capsaicin67

Can someone help me out a bit? Does anyone know what the judge that wrote the ruling's political slant is? Is he conservative/Republican, or otherwise? I hear that he is a WW2 combat veteran and self-proclaimed cowboy----all very incongruent with the media portrayal of the issue thus far [they make it sound like abunch of "hippie liberals" wrote the ruling, and conveniently leave out the facts]. I guess I'm trying to figure out what we do know of him that further goes against the disinformation campaign underway.....thanks in advance........

daemon

The only thing I know about that guy is that he was nominated by Nixon, so is likely to be conservative.

Toto

<a href="http://www.law.com/regionals/ca/stories/020701a.shtml" target="_blank">Interview with Judge Goodwin</a>

He was appointed by Nixon in 1971, which was before judicial appointments became so politicized. He probably was a supporter of whatever Republican senators were from Oregon at the time - liberal Republicans like Wayne Morse, as I recall.

Darkside_Spirit

Interestingly enough, in the American judiciary (as opposed to the political branches), conservative judges seem to be the most in favour of church/state separation. At the moment, the Supreme Court is manifestly conservative, but there is a 6-3 majority in favour of separation in most cases.

capsaicin67

Thanks for the insights/feedback thus far. I wish Judge Goodwin and Helen Thomas had a love child. Or would get their own talkshow. Or would host a revival or something. Curmudgeons and elder statespeople of courage.

I simply do not see how the Supreme court could not support the separation of church and state----- it seems it would be so clearcut what the principles and goals are in cases like the Pledge one anyway, to an informed person, or constitutional law expert. I'm not, and I am biased though, too. SO I know it is far from a foregone conclusion. We can only hope that most are persons of courage and conviction and integrity.