Ronald Reagan appointed Sandra Day O’Connor to the Supreme Court back in 1981, as the first female justice to serve on the highest court in the land. She retired in 2006 to take care of her ailing husband. Sandra Day O’Connor earned the begrudging respect of young liberals because she showed an integrity in her conservatism that wasn’t that of an ideologue. Unfortunately, her replacement—Samuel Alito—clearly lacks that same integrity, thus far. A Fox affiliate caught up with O’Connor and asked her a few questions about her thoughts on the Supreme Court’s loss of Justice Antonin Scalia.
You just have to pick the best person you can—under the circumstances, as the appointing authority must do. And it’s an important position and one that we care about as a nation and as a people; and I wish the President well as he makes choices and goes down that line.
When asked about the timing of the Supreme Court vacancy, she had this to say:
It’s unfortunate that it creates talk around the thing that isn’t necessary.
When pressed on her thoughts concerning whether Republicans saying that President Obama should not appoint someone to the Court until the elections are decided, O’Connor was crystal clear.
I don’t agree! We need someone there now to do the job and let’s get on with it.
[Bold is me holding my hands up over my head and saying “Testify.”]
Watch the interview below the fold.