What a concept! A Supreme Court Justice Who Strives to Stay Above the Political Fray

Gorsuch Strives to Stay Above the Political Fray. “My job is not to write the law, but to apply the law.“

Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, in early questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee about controversial landmark cases, affirmed the role of legal precedent. “Precedent is kind of like our shared family history, it deserves our respect because it respects our collective wisdom,” he said.

In his own testimony Monday, Judge Gorsuch portrayed himself as an apolitical jurist striving to get his cases right and a plain-spoken Westerner who embodies the values of family, friendship and fairness.

In his testimony Monday, Judge Gorsuch may have been trying to get ahead of tough grilling from Democrats Tuesday, stressing his modesty in advance of accusations that his philosophy hurts the little guy, and emphasizing his respect for fellow judges in anticipation of questions about President Donald Trump’s attacks on them.

“Putting on a robe reminds us that it’s time to lose our egos and open our minds,” Judge Gorsuch said. “Once in a while, of course, we judges do disagree. But our disagreements are never about politics—only the law’s demands.”

But judicial appointments are where law and politics most sharply intersect, and senators’ opening statements Monday made clear it would be nigh impossible to divorce Judge Gorsuch, a George W. Bush appointee to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, from the deeply divisive circumstances surrounding his nomination by President Trump.

Republicans stressed Judge Gorsuch’s academic credentials, including degrees from Columbia, Harvard and Oxford universities, and the respect he enjoys even from some liberal scholars and lawyers. They suggested that only those seeking to manipulate the legal system could oppose his nomination.

Democrats “seem to think that the confirmation process requires only a political agenda and a calculator,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah). “They tally the winners and losers in his past cases and do the math,” he said.

Democrats, however, hammered on three lines of attack. They bemoaned the decision by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) to deny a hearing to Judge Garland, whom Mr. Obama nominated to the Supreme Court in March 2016.

They suggested that Judge Gorsuch harbored a right-wing agenda hostile to workers, consumers and gay rights. And they sought to tie Judge Gorsuch to Mr. Trump.

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