Another long day.
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
Another long day.
Well, pahdna, a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.
Such a nice couple.
Here’s a Star Wars flashback for you:
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
Caught about 5 minutes of Sen Durbin as he ripped on Alito. Good cites and discussions of workers rights being ruled against by Alito.
Kill shot – Alito voting against (but as dissent) against mine worker safety case. Federal mining laws don’t apply to surface mine facilities per Alito. Durbin brought up the WV mine accident and the Kentucky event yesterday.
Senator Brownback is comparing Roe to Plessy, basically making the point that Plessy was law for twice as long as Roe has been. And that it had many cases decided using Plessy as a precedent. And yet, Plessy was nevertheless overturned in Brown v. Topeka Board of Education. Ergo…stare decisis is not a good reason to uphold Roe.
Excuse me while I barf…no control over our bodies then, and none now. Thrills. The bastard is all but shouting where he comes down on choice–which is you don’t have one.
Oh, and you married gals–when you have a decision to make, be sure to ask your husbands nicely.
OK. Carry on with this theater of the absurd.
ACLU, he sounds like something’s caught in his throat.
Religious law – and religious displays – Brownback is leading Alito down the path of permitting religion being allowed on city properties…etc.
Religious displays are constitutionally permissable!!!
discussing religious displays on public property.
Notice that not one Democrat is willing to say “you will overturn Roe over my dead body”. They dance around it without ever coming out for Roe themselves.
Abortion rights have few friends in Congress.
—
I am reading Doris Kearns Goodwin’s new book on Lincoln — and the similarities between the U.S. before the Civil War and now are striking. Before the CW the pro-slavery forces dominated Congress. Furthermore, the Democrats (southern pro-slavery) worked to stack the Supreme Court in their favor. As a result, in 1856, when the Democrat Buchanan was inaugurated he stated that he would support whatever decision the Supreme Court held in the case it was about to announce (the infamous Dred Scott case). But he already knew the result as the Chief Justice had told him.
In the end, even though pro-slavery forces were a minority in the country, they effectively controlled the Congress, White House and the Supreme Court. Sound familiar?
Two years later Lincoln ran for Senator against Stephen Douglas. He won the popular vote, but because of the gerrymandering of districts in Illinois, the Democrats still won a slim majority of seats in the State House. Since Senators were still elected by the state representatives, Stephen Douglas won the seat and Lincoln had to content himself with the knowledge that he had won the popular vote.
In the meantime, while a majority of Americans where not pro-slavery, they were not abolitionists. As a result, the pro-slavery forces continually pressed their issues upon the rest of America, threatening secession, civil war, etc. Antislavery forces continually compromised with the vocal minority until in the end the south would not be placated any longer.
I fear that religious right will not be placated any longer. While we may be in the majority on such issues as abortion and civil rights, we are represented by politicians who act like they are in the minority. They will act on their convictions and as a result the forces of oppression roll on.
Sorry about the typos — spellcheck didn’t catch them. The last paragraph should read:
I fear that the religious right will not be placated any longer. While we may be in the majority on such issues as abortion and civil rights, we are represented by politicians who act like they are in the minority. They will not act on their convictions, and as a result, the forces of oppression roll on.
They’re the political and hell, often the familial descendants of the same cretins.
epiphany. They showed “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” this AM. It ended just as the hearings were beginning. I’d forgotten much of the eloquent, passionate idealism of the dialog in this great film about what our government can and should be.
Religious stuff in schools permissable as part of student submissions for class assignments on secular topics.
Religion down our throats…get ready folks
I’m not sure I disagree with allowing this, depending on how it’s done, of course.
For example, if it were a gradeschool art project where they had to sketch a picture of a person that they admired, and they drew Jesus blessing someone, I think that’s ok.
If, on the other hand, they drew one of the apostles with a speech-bubble saying ‘Muslims are going to hell’, then that would be beyond the pale.
It was more in tone and tenor of the discussion that separation is not required….
I could definitely see that. This is definitely a thin-line issue.
IIRC – the example (Jesus is someone I admire) is quite permissible. I think it’s part of the RW project to portray what is happening in public schools as OMG if a student even mentions out loud anything about their religious beliefs they will be slapped down. Isn’t that SO horrible and completely lacking in common sense and fairness? Now let’s force students to listen to the teacher telling them why Christianity is the only real religion. Assignment: How do YOU apply the teachings of Jesus to your daily life . . .
Good points.
Reminds me of when I took a classic civ course at U of M dealing with the creation myths. One of the young ladies in the class asked the professor why Genesis was included with the ‘myths’.
She wasn’t too happy with the answer.
and it is all just fine, even though a president ago you had better leave your messiah or lack of messiah at home no matter who he/she is. Used to be that when soldiers went to work they were a part of the United States. My husband doesn’t even own his own body fully right now and if he treats it badly he can be prosecuted for it. There used to be a separation of church and state that aided the cohesion of all soldiers that they so badly need when they face danger. They used to be Americans and soldiers FIRST! All this Christian bullshit has driven a wedge in between some soldiers now because Christians don’t have to leave it at home! Now it looks like none of us have to leave it at home, so let’s just have us some holy wars right here on American soil! There is a jackass at the post gate I use all the time who tells me to have a blessed day every time I drive though. I pretend he’s Buddhist and smile back with love. I had Enya on two days ago and we hit the gate at a big Soprano portion and he smiled back at me so lovingly, I know he thought I was listening to some Christian music. DUMBASS just because we are in the Bible belt doesn’t mean that I’m not wearing a leather belt!
The issue is the introduction of religion into the public sphere BY THE GOVERNMENT. Individuals can do as they please because they have rights (or at least, did have rights) protected by the Constitution.
So, for example, if given an assignment to write a paper on someone they admire, a student can write about Jesus if they so desire. If denied this right, the ACLU will gladly come to their defense.
The introduction of religion into politics and into the public discourse, however, is a corrosive development that is blatantly discriminatory because it immediately endorses one religion over another in clear violation of the Constitution. It is why cities are told not to put up Christians symbols at Christmas time.
You have the right, thanks to the Constitution, to worship as you please. But when government promotes religion because it believes religiosity is good for you, this crosses the line.
——–
The real issue here, however, is this: has the values of Americans changed so much that they no longer believe in the values and ideals enshrined in the Constitution? I believe they have.
While both sides of this debate claim to be supporting the Constitution, both sides cannot be right. One side must, by definition, be subverting the Constitution by advocating their positions. But just as both sides of a war claim that God is on their side, both sides of the abortion debate, the religion in government debate, and the like, claim that the Constitution is on their side.
We have reached a time when the values of liberals such as myself are wholly rejected by those who consider themselves conservative. This divide will not be easily breeched. As Lincoln said about slavery, we will either become all one thing, or all another, but the nation will not survive this ideological division.
life away it is a bit different…..and expression of your faith has been profoundly discouraged at work because it interferes with troop cohesion. It is a job and when they go to work they are supposed to “go to work for the United States of America” and soldiers didn’t dare take their Jesus to work until nutball Bush stole the election. True Blue in their blood soldiers will do anything to maintain cohesion and by God you ought to be around the old warhorses who are facing this Christian Revival atmosphere in the military……they ain’t happy Mofos right now. Sometimes I would even say that my husband is rabid because he sees all this religous shit as coming in between the soldiers, they have to respect each other as men first and foremost and when you hold a dying soldier in your arms you respect who he calls out to in his last moments because his beliefs are just as important as every other Americans. Worship is for when they are off work and if they don’t like it they don’t have to be soldiers for the United States of America, nobody forced them to do it. If they don’t like the rules they don’t need to sign!
Brownback….feeding full faith and credit clause on marriage recognition to Alito.
Exceptions to clause…challenge to defense of marriage would challenge scope of this clause.
But marriage is ‘traditional’.
Just a rule of procedure not a rule of law
Have to go out for a few minutes….
Oklahoma should be ashamed that they elected this Coburn loon. He’s nuts.
Actually, I think that is why they elected him.
(No offense to any Oklahomans intended…just saying the things that make him nuts are the reasons those who voted for him did so)
More to the point, how did he get himself appointed to the Judiciary Committee? He’s a “doctor,” I thought? (As terrifying as that is).
the fundies don’t want no stinking women lawyers on the committee. So Coburn it is.
Oh, that’s by design. He’s a reliable wingnut who is anti-choice, and the wingnuts in & out of the Senate wanted to make sure that they stacked this cmte w/ neanderthals.
There’s a reason why Snowe or Collins or Chafee aren’t there. They’d never be assigned.
Lucy out because she had a frontal lobe!
I would like to take this opportunity to personally apologize to the BooTrib community, all American women and workers, and to all believers in the values of the Enlightenment across the globe, for the presence of freakazoid Coburn in such a position of power.
Truly. So very, very sorry.
However, he wasn’t elected because he’s a nutcase. He was elected because his name appeared on the ballot with an (R) next to it. He just happens to be a raving lunatic. If you’d seen the Club For Growth ads, with their crude little cartoon Hillary and Teddy heads superimposed over the face of the anything-but-progressive Brad Carson, you’d understand.
A rabid armadillo in possession of the magic “(R)” would have won that election.
Actually, now that I think about it, I guess one did…
Just got in from a meeting — who is this nutcase who is talking? Coburn?
Yes, Coburn…
I’ll be the same person I was on the Court of Appeals. -Scalito
Well, there you have it.
Coburn wants to know why Alito wants to be a SC justice.
it is a small heart.
Listening to the questions, I was just wondering if there was another appeals judge who has a history of being in the minority on decisions than Alito has been.
His frequent membership in the miniority would suggest that he is waaaay out of the mainstream of judicial thinking.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I woke up this morning and the cable was out in my neighborhood. They just got it up. I sat on the couch listening to Coburn until a solid depression set in. The faux breast cancer study and the faux study from New Zealand about the long term disastrous health that abortion leads to. I did, I almost died having to listen to it alone.
it sucks when it gets to the end of the line and Brownback and Coburn go back to back.
Alito is trying to make himself sound more human by saying he can’t help but think of his parents/grandparents as immigrants when hearing an immagration case. Pleeeeeeeaaaaaase!
You have had such a hard life and overcome soooo much discrimination! Since you are so good at overcoming obstacles that people claim sets them way back perhaps you could take residence up in Fallujah and show all of them how to so easily overcome and succeed!
As a Princeton White Boy I had to do a double take on that title.
and you are white and I suspect you are a boy, sorry about that confusion Booman. It just blurted out when I was listening to him talk about how much he had overcome! Most of the world picks its supper out of the refuse and I have to listen to this crap?
No kidding, Boo Man?
So am I. Class of ’99
Let me tell you, Alito doesn’t stand for the Old Nassau I know.
Class of ’90. And I agree with MilitaryTracy.
Every time I watch a cofirmation hearing and they go into all the “obstacles” the nominee had to overcome, I think of the movie The Jerk and Steve Martin saying “I was born a poor black child…”
Its a busy day for me with lots of conference calls, so even thought I have computer access to the hearings, I can’t really listen. So keep up the blogging because I can read while I’m on these calls.
What’s the impression so far?
no democrat has spoken so not much of an impression so far.
been the best two loonytunes back to back!
Durbin was on first. And he did a good job, then it was all republicans all the time.
you’re right. Durbin is so boring I forgot.
Leahy is now up, calling Alito a liar (in so many words).
It looks like Bush’s defense in the NSA case is going to be that the FISA laws are unconstitutional because they illegally encroach on executive power, and it appears that he has Alito’s vote for that interpretation.
Alito keeps saying “President must follow law” except when the law is unconstitutional. Even if he signed the law.
Does the President have the authority to decide what is constitutional or not? (Not – that’s the role of the judiciary.)
He’s setting up Presidential power as, “I’m not going to follow the law because I – as the President – have decided it’s not constitutional.”
Leahy almost got him to address this, but backed off. Alito said, not if the judiciary has ruled. But Leahy didn’t ask – but what about in the meantime? (Can we torture until the courts tell us to stop?)
“the internet” as though it’s something to be stamped out.
“Live Blogging Alito” is an oxymoron. I’m watching the DULL and sinister Orin Hatch doing a major suck-up to the DULL and sinister Alito right now on Detroit PBS Newshour. There is nothing “live” about these hearings.
Free for about 1/2 an hour. Just caught the beginning of Kennedy — did he just call Alito out on giving unintelligable answers?
I’m usually against reading things into the record but I’m glad Kennedy is reading this CAP article into the record.
I hope the press can pick up on this. How can you belong to an organization that sends you publications with these types of articles — and NOT remember it.
I get lots of mail that I throw in the trash, unread.
You mean that if you intentionally joined a right wing group and they sent you material you would not know it’s contents?
Here is an interesting take on this group:
joining the organization. What I was referring to was the implication that he must have read every article that was ever sent to him.
No, but you might be drunk.
SORRY!! SORRY!!! Couldn’t resist 😀
Just got back from having lunch with my son. Since the nation is in danger lately Ted seems to be much more sober a lot more often. I wish I could soak my brain like he does and still be able think, my gray matter would be spongey if drank like he does.
if you can’t fucking REMEMBER anything about anything you wrote, an organization you joined or cases you ruled on, then HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU QUALIFIED TO BE ON SCOTUS?? Is it a club for alzheimers patients or for the “top” minds in the country??
Being a lawyer or a judge means by necessity that you have to have a memory like an iron lock. (hehe… lockbox…) How can you adjudicate the law if you can’t remember what it is??
I am sick and fucking tired of the “I can’t recall” excuse. It’s sickening and it’s unbelievable that it could be allowed to stand unchallenged. If I went to court and someone presented me with written proof of something and I just kept repeating “I don’t remember” the jury would totally not believe me… oh right, but Alito doesn’t believe in juries.
for Teddy baby. So he’s going to issue a “subpeaner” for those records!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/11/82244/3121
God I love Teddy
Specter needs a new mailman.
yeah, it’s GREAT to know that letters sent between members of congress are NOT guaranteed to get there… how’s that for national security for you?? Maybe it got redirected to the NSA? Or to terrorists?
Nice one Specter. These guys are just shameless.
At the recess Ted Kennedy introduced the response from Specter’s staff to his original request as well his response to their response into the record. If Specter didn’t get that stuff it seems that he has some issues to take up with his staff.
Specter’s body language was intense when Ted did that. He was PISSED!. Tough shit asshole. Good going Ted!
Ted is speaking at the break. He says that he had requested that the CAP material be supboenaed back in December and that Specter’s staff wrote him that the request had been reviewed and denied. Kennedy then renewed the request in response and in writing.
Kennedy says it is amazing that he can remember every detail of his 67 dissents, but can’t remember a thing about CAP.
I hope Kennedy and the other Dems force a vote on this issue. Why do the Republicans oppose producing this issue that goes to the heart of Alito’s credibility and truthfullness.
Alito has claimed that he thinks he joined CAP (he really can’t recall) because they were opposed to ROTC being banned from campus, but by the time Alito joined CAP ROTC was already back on campus.
According to Teddy at the lunch press conference, Spector’s staff rejected the initial request and Teddy responded that that decision was a mistake. Teddy’s point is that if Alito is so proud of his association in CAP, why not get these documents? What is there to hide?
Alito “has wracked his brain” and “can’t remember any involvement” with CAP? WTF?
But I’ll bet he remembers how he was coached to respond to questions on CAP during his practice runs: “CAP? What’s CAP?”
What the hell was that football analogy just now? It was all over the place. Alito’s the QB? People trying to tackle him? Having hail mary’s thrown _at_ him? Wha?!? And that he’ll have to endure it for just a bit longer as this asswipe kisses his ass for 20 minutes?
well fer sure, everybody knows that in a football game the QB is the one RECEIVING the Hail Mary pass. Morons.
This would be a good time for Jerome Bettis to run into the room and say ‘I think you’re taking the football analogies a bit too far’. A la the FedEx commercials…
that was my first reaction. and then he took it to having a hail mary thrown at him, that was just odd.
“no matter if you agree with me or not, they’re not going to shake my will. We’re doing the right thing in Iraq.”
Yup, King George has spoken. Who cares what you think, or the Iraqis think.
After listening to this, comment on my just posted diary, please.
Biden: Worst. Questioner. Ever.
Or how much this means, but I thought it was interesting to see any Republican group say no to Alito.
and smart entrepreunerial types will make a fortune selling RU486 in the South to terrified teenagers who it may or may not work for and god help us when those children are born. We’ll have to find some out of the way orphanages again for all these kids to live at where they will be hidden from our sight!
Just got back in the office — you guys aren’t very informative. Where’s the details? I may have to go read Armando!
will be made available. Lots of tears from Specter about the swingfest…..no wonder Republicans aren’t in my family. A bunch of bawlbabies like that would never survive us.
will not insist on equal opportunity for the disabled.
new thread up.