Moore box in their ideology, and someone with libertarian and iconoclastic views will probably just end up offending potential supporters on both sides. To me that's the most interesting thing about today's ruling -- the guy who made it. Even if you disagree with the verdict, I think someday soon you're going to miss free-thinking judges when they're gone.
When the activist Supreme Court "legislates from the bench" on this issue, I am sure right wingers will wring their hands like they always do over "judicial activism". Right? Hello? I hear crickets...
I'm not sure it was confirmed that he is gay...— Philly Barrister- I thought it was funny that right wingers wanted him to recuse himself because he's gay. As if a straight judge wouldn't have had a conflict either.— SteveMG
- So can someone sue and have the voter-approved Congress overturned?— AngryWhiteMale
A wise man indeed.— Les Ismore- LOL---be careful people---legislation rooted in sexuality is a very dangerous thing---and that is WHAT this is---laws based on what people sexually desire— will_wonders_never_cease
- The anti gay marriage people got whooped because they had NO evidence to support their claim that gay marriage was a "threat" to heterosexual marriage. lol, the only threat to heterosexual marriage is people like Mark Sanford and Larry Craig having sex with strangers in a public bathroom.— The Fundamentals of the Economy are Fine
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- Ahhh, with the economy a mess, people losing their jobs and homes, the infrastructure crumbling and God knows what else going on, I'm glad the government can waste so much time on whether gays can be married or not. What a waste...— giamatt
- Why must so many tiny minded commentators take such frequent/useless shots at columnists?? Oh why baby? Is it because you disagree with the writer? A suggestion doophus, don't read the columnist....how 'bout dat idea?— stoneman
///will be made by the monstrosity that is the John Roberts Supreme Court/// I wonder if you'll have the guts to post an apology to all of the members of the Supreme Court, especially Roberts, when they uphold Walker's decision. I doubt it.- ///Bunch and his latest find at Woodies are running off to cali tomorrow/// Not many straight people know what Woody's is. The only straight people who do usually have a ton of gay friends.
- Wow, those Republicans, they're so homophobic that two of their recent presidents nominated a gay man.
- How bout the gov removes itself from marriage altogether?— RG
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