I'm sure a lot of eyebrows have gone up on the news that William Brennan is one of Judge Samuel Alito's four favorite Supreme Court justices of the past. I'd say that the inclusion of White should raise far more eyebrows. Reason 1 - While he while he served for 30 years after being appointed by President Kennedy, he wasn't a particularly significant figure or compelling writer, simply one of the more conservative votes during his era on the Court. He famously authored the odious, and historically sloppy (intellectually dishonest?) Bowers v. Hardwick decision that the Supreme Court recently struck down. Reason 2 - He was one of only 2 justices to dissent in Roe v. Wade. It's interesting that the only 2 justices to dissent in Roe v. Wade are both among Alito's four favorites.
Posted by armand at November 3, 2005 11:15 AM | TrackBack | Posted to Law and the Courts