Bill Richardson Gets It Wrong On The Supreme Court

In last weeks Democratic debate Bill Richardson said he thought Justice Byron White was a model of a Supreme Court Justice that he would appoint. Some Democrats were upset about this because Justice White was one of two judges that dissented on the Roe V Wade case and on other abortion cases. A reporter mentioned this to Richardson, but he didn’t believe him, “Are you sure? Roe versus Wade?” Richardson said at a press conference. “He was in the ’60s. I think an opponent of mine gave you that.” Justice White served from 1962 to 1993, and joined Justice William H. Rehnquist in dissenting in the 7-2 Roe V Wade decision. Richardson later explained his decision, saying he choose Bryon “Whizzer” White because he was an All-American football player, and he was nominated by President Kennedy who is Richardson’s hero. The moderator was actually looking for a Justice that was still alive, so Richardson’s alive choice was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He praised Ginsberg for her recent dissent from the decision that upheld a federal ban on partial-birth abortions. Richardson needs to read up a bit on his Supreme Court history, because he sounds a little confused here.
Alan Cosgrove