New at Reason

Tim Cavanaugh | January 11, 2005

Skin is worth more than newsprint, here come de (replacement) judge, and bad news for old ladies, in Reason Express.

Comments

|1.11.05 @ 2:22PM|#

I can be the first to ask:

Where is that picture on the main page from?

|1.11.05 @ 2:44PM|#

So Columbia House is going to have 12 porns for a .01?

Heh heh, that outta rile up the rollers...

|1.11.05 @ 3:05PM|#

We knew how to take care of those Moro bastards in my day! >harumph

|1.11.05 @ 3:51PM|#

re: Supreme Court

Whatever one might think of the various Justices, I don't understand why people care who the Chief Justice is. The Chief has one vote out of nine just like the others. Sure, there are a few ceremonial duties, but mostly it's administrative work. Regardless of one's stance on the various issues (oh, who am I kidding with the plural "issues", there's only one issue that will be discussed), the choice of Chief is irrelevant in any practical sense. What matters is the new Associate Justice.

And even the new Associate Justice is largely irrelevant in a practical sense. If Bush replaces Rehnquist with somebody similar it won't change anything for good or for ill. What matters is if somebody like O'Connor or Stevens steps down at some point. Whatever you might think of those Justices, if Bush appoints a conservative replacement that will matter, for good or for ill.

If I were a Democratic Senator I'd give a free pass to the Rehnquist replacement, and save my political capital for when O'Connor or Stevens retires.

|1.11.05 @ 4:19PM|#

Yeah, but thoreau, you have some sense, and therefore are not a Democratic Senator.

|1.11.05 @ 4:28PM|#

Good point, Chuck.

My criterion for Chief Justice would be eminently practical: Find out which Justice is the most efficient at paperwork, does the best job on committees, is best at managing his budget for staff, etc. For all I know, it might turn out to be a Justice whose rulings I strongly disapprove of, but if that person can keep the Court running smoothly that's good enough for me.

|1.11.05 @ 4:45PM|#

As I understand it, the most significant thing about the position of Chief Justice is that he decides who writes the majority opinions if he himself is part of that majority: http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/gahff/html/ff_036800_chiefjustice.htm

That can color how the opinion comes out, obviously.

|1.11.05 @ 6:50PM|#

Moro Islamic Liberation Front

The MILFs?

Warren|1.11.05 @ 11:19PM|#

I want an answer to C Roberts question