No Litmus Test!

President George W. Bush said he wouldn’t use a “litmus test” on issues such as abortion and gay marriage to fill a U.S. Supreme Court vacancy and called on special-interest “money-raising groups” to stop attacking Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, a potential nominee.

“I will pick” someone “who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not use the bench to legislate,” Bush said at a press conference after meeting with Danish Prime Minster Anders Fogh Rasmussen. (source)

The President won’t use a “litmus test” huh? It’s a good thing he has so much credibility. Otherwise, I may just wonder if he’s being totally honest about that. I’m glad he will be fair.

I was also very relieved to hear that he will pick someone who “will strictly interpret the Constitution and not use the bench to legislate”. Of course, you can read “legislate” to mean the court ruling in favor of anything he or the Christian Right doesn’t approve of.

It’s a no win situation for the court. If they do rule that denying gay couples access to marriage is unconstitutional, or that Roe v. Wade is constitutional, they will be legislating from the bench. In terms of gay marriage in the United States, we may know sooner than later. The Attorney General of California has asked the Supreme Court to rule on the issue of keeping marriage out of the reach of gay couples.

We live in interesting times.