Why Goodwin Liu Matters
Rob Bluey /
Rumors of a possible Supreme Court retirement this summer have Washington buzzing with anticipation. Adding to the intrigue is the controversial nomination of Goodwin Liu for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Senate Republicans used a procedural move Wednesday to postpone Liu’s hearing. But the delay will likely do little to lower the stakes surrounding his nomination. Liu’s outspoken opposition to the nominations of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito made him a hero of the far left. And his stance on issues ranging from welfare rights to the death penalty would make him one of the most activist judges, if confirmed, on the left-leaning 9th Circuit.
“Obama has decided, in a bow to the left wing, to nominate a poster child from Berkeley who checks off every radical liberal ideological box,” said Gary Marx, executive director of the Judicial Crisis Network. “Goodwin Liu is their dream to have on the Supreme Court someday. They are desperately looking for a liberal counterweight to [Justice Antonin] Scalia on the court.”