Barack Obama offered a warning today about the increasing prevalence of “conservative” judicial activism, as he believes courts aren’t showing proper deference to lawmakers’ decisions. The president said he won’t be choosing his second nominee to the Supreme Court specifically based on their views on judicial restraint, but it’s clear from his remarks that he believes courts are currently vested with too much power, and that this will affect his decision to a certain extent.
Talking with reporters on Air Force One today, Obama discussed judges who he believes have essentially ignored the democratic, political process and instead imposed judicial solutions.
“In the ‘60s and ‘70s, the feeling was, is that liberals were guilty of that kind of approach,” Obama said. “What you’re now seeing, I think, is a conservative jurisprudence that oftentimes makes the same error.”
Obama of course has spoken out publicly about his disapproval of the Supreme Court’s January ruling, led by conservative members, that allowed corporations and unions to spend freely to influence elections.
Obama Supreme Court Warning: ‘Conservative’ Judicial Activism Is ‘What You’re Now Seeing’ [HuffPo]
