Because the law is the law. (Though geographic diversity could be one of several reasonable tie-breakers.)
Also, contrary to the mischaracterization in today’s Seattle Times, Justice Jim Johnson is not “an unabashed populist.” He is a government-hating ideologically rigid Libertarian.
Just setting the record straight.
He’s also a racist who made his name as Slade Gorton’s legal thug in the Indian fishing wars.
Goldy, Justice Johnson is not a Libertarian. He is a conservative. There is a distinct difference.
I’d like him to appoint Goldy, actually. Seriously. (He isn’t going to, but still, seriously.)
Johnson is also dumb as a rock. So no, we don’t need another justice like him in any way.
If Republicans want someone from Eastern Washington, Inslee should talk about naming Judge Bridges, of Chelan County. He’s the guy who presided over the GOP legal challenge to Gregoire’s election. The GOP picked Chelan county to file the suit, hoping to get a conservative-minded judge. They got Bridges who wore an earring in court and gave all the Republicans fits and starts.
I’m not saying Inslee should actually appoint Bridges, just that he should talk about him some to remind all the Republicans how they lost that law suit.
The Atlantic has just dubbed Chief Justice Roberts as the most cynical person in America.
http://www.theatlantic.com/pol.....on/360135/
@5 The Republicans lost that lawsuit because they had stupid lawyers. They lost more than that because of their stupid lawyers. Their stupid lawyers cost them the hand recount, too.
Here’s how it came down. After the election, the Democrats organized a signature drive to validate the ballots of Democratic voters who forgot to sign their ballots or whose signatures didn’t match their voter registrations.* (* There’s all sorts of legitimate reasons for mismatches, such as old age and shaky hands.) The Democrats collected roughly 1,100 signatures of which over 700 validated ballots that otherwise wouldn’t have been counted.
Republicans were late to the game, but they eventually organized their own signature drive, and collected around 300 to 400 signatures. But they never submitted them, because their stupid lawyers told them not to. Their stupid lawyers were trying to convince the state supreme court to throw out the Democrats’ signatures. They lost. And because they told their clients not to submit their signatures, well, you do the math …
700 divided by 1100 = 63% validation rate
300 x .63 = 189
Gregoire’s winning margin = 133
Which is more, 189 or 133?
The GOP spent $2 million on the election contest lawsuit. When I read the briefs (i.e., written arguments), I couldn’t believe how little the GOP got for two million bucks. After all, they were represented by a big corporate law firm. When you fork out that kind of money to such a firm you expect to get world-class representation. What the GOP actually got from their lawyers was so laughable they couldn’t even sell it to a handpicked Republican judge in a handpicked Republican county. So much for forum-shopping.
Today, that law firm is still in business, and they even brag on their website that “we represent candidates in election contests.” Eh? I wouldn’t brag about it, guys, if I were you. I’d get out a shovel and bury it in the backyard.