The Full Read · Article by Article
John Kenneth Bush
Sixth Circuit · appt. Trump
7/7
🥇 Fit for the Bench
1Ethics & Recusalcritical
70%★ earned
“No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause.” — Madison, Federalist No. 10
No documented disclosure violation or failure to recuse as a judge; concerns at confirmation centered on pre-bench writings, not financial ethics.
2Fidelity to Democracycritical
73%★ earned
“…a government of laws, and not of men.” — Marshall, Marbury v. Madison
No documented involvement in election subversion or defiance of higher courts; record consistent with the constitutional order.
3Judicial Temperament
62%★ earned
“Justice must satisfy the appearance of justice.” — Frankfurter
The ABA rated him 'Not Qualified,' citing bias and temperament concerns over 400-plus pseudonymous blog posts written as 'G. Morris' (ABA Journal, 2017).
4Reason, Not Ideology
71%★ earned
“We are not final because we are infallible…” — Robert H. Jackson
Opinions reflect standard appellate reasoning; criticism of his originalism is ideological and not scored here.
5Intellectual Honesty & Precedent
68%★ earned
“…to stand by things decided.” (stare decisis) — the common-law maxim
Senators disputed his testimony about a blog post comparing abortion to slavery; the exchange was contested rather than an adjudicated misrepresentation (Daily Beast, 2017).
6Independence from Party
67%★ earned
“The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential.” — Hamilton, Federalist No. 78
Appointed by Trump; limited documented crossings, so scored near the neutral default.
7Personal Integrity
74%★ earned
“The time is always right to do what is right.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
No documented criminal, civil, or corruption matter; the blog controversy concerned commentary, not personal misconduct.
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Scores are Independent 2026’s own editorial read against the Seven Articles — ≥60% earns the star. The first two Articles are critical: fail Ethics & Recusal or Fidelity to Democracy and there is no seal, whatever else holds. Each Article carries its founding quote as the yardstick. On bias →