In response to the news that Justice David Souter will retire from the Supreme Court at the end of the Court’s current term, People For the American Way president Michael B. Keegan issued the following statement:

“President Barack Obama has the first real opportunity to establish a legacy that will extend far beyond his presidency. He made the Supreme Court a major feature of his campaign and won a strong mandate in November. He has expanded upon his mandate in his first 100 days and should now make a bold choice for the Supreme Court.”

“President Obama has said that the Supreme Court must play a role in protecting people who are ‘vulnerable in the political process: the outsider, the minority, those who are vulnerable, those who don’t have a lot of clout.’ We agree, and urge the President to nominate a Justice who will defend the rights of individual Americans against powerful government and business interests.

“President George Bush’s Supreme Court nominees — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito — have failed to show a commitment to the fundamental constitutional values of justice, equality, and opportunity for all. In fact, they have actively worked to undermine them. President Obama must make a clean break from this past by nominating a robust advocate for progress and justice.”

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