Editorial Boards Laud Judge Gorsuch As ‘A Masterful Pick’

COLORADO NEWSPAPERS: Judge Gorsuch ‘Is A Brilliant Legal Mind And Talented Writer’;

President ‘Trump Could Not Have Made A Better Supreme Court Appointment Than Gorsuch’

THE DENVER POST: “Happily add us to those excited to see Colorado native Neil Gorsuch nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. Among those President Donald Trump considered for the post, we held out special hope for Gorsuch. We hope his nomination is secured... Neil Gorsuch would make a fine addition to the Supremes. We hope the Senate manages to place him on the high court in short order.” (Editorial, “A Coloradan On The Highest Court In The Land,” The Denver Post, 2/01/2017)

• “A federal judge in Denver, and a fourth-generation Coloradan, Gorsuch is a brilliant legal mind and talented writer whom observers praise for his ability to apply the law fairly and consistently... [W]e appreciate his desire to strictly interpret the Constitution based on the intent of our nation’s founders, even when those rulings might contradict his personal beliefs.” (Editorial, “A Coloradan On The Highest Court In The Land,” The Denver Post, 2/01/2017)

• “It is hard to imagine there will ever be a Trump nominee for the post Democrats would support. So we feel more than justified in urging [Sen. Michael] Bennet [D-CO] not to take his party’s bait.” (Editorial, “A Coloradan On The Highest Court In The Land,” The Denver Post, 2/01/2017)

• “[C]onsider the make-up of the current court... Not a single justice from the heartland. Given this lack of geographic diversity, we’re happy to see a representative with deep roots in the Rockies... The rapidly growing West ought to have more voices representing it inside the Beltway.” (Editorial, “A Coloradan On The Highest Court In The Land,” The Denver Post, 2/01/2017)

THE [COLORADO SPRINGS] GAZETTE: “The Denver native's resume alone ranks Gorsuch among the cream of the top 1 percent of lawyers in the United States. He graduated with honors from Columbia University and Harvard Law School. He furthered his studies at Oxford University, earning a doctorate in legal philosophy.” (Editorial, The [Colorado Springs] Gazette, 1/31/2017)

• “All research paints Gorsuch as a judge who consistently advocates judicial restraint, challenges judicial deference to federal agencies, and questions over-regulation and excessive criminalization. He is widely credited, and awarded, as a gifted legal writer.” (Editorial, The [Colorado Springs] Gazette, 1/31/2017)

• “[President] Trump could not have made a better Supreme Court appointment than Gorsuch. He is a defender of liberty and justice and stands the best chance of filling the prodigious void created by Scalia's death.” (Editorial, The [Colorado Springs] Gazette, 1/31/2017)

LONGMONT [CO] TIMES-CALL: “Much to his credit, President Trump has nominated a resoundingly traditional, eminently qualified federal appellate judge for a lifetime appointment to the nation's highest court. And he's a Coloradan. . . [H]e has served in the 10th U.S. Circuit Court, which includes Colorado, New Mexico and other intermountain states. In this capacity he has been able to produce a broad range of rulings across criminal and social policy issues. While his rulings could be described as conservative, they certainly don't hew to a singular political party or policy aim.” (Editorial, “Gorsuch Will Be A Worthy U.S. Justice,” Longmont Times-Call, 2/02/2017)

• “Gorsuch will make a fine jurist on the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Senate should process the nomination soon. With so many options available to him, [President] Trump made an admirable choice.” (Editorial, “Gorsuch Will Be A Worthy U.S. Justice,” Longmont Times-Call, 2/02/2017)

HEARTLAND NEWSPAPERS: ‘Neil Gorsuch Has The Qualities Anyone Considered For Justice Of The Highest Court Should Have’

CHARLESTON [WV] DAILY MAIL: “He’s distinguished himself on the Denver-based 10th Circuit Court of Appeals with his clear, colloquial writing, advocacy for court review of government regulations, defense of religious freedom and skepticism toward law enforcement. From the evidence so far, Neil Gorsuch has the qualities anyone considered for justice of the highest court should have: a strong understanding and respect for the nation’s founding document, the U.S. Constitution.” (Editorial, “Daily Mail Editorial: Neil Gorsuch A Great Pick For Supreme Court,” Charleston [WV] Gazette-Mail, 2/01/2017)

THE KANSAS CITY STAR: “In Neil Gorsuch, [President] Trump has selected a qualified and conservative jurist ... the president’s pick of the 49-year-old federal appeals court judge is not just defensible but a standout.” (Editorial, “In Neil Gorsuch, Trump Has Selected A Qualified And Conservative Jurist,” The Kansas City Star, 2/01/2017)

DETROIT FREE PRESS: “[A] seasoned appellate judge respected by peers across the ideological spectrum. Neil Gorsuch is a man any number of conservative Republican presidents might have been proud to send to the nation's highest court. His academic credentials and professional experience match those of some of his most distinguished predecessors; indeed, there is scarcely an elite legal circle in which he is not a card-carrying member.” (Editorial, “Neil Gorsuch, A Shrewd Choice For A Stolen Supreme Court Seat,” Detroit Free Press, 2/01/2017)

THE DETROIT NEWS: “Donald Trump could hardly have done better in his most important decision since becoming president — the nomination of a Supreme Court justice. Neil Gorsuch is highly principled and deeply experienced… His resume and background are beyond challenge: Harvard-, Columbia- and Oxford-educated; clerked for two Supreme Court justices; praised for his temperament and reverence for the law; more than a decade of experience on the federal bench.” (Editorial, “Trump’s Pick Is Masterful,” The Detroit News, 2/01/2017)

• “He is a legal superstar and Democrats know it. It will be tough to paint this thoughtful Coloradan ... as out of the mainstream... Turning back his appointment on any grounds but pure politics will be impossible... Again, there’s no disputing Neil Gorsuch’s qualifications for the court. His resume matches or exceeds that of any sitting justice.” (Editorial, “Trump’s Pick Is Masterful,” The Detroit News, 2/01/2017)

• “[R]emember, Republicans cooperated in approving two previous Obama appointees, Elena Kagen and Sonia Sotomayor, who were just as liberal as Gorsuch is conservative.” (Editorial, “Trump’s Pick Is Masterful,” The Detroit News, 2/01/2017)

RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH: “Gorsuch’s personal qualities also have earned praise. His attitudes and approaches as an appellate judge seem to impress opponents of his judicial interpretations as well as supporters of them. An acting solicitor general for the Obama administration recommends his confirmation. His integrity is absolute; his disposition appropriate for the job.” (Editorial, “Colorado Sets Precedent For Gorsuch Stampede,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/01/2017)

• “We have seen nothing to deny Gorsuch the confirmation for which he appears qualified. Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have issued discreet statements. May they rise to the occasion, please? Trump acted judiciously... The Times-Dispatch believes Neil Gorsuch would be a valuable addition to a Supreme Court whose motto proclaims ‘Equal justice under law.’”  (Editorial, “Colorado Sets Precedent For Gorsuch Stampede,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/01/2017)

EAST AND WEST COAST PAPERS AGREE: Judge ‘Gorsuch Is An Impressive Jurist’, ‘Affable And Witty,’ ‘Gorsuch Would Be A Stellar Addition To The Court,’ ‘He Deserves Fair Consideration’

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: “No one can replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, but President Trump has made an excellent attempt by nominating appellate Judge Neil Gorsuch as the ninth Justice. The polarized politics of the Court guarantees a confirmation fight, but based on his record the 49-year-old judge is a distinguished choice who will adhere to the original meaning of the Constitution.” (Editorial, “Neil Gorsuch Is A Supreme Court Pick,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/01/2017)

• “He is well known in legal circles for his sharp prose, as well as for his arguments for religious liberty and his skepticism toward judicial doctrines that give too much power to the administrative state. He is also noted for a Scalia-like approach to criminal law that takes a dim view of vague statutes that can entrap the innocent. . . Mr. Trump won in major part because he promised to appoint judges in Justice Scalia’s mold, and in Neil Gorsuch it appears he has.” (Editorial, “Neil Gorsuch Is A Supreme Court Pick,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/01/2017)

• “As qualified as he is, Judge Gorsuch ought to be confirmed at least as easily as President Obama’s appointees Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.” (Editorial, “Neil Gorsuch Is A Supreme Court Pick,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/01/2017)

NEW HAMPSHIRE UNION LEADER: “Colorado Judge Neil Gorsuch is an excellent choice to fill the vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, and fulfills President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to pick a worthy successor to Justice Antonin Scalia. Gorsuch was unanimously confirmed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2006, and in 10 years on the bench has impressed legal scholars with his sharp writing and commitment to interpreting the law as it is written, not as he would wish it to be... Neil Gorsuch would be a stellar addition to the court, and we endorse his confirmation.” (Editorial, “Justice For All: Gorsuch Is An Outstanding Choice,” New Hampshire Union Leader, 2/02/2017)

SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE: “Gorsuch is an impressive jurist, and that judgment goes beyond his Harvard law background, his clerking for two U.S. Supreme Court justices and the acclaim he’s received as a judge and professor... For these reasons, we believe that if Gorsuch does well in his nomination hearings and if no red flags emerge in the heavy scrutiny he is likely to face in coming weeks, he deserves confirmation.” (Editorial, “Why Neil Gorsuch Is A Good Supreme Court Pick For Donald Trump,” San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/31/17)

• “Gorsuch has views about criminal justice that emphasize civil liberties, not government authority . . . In 2013, he gave a powerful, laudable speech lamenting the ever-growing complexity of the criminal code, wondering ‘what happens to individual freedom and equality when the criminal law comes to cover so many facets of daily life that prosecutors can almost choose their targets with impunity?’ (Editorial, “Why Neil Gorsuch Is A Good Supreme Court Pick For Donald Trump,” San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/31/17)

WORCESTER [MA] TELEGRAM & GAZETTE: “[President] Donald Trump has made a well-considered selection for the next justice of the Supreme Court... Judge Gorsuch is more than qualified in education, experience, judicial record and temperament... The young Gorsuch graduated from high school in Washington, with honors (including Phi Beta Kappa) from Columbia University, and with honors from Harvard Law - he graduated with Barack Obama. He holds a doctorate in legal philosophy from Oxford University. His clerkships included two Supreme Court justices, fellow Coloradan Byron R. White and, in a first, now prospective colleague Anthony M. Kennedy... If Democrats are smart, they'll accept that Trump hit this one out of the park...” (Editorial, “Gorsuch Well Qualified To Take Scalia's Seat,” Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 2/02/2017)

BOSTON HERALD: “Any senator who votes to oppose the nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court will have done so motivated by blind partisanship — or revenge. There is simply no credible case to make that President Trump’s nominee is insufficiently qualified or unreasonably out of the judicial mainstream.” (Editorial, “Confirm Gorsuch,” Boston Herald, 2/02/2017)

• “He is a traditional pick, lauded by liberals and conservatives alike as a brilliant legal mind in the mold of Scalia ... He boasts a flawless resume. He is praised for his temperament and clear writing. He deserves fair consideration and speedy confirmation.” (Editorial, “Confirm Gorsuch,” Boston Herald, 2/02/2017)

THE WASHINGTON TIMES: “Donald Trump, rookie or not in the highest of all leagues, knocked one out of the park with his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. . . Mr. Gorsuch, 49, is the distinguished choice in the mold of the late Antonin Scalia who reveres the Constitution as it was written . . . He is admired by other lawyers for his sharply written prose, further in the mold of Antonin Scalia; his arguments for religious liberty . . . and for his skepticism of the law that cedes too much power and authority to the administrative state.” (Editorial, “The Gorsuch Nomination,” The Washington Times, 2/01/2017)

• “The judge’s reverence for the Constitution comes through in nearly everything he writes. . . If Mr. Gorsuch is confirmed, as expected, it will be an occasion for defenders of the Constitution to celebrate.” (Editorial, “The Gorsuch Nomination,” The Washington Times, 2/01/2017)

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: “No one has ever questioned Gorsuch’s intellect or qualifications... He is esteemed by leading liberal legal lights. Obama’s former ethics czar called him ‘a great guy’; law professor Laurence Tribe, an Obama mentor, called him ‘as smart as he is conservative, and he writes elegantly.’ While Gorsuch is hardly our ideological ideal, he is a high-caliber mind who stands solidly in the mainstream of conservative jurisprudence.” (Editorial, “Courting Competence: President Trump's Supreme Justice Pick,” New York Daily News, 1/31/2017)

NEW YORK POST: “Gorsuch boasts an impeccable resumé, having clerked for Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy. Affable and witty, he’s even described as Scalia’s ‘intellectual equal.’ And the Senate confirmed him on a voice vote for his current slot on the 10th Circuit US Court of Appeals in Colorado.” (Editorial, “Trump Picks A Scalia-Clone To Fill Empty Supreme Court Seat,” New York Post, 1/31/2017)