Kentucky Law Journal Volume 77 | Issue 3 Article 7 1989 Spite Nominations to the United States Supreme Court: Herbert C. Hoover, Owen J. Roberts, and the Politics of Presidential Vengeance in Retrospect Peter G. Fish Duke University Follow this and additional works at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/klj Part of the President/Executive Department Commons Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits you. Recommended Citation Fish, Peter G. (1989) "Spite Nominations to the United States Supreme Court: Herbert C. Hoover, Owen J. Roberts, and the Politics of Presidential Vengeance in Retrospect," Kentucky Law Journal: Vol. 77 : Iss. 3 , Article 7. Available at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/klj/vol77/iss3/7 This Symposium Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kentucky Law Journal by an authorized editor of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Perspectives on the Selection of Federal Judges Spite Nominations to the United States Supreme Court: Herbert C. Hoover, Owen J. Roberts, and the Politics of Presidential Vengeance in Retrospect By PETER G. FISH* VARIETIES OF RETRIBUTION Presidential revenge as a motivating force behind Supreme Court nominations is an ineluctable thread running through American judicial selection politics. Such nominations emerge out of varied contexts, but are characterized by common ele- ments of: (1) a judicial and/or senatorial attack on the presi- dent's political ideology or programs, including appointments, or both, (2) injury suffered by the president, and (3) executive branch retaliation aimed at the United States Supreme Court, the Senate, or both.