President Obama will have the chance to pick a new Supreme Court Justice later this summer as Justice Stevens departs the bench. While many people will say this or that person should be appointed, it is ultimately up to Obama to name a successor. He has already hinted at things that will help shape his decision.
The big thing Obama has already hinted at is pro-women's rights. While he said that is not necessarily "pro-choice" it might as well be. Part of the reasoning for that is "the notion that individuals are protected in their privacy and their bodily integrity, and women are not exempt from that." Well, that is a pretty broad statement. I can not see too many people disagreeing with that. It's a middle path statement. Unfortunately, it is so broad, it almost sounds Libertarian. If "bodily privacy" should be given, then lots of other things should be legal as well. If I want to ingest three pounds of crack everyday, who should stop me? It is my body after all. And let's legalize prostitution. It's a female's body and she should be able to do with it as she pleases.
I'm not endorsing any of those views at all. And I know the Supreme Court nominee is going to go through the gauntlet as far as Senate confirmation is concerned. But if the President is going to outline views that he wants associated with his nominee, then he just needs to come out and say it. Don't beat around the bush. If he wants a pro-choice nominee, then he should say that, and not use such general terms that it can mean anything. If he is truly concerned about private rights, then he should also keep in mind that we should not take away rights from those that have no choice.
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