The Stonecipher Report

Are Moderate Republicans Already Sitting Out the 2012 Presidential Race?

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

May 22, 2009

Note: This piece is cross-posted at Eyes on Obama

Things have been happening in the political zeitgeist – some major, others more subtle. Individually, these may be unrelated blips...but combined, they may also be simply the first building blocks in a trend that could eventually become quite significant.

Post-Souter, Could it Be Time For a Different Sort of US Supreme Court Justice? (And I Mean REALLY Different…)

Posted By: Michael Sweeney

May 5, 2009

Note: This piece is cross-posted at Eyes on Obama

So, George H. W. Bush’s sole real, lasting gift to the American people – David Souter as a Supreme Court Justice – is ending after a fine 18-1/2-year run. Fair enough – I always thought of Souter as both an excellent Justice…AND as a bit of a jerky prank on right-winger John Sununu, who helped push for Judge Souter’s elevation (they were both from New Hampshire) – and who then sulked about the Justice’s drift (once on the Supreme Court bench) to the considerable left.

Now comes word that not only will President Obama get to pick his first Supreme Court Justice relatively early in his term (potentially also coming soon – the retirement of the other Republican-appointed court liberal, Justice John Paul Stevens)…but it seems that several different voices are making the same points about this opportunity: That Obama should perhaps consider picking the next Supreme Court Justice from someplace other than this country’s lower courts.

Is There a Senate Democrat Capable of Pulling a Specter?

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

May 1, 2009

Ever since Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter dropped a political bombshell earlier this week and switched parties there has been talk and speculation about who might be next.  With the Republican Party in shambles, and seemingly shrinking every day, most of that speculation has surrounded moderate Republicans like Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and even John McCain. 

GOP Can Kiss Pennsylvania Goodbye if they Boot Specter

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Apr. 3, 2009

Remember back during primary season when Barack Obama got into all that trouble for saying that rural Pennsylvanians cling to their guns and religion?  Well, all those Republicans who blew their tops after then-Senator Obama made those remarks better now hope that he was right about those folks in the Pennsylvania 'T' (that conservative area in PA between Philadephia and Pittsburgh) if they hope to win another statewide election in the Keystone State anytime soon.  The Pennsylvania GOP is going to either need an armed rebellion or a whole lot of prayers to make it happen.