Q-1
Some observers claim that partisanship in Congress has reached a level that is crippling the institution as an effective policymaking body. Party disputes on everything from healthcare to tax policy have produced legislative deadlock and delay. Do you share the view that excessive partisanship is warping the congressional process or do you think members of Congress should stick to their partisan principles whatever the consequences?
Q-2:
Partisan considerations have increasingly influenced the selection of federal judges. Interest groups on the right and the left have insisted on the appointment of judges who hold compatible views. Presidents and members of Congress have also increasingly sought appointees who will decide issues in ways they prefer. What is your view? Should politics play such a large role in judicial appointments? Or should merit be given greater weight? Does a merit-based system favor ONLY those with money and the connections?