> of course, when the President appoints someone to the Supremes, he or she
> doesn't always get what she wants, since the appointee sometimes changes
> spots. Was it Justice Black who was in the KKK but turned out to be a
> stalwart liberal, especially on civil rights? Of course, Earl Warren was a
> Republican (and appointed by one). (Though of course, after the
> Truman-McCarthy era, Democrats actually stood for something (a watered-down
> New Dealism) and most GOPsters aimed to moderate their fervor.)
> Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] & http://liberalarts.lmu.edu/~JDevine
Yes, Black (from Alabama) had been Kluxer and some northern Dem senators
opposed his 1937 nomination despite his support for New Deal as member
of Senate. Former Klan membership probably helped him with southern Dem
senators skeptical of him for being New Dealer. FDR's concern was
acceptable replacement for Willis Van Devanter who prez hated for being
part of conservative bloc that almost always voted against New Deal in
cases before the Court.
Black wrote majority opinion in 1944 Korematsu case in which Court
endorsed government relocation of Japanese-Americans during WW2. He
issued dissent in 1951 Dennis case in which Court supported government
anti-communist policies.
If memory serves, Eisenhower called Warren and William Brennan appt's
to Supreme Court biggest mistakes of his presidency. Michael Hoover
