Obama Renominates Four Radical Judicial Candidates, Abandons Another

Obama renominated Edward Chen, a fervent advocate of racial preferences who unsuccessfully challenged a provision of the California Constitution banning racial discrimination and preferences. Chen also “objected to the singing of ‘America the Beautiful’ at a funeral because of his ‘feelings of ambivalence and cynicism when confronted by appeals to patriotism.’”

Radical law professor Goodwin Liu was also renominated.  If confirmed, Liu would sit on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a federal appeals court with jurisdiction over a whopping one-fifth of the American people. Liu wrongly thinks that the Constitution requires some forms of welfare. Liu has no experience trying cases at all, even though judges are supposed to have “substantial courtroom and trial experience.” Liu claims that “‘free enterprise, private ownership of property, and limited government” are right-wing concepts and ideological “code words.” Liu is also a big user of politically-correct psychobabble, writing that a judge is supposed to be a “culturally situated interpreter of social meaning” rather than an impartial umpire who interprets the law in accord with its plain meaning or its framers’ intent.

Obama also renominated Louis Butler, who was so extreme that he was removed from the Wisconsin Supreme Court by voters in 2008. Until Butler, Wisconsinites hadn’t voted out a state Supreme Court justice since 1967. His empathy for criminals was summed up by his nickname, Loophole Louis.

Obama once again nominated John J. “Jack” O’Connell, who used $2.5 million in state-settlement money to pay off a creditor, in an unethical diversion of state funds. Using political influence, he got himself hired to bring a costly and futile lead paint lawsuit that “achieved nothing, other than waste thousands of hours of attorney time.” The Chamber of Commerce opposed O'Connell's nomination -- the first time it ever opposed a federal judicial nomination.