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What Americans Want In A Supreme Court Justice

Scott McClellan (10/7/05):

The President has a long record of appointing people to the bench who are strict constructionists. That’s what the American people want.

That’s not true.

53% believe the Supreme Court should base its rulings, in whole or in part, on the Constitution’s current meaning, rather than on the meaning of the document when it was originally written. (46% take the original intent view and 1% are unsure.)

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63% of the public want a new Supreme Court justice who “will keep the court about the same as it is now” or will “make the court more liberal.” (30% want it more conservative.)

59% of the public are uneasy or unsure about Bush’s picks for the Supreme Court. (41% are confident.)

One more: 65% of the American public believe Bush’s priorities for the country are not the same as theirs.