The Supreme Court shuffle.Harriet E. Miers's time as a Supreme Court nominee nominee n. 1) a person or entity who is requested or named to act for another, such as an agent or trustee. 2) a potential successor to another's rights under a contract. was brief. On October 3, President George W. Bush named Miers, the White House Counsel, as his choice to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26 1930) is an American jurist who served as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. She was considered a strict constructionist. . On October 27, Miers withdrew her name from consideration after facing substantial opposition from conservative members of the Republican Party. Some conservatives criticized Miers's lack of experience as a judge. Many more condemned con·demn tr.v. con·demned, con·demn·ing, con·demns 1. To express strong disapproval of: condemned the needless waste of food. 2. her few written statements on social issues as too moderate. On October 31, the President announced a new nominee: Samuel A. Alito Jr. After 15 years as a federal Court of Appeals judge, Alito has a long paper trail. Many people who objected to Miers find Alito's record of conservative decisions reassuring. Now, however, many Democrats are objecting. Of greatest concern to Americans of all political philosophies is how, as a Justice, Alito would vote on such issues as the separation of church and state
According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Constitution, the U.S. Senate must confirm a President's nominee by a simple majority. The confirmation battle is expected to be a bruising bruising discoloration and actual hemorrhage at the site of injury, and a serious disadvantage in the meat trade. In the first 12 hours after injury the bruise is bright red, at 24 hours it is dark red, at 24 to 36 hours it loses its firm consistency and becomes watery and at 3 or one. * OBJECTIVE Students should understand * how the three branches of the federal government seek to balance power and how citizens hold them to account. * TERMS TO KNOW special counsel: investigator appointed to probe charges of misdeeds by high government officials * simple majority: half the total number of votes plus one (or more) * CRITICAL THINKING COMPREHENSION: For what offense was I Lewis Libby indicted INDICTED, practice. When a man is accused by a bill of indictment preferred by a grand jury, he is said to be indicted. last month? (lying to obscure the truth during investigations into who leaked the identity of a CIA CIA: see Central Intelligence Agency. (1) (Confidentiality Integrity Authentication) The three important concerns with regards to information security. Encryption is used to provide confidentiality (privacy, secrecy). agent to members of the press) MAKING PART-WHOLE CONNECTIONS: What are the problems or issues associated with President Bush's recent nominees to the Supreme Court? (Conservatives objected to Harriet Miers's lack of judicial experience and her written statements on social issues. Liberals are objecting to Samuel Alito's record of conservative rulings as a federal appeals court judge. A possible shift in political balance in the Supreme Court is a matter of great interest to both sides.) * ACTIVITY STAY UP-TO-DATE: Ask students to check newspapers, news-agency Web sites, and/or TV news reports for the latest information on the CIA leak investigation and the debates regarding the nomination of Samuel Alito Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. (born April 1, 1950) is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Educated at Princeton University and Yale Law School, Alito served as a United States attorney and a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to the Supreme Court. Encourage them to discuss and analyze what they find out. Which information is fact and which opinion? How might students' lives be affected by changes in the makeup of the Supreme Court? STANDARDS SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8 * Power, authority, and governance: How government officials try to resolve conflicts. * Civic ideals and practices: Why citizens should be aware of how government officials handle their rights and responsibilities. RESOURCES * Horn, Geoffrey M., The Supreme Court (Gareth Stevens, 2003). Grades 5-8. * Patrick, John J., The Supreme Court of the United States Supreme Court of the United States Final court of appeal in the U.S. judicial system and final interpreter of the Constitution of the United States. The Supreme Court was created by the Constitutional Convention of 1787 as the head of a federal court system, though it was : A Student Companion (Oxford University Press, 2002). Grades 6 & up. WEB SITES * Supreme Court of the United States supremecourtus.gov/about /about.html * U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Special Counsel www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc |
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