Thanks, Howard, for pointing us to this great press release from U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) responding to suggestions by members of the Senate that despite constitutional mandate, and 200 years of Senate precedent, the Congress should select nominees to the Supreme Court. This statement in Senator Cornyn’s letter to President Bush says it all, in my opinion:
“Of course, individual Senators, like all Americans, have the right to suggest possible nominees to the Supreme Court. But no one should be confused into believing that the President is in any way bound, as a constitutional, political, or traditional matter, to follow any of those recommendations. Indeed, it is impossible to comprehend how the President would obey the wishes of 100 individual Senators, each of whom might submit their own slate of nominees.”