Quote:
Originally Posted by larrymcg421
It's important, but sometimes they just kept screwing up. Reagan may have had an idea that O'Connor would be pro-choice, but he certainly didn't expect Kennedy to join her. He only went 1 for 3 in appointing anti-Roe justices.
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Reagan's primary concern at the time wasn't anti-Roe justices, but pro-Federalism justices. Reagan was probably more for states rights vs. federal power than he was anti-abortion. Recall that this was a time before
US v. Lopez and
US v. Morrison and the feds could basically do anything they wanted under the Commerce Clause. Reagan's first goal appeared to be to institute a New Federalism and give Rehnquist the justices he needed to do so.
Roe was secondary.