An explanation in a nutshell:
George W. Bush: "I believe in strict constructionists. Those are the kind of judges I will appoint."
William Rehnquist: "a strict constructionist judge is one who favors criminal prosecutors over criminal defendants, and civil rights defendants over civil rights plaintiffs."
New York Times: "The Supreme Court today . . . appeared to make it easier for prosecutors to select jurors who are predisposed toward capital punishment in future cases."
And there you have it.
from Matthew Yglesias
