As a precursor to the upcoming Republican presidential debate, a conservative group is starting a campaign push to get the candidates on the record about how they would approach Supreme Court nominations.
“Demand justices with a proven record of upholding the constitution. We can’t afford more surprises,” a narrator says in the first advertisement by the Judicial Crisis Network, which features the faces of Justices John Roberts and Anthony Kennedy and retired Justice David Souter, all Republican picks to the court.
When Mr. Roberts saved Obamacare three years ago as the deciding vote on the court, conservatives were upset with the decision. But groups such as the Judicial Crisis Network were irate in June, when George W. Bush’s pick to the high court again saved President Obama’s signature health care law, writing the majority opinion and delivering it from the bench, allowing insurance subsidies to be offered nationwide.
“It’s a sad day for the Constitution when the clear terms of a statute can be ’interpreted’ away in the service of an aggressively lawless president. The two biggest losers today are the English language and the legacy of Chief Justice Roberts,” Carrie Severino, the head of the Judicial Crisis Network, told Politico at the time. “If the chief justice is willing to join the court’s liberals in this linguistic farce, it’s time we admitted that our national ’umpire’ is now playing for one of the teams.”
As for Mr. Kennedy, he delivered the opinion legalizing same-sex marriage, and Mr. Souter surprised many conservatives by reaffirming the fundamental right to abortion in a 1992 Planned Parenthood case. Mr. Kennedy was nominated by Ronald Reagan and Mr. Souter by George H.W. Bush.
The three justices are “examples of bad GOP appointments,” the Judicial Crisis Network said in a statement.
“On the most important issues, the Supreme Court decides,” the advertisement’s narrator says. “The next president could appoint a new majority to last a generation.”
The group’s ad campaign is featured at www.scotus2016.com and includes a $200,000 television and digital ad buy in Iowa, New Hampshire and D.C. The spot will air nationally on Salem Radio Network programs.
The Judicial Crisis Network focuses on the judicial appointment and confirmation process, and does not disclose the source of its funding.
• Kelly Riddell can be reached at kriddell@washingtontimes.com.
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