Constitutional Empathy

John McCain delivered an important speech at Wake Forest on Tuesday, but how many Americans even heard about it? Much of the media was too busy obsessing over the latest twist in the Democratic primary to pay McCain’s remarks much attention. As the press breathlessly declared Hillary Clinton’s demise (again) and wildly celebrated – er, objectively reported – Barack Obama’s solid win in North Carolina, conservatives were showering McCain with positive reviews on a crucial issue: The federal judiciary. Republicans who remain unsold on McCain should take heed.

My friend Hugh Hewitt likes to quip that there are seven reasons to embrace John McCain – the war, and six Supreme Court justices over the age of 68. The line often gets a laugh, but it’s no joke. Stemming the tide of judicial activism, which systematically strips the American public of its right to decide policy issues at the ballot box, is an urgent priority. The next president will likely nominate several justices to the nation’s highest court, as well as hundreds of other federal judges around the country. Neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama should be entrusted with this responsibility. Each is beholden to leftwing special interest groups like the People for the American Way (evidently “American Way” means “governance by liberal fiat”), and each has demonstrated a knee-jerk hostility to exceptionally qualified jurists who happen to offend their leftist sensibilities.…

McCain’s speech pointed out that the eminently qualified and overwhelmingly-confirmed John Roberts proved sub-standard for Obama. Mr. Post-partisan attempted to justify his vote against Roberts by pontificating that in order for a judge to be acceptable, he’d have to share “one’s deepest values, one’s core concerns, one’s broader perspectives on how the world works, and the depth and breadth of one’s empathy.”…

For those conservatives who continue to whine about the choiceless choice they face in the upcoming election, and who carp that “McLame” won’t be any better than his Democratic opponent, look no further than the judiciary. There’s a real choice in November, and those who plan to pout in the corner on election day will help pave the way for Obama’s confused and dangerous judicial philosophy to win the day – and the ill effects may reverberate for decades. Wake up and smell the empathy.

reprinted courtesy of Elephant Pride.com