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Partyswitcher Arlen Specter could not do it. Hundred Days President Barack Obama could not do it. Bankrupt Chrysler could not do it. For five straight weekdays of heavy competition the Mexican swine 'flu held on to its Story of the Day status. Then along came Justice David The Flukiller Souter. His letter of resignation from the Supreme Court, effective at the end of this term, led all three newscasts and accounted for a full third of the three-network newshole (33%--19 min out of 58). The 'flu was not ignored entirely, rounding out an impressive weeklong run (9 min last Friday followed by 34 Monday, 21 Tuesday, 18 Wednesday, 20 Thursday) with 11 minutes of coverage.

A trio of correspondents--CBS' Wyatt Andrews (no link), ABC's Jan Crawford Greenburg, NBC's Pete Williams--kicked off from the Supreme Court on Souter the jurist, Souter the man, and Souter in the eyes of the President.

"A fair-minded and independent judge, he came to the bench with no particular ideology. He never sought to promote a political agenda," was Barack Obama's tribute soundbite selected by ABC. CBS and NBC went with "a feverish work ethic and a good sense of humor with integrity, equanimity and compassion."

Souter was nominated by President George Bush pere. At the time "liberals were terrified," was how ABC's Crawford Greenburg recalled it. CBS' Andrews remembered him as being "sold as a law-and-order kind of conservative." All three reporters gave examples of his emergence on the "moderate to liberal wing" of the court, as NBC' Williams put it. Williams cited his pro-choice stance on abortion and his opposition to George Bush being elected President without a recount in Florida. CBS' Andrews selected abortion too, and then affirmative action and the rights of inmates at Guantanamo Bay and handgun control. ABC's Crawford Greenburg ticked off "abortion, affirmative action, the death penalty and religion."

As for Souter the man, both ABC's Crawford Greenburg and NBC's Williams quoted his own complaint that serving a term at the Supreme Court required "a sort of annual intellectual lobotomy." NBC's Williams noted that his retirement comes in mid-career, voluntarily walking away in the prime of life…By Supreme Court standards Souter, who is 69, is barely middle-aged." ABC's Crawford Greenburg called Souter "reclusive…for years he has told his friends that he did not like Washington and wanted to return home to his beloved New Hampshire cabin." CBS' Andrews mentioned that he was "physically mugged while out jogging" in the District of Columbia. He is "often called the Stealth Justice" and is a "workaholic confirmed bachelor."


Andrew Tyndall 5/4/09 7:59:05 pm

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