Wendy Long Endorsement: “Political Coup”
“Political Coup” is the phrase used by “The American Spectator” writer Jennifer Rubin (also Race42008.com contributor) to describe the addition of Wendy Long as a Senior Legal Advisor to the Romney Campaign. The press release came out a whole six days ago and would hardly mean anything to me except for a little explanation on Wendy Long’s background and the words of her powerful endorsement included in Jennifer Rubin’s article written today. (HT to EFM and Race42008.com for the story)
From Rubin’s Article:
Long is a familiar name to conservatives who follow the courts. She is chief counsel to the Judicial Confirmation Network, an organization of conservative lawyers that has played a critical role in the confirmation battles for appellate and Supreme Court judges including Sam Alito and John Roberts. She was a litigation partner with Kirkland & Ellis LLP and previously a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and to U.S. Appeals Court Judge Ralph Winter.
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Long also explains that leadership “matters tremendously” in selecting a president. For her this includes “the ability to direct the many and far flung team” that a president needs to confirm judges and lead the Justice Department. She cites Romney’s experience in business and running the Olympics and as Governor as proof he can “lead a large organization and then delegate” to competent managers.
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What does she consider the top legal issues for the presidential race? Without hesitation she says that judges are “the number one issue.” She explains that judges are “the most important [issue] because the federal judiciary affects people’s daily lives,” a situation she says that “shouldn’t be but is what we are confronted with” after years of creeping judicial activism. She notes that the next president may appoint “two, three or even four” Supreme Court justices and will dramatically shape the Court. She also lists tort reform as “tremendously important” since Romney, as a businessman, appreciates how litigation has “gummed up the wheels of commerce.”
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How does she think Romney would do in appointing conservative justices? Long argues that Romney “is the only one I’m absolutely sure” will give us more nominees like Justices Alito and Roberts. With these types of judges she believes we will continue the “incremental process” to return power to the people and allow policy decisions to be made democratically.
Long does speak somewhat of Hillary and how her judicial nomination would be a stark turn to the left, and of Fred Thompson who though she deems him “warm” and friendly does not consider him of being “up to the task”.
The entire article is very interesting and I would encourage you to read the whole thing to catch the whole scope.
~Nate Gunderson
