If Trump called up Sen. Mike Lee and asked him if he’d mind being replaced by Ted Cruz on the list of potential Supreme Court appointments, he’d probably say yes, for sure. Lee is a gentleman, and is not a pushy guy. He may actually like Cruz. I’d wager every other person on that list would concur. None of them are more qualified than Cruz, and they all know it.
I liked Scalia well enough, but Cruz would be better, a more reliable conservative. Scalia went off the rails occasionally. Clarence Thomas is my ideal Justice, and he and Cruz would be quite a team. The fools who denigrate Justice Thomas haven’t read his opinions. He’s a brilliant man, and solid as a rock. If you want to read a wonderful book, get My Grandfather’s Son, by Thomas. I love this guy.
Trump seriously considered Romney for State, and for good reason. Hell, he looks exactly like a Secretary of State should look like. His problem was that Rex Tillerson looked just as good, and was a complete bad ass to boot. I’m betting T. Rex is going to be wonderful at State. He exudes strength and competence.
So if Trump could let bygones be bygones with Romney, why not Cruz? They both had harsh words for Trump, but they were returning fire, in Cruz’s case. What did Trump expect him to do? Cringe like a baby while he defamed his father, a great American? The thing is, even the people who can’t stand Cruz would love to see him on the Supreme Court. He’s got no business in Congress. For that matter, he’s got no business in politics. He’s like a fish out of water. But on the Court? That’s where he really belongs, and I think he’s beginning to realize that.
Cruz will be 46 next week. He could be a conservative star on the Court for 40 years. Ginsburg is 83, and will stay on as long as she can. She’s a tough old bird, and she’ll last a while longer. She’s perfect for my purposes.
Because what I want to do is promote a Constitutional Amendment limiting the terms of Supreme Court Justices to fifteen years. And if Cruz is on the Court he’ll be my main argument to the left. Vote to limit Justices’ terms, and you can get rid of Cruz. My argument to the right is the person of Ruth Ginsburg. She’s been on the Court for 23 years. That’s enough. Her health is failing, and a younger Justice is clearly called for. But she won’t let go, for political reasons. It’s crazy. Justice William Douglas was totally senile, but he refused to quit. His mind was gone, but he was physically well, so he just wouldn’t leave. The whole thing is ridiculous.
Why wouldn’t Congress propose this Amendment? Beats me. I think it could be totally bipartisan. Trump and Pence may be in power for a while, and they may get three or four appointments between them. The Court is going to be conservative for a generation. Why wouldn’t a Democrat want to limit the terms of all these Trump/Pence appointments? And Republicans will vote for it because it makes complete sense.
Now, to me, this is the kind of thing all men and women of good will can agree on. It’s not conservative or liberal, it’s just common sense. I’m betting that if you got 50 Presiding Officers from the 50 State Legislatures in a room together, a Federal Assembly, and had a discussion on the subject of term limits for Supreme Court Justices, that 85% of them would agree with you. And if they all thought it was worth doing they could all agree to pass Article V Resolutions and amend the Constitution themselves. Why wait for Congress to do it? It’s easier for the Federal Assembly.
Once the Nashville Convention of States is over, either July 13th or 14th, there should be a meeting of Presiding Officers of the State Legislatures. They should establish a Committee of Correspondence in order to stay in touch with one another on anything related to Article V, such as suggestions for what the second Article V Convention should be about. They may find that they have a lot in common. If they can develop a consensus on a few things, things could get interesting.
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