zed

christy, please excuse the early OT, just want to make sure folks know that rice is now testifying before the house armed services committee (c-span3).

Still love this vid posted on a First Monday thread that vividly portrays the Activist Judge Canard.

Thanks!

I kind of like her “re-activist judges” branding, but I’m not married to it. Suggestions?

Leave out the hyphen. Also, impeach those who lie during their confirmations.

Christy,

Thanks for reminding us of the importance of the Supreme Court while people are focusing on their favorite candidate. I can’t help thinking that much of what Bush has done will be tried in the Supreme Court during the next administration and that new appointments will be of the highest level of importance.

Regarding Gonzo, maybe he just couldn’t recall sending out all those job applicaitons.

Hi Christy. Terrific post. Keep pounding on em.

Dishonest, divisive, intrusive, overriding, biased, skewed, crusading, agenda-pushing,
noneoftheabove? There’s gotta be something.

the “conservative” brand needs a new name, and I kind of like her “re-activist judges” branding, but I’m not married to it. Suggestions?

Fascist would be more accurate but in this country the media and political establishment have a great reluctance to call the Right what it is.

warped?

Thanx for the heads up, selise. Looks like a triple header- Rice, Gates, & Mullen. Big fun. Or not.

Isn’t the HJC hearing testimony from Glenn Fine today as well?

How about Unprecedenting Judges?

Isn’t the HJC hearing testimony from Glenn Fine today as well?

yes, this afternoon. i posted info on 3 of today’s hearings in an earlier thread (or click my name if you want the complete list for the week).

chairman of the joint chiefs of staff mullen is up now.

OT: Per Wil Bunch, Obama would consider prosecuting Bushies: http://www.philly.com/philly/b.....rture.html

IOKIYAR? It’s OK if you are reactionary.

selise. thanks much for keeping track and helping us do so more easily ;->

Considering the current “elitist” discussion, so to speak, and the comments about judges, it is time to dust off the old quote from Sen. Roman Hruska when Nixon nominated Haynesworth and Carswell to the Supreme Court. Regarding Carswell, the Nebraska senator said —

In defense against charges that Carswell was “mediocre”, U.S. Senator Roman Hruska stated, “Even if he is mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren’t they, and a little chance?”

(I guess we’ve exceeded that with a President, where “mediocre” might have been acceptable.)

Forgot my manners- Good morning, Christy, & thanks for the excellent post.

Fredo having trouble finding a law firm that wants him on the roles? Has he tried over @ Wolfram & Hart, they used to always be looking for new talent /s/

Summer is just around the corner. Mr. Gonzales should mow lawns until something better comes along.

gonna betcha he couldn’t mow a straight line if ‘is life depended on it./s

Oh yes, the Supreme Court DOES matter. This was my primary objection to Bush back in 2000.

Christy, did you see the op-ed in the WAPOO today scolding the Democrats in the Senate for not approving Bush’s judges for the lower courts? They all deserve an up or down vote, dontcha know.

I had heard about AG, and I do believe in karma. I also know that sometimes it takes it its own sweet time to ramp up (the karma that is). I await (anxiously) the fulfillment of the rest of its assigned tasks, and I hope I am here to see some of it. There is much needs to be done.

Yeah — Fred Hiatt can kiss my…

Here’s the thing about Abu G. Like just about every toady Bush collected, he was used and tossed out like an old banana skin. I’m not sorry for him; he got what he paid for, but you’d think other people would wisen up to the gig.

Justices Scalia, Roberts and Thomas are academic politicians. It is a source of consternation to me how unimaginative and uncreative a schematic the USA has developed for appellate judges. Go to a top ten law school (by taking speed tests well and doing well in college), get on law review, clerk for a circuit appellate judge, then try to go to the Supreme Court clerkship, then go to a government job, maybe a big law firm, really same difference. Make no waves. Make no waves. Make no waves. Be a politician.

Remember Earl Warren, an experienced trial and criminal attorney appointed by Eisenhower. Warren knew how criminal defendants got it, especially poor ones. He did the right thing and acted as a judge when he got the chance, all based on his EXPERIENCE. Scalia does not have any experience worth a damn, same for Thomas and Roberts. These guys are so mediocre in every way, actually. They really live lives avoiding risk at every turn.

grits?

Lipstick on a pig from Condi,Gates, and Mullen?

Things are going well, civilian contractors work better, we are sending accountants to Baghdad, and State Department just fine…

Condi doesn’t know her head from her rear and will go down as the least effective NSC and Secretary of State. Chief enabler.

Gonzo’s just looking for temp work until the Bush Amusement Park / Library opens for business. He’ll be a tour guide there.

Oh, the karma: look who is having difficulty finding a job after obfuscating and dodging for a living to provide Bush WHCYA? Guess “expert at saying ‘I don’t recall, Senator.’ ” isn’t exactly in high demand these days, eh?

Local wag provides his take on same:

Maybe former A.G. Gonzales could get a job being paid by the hour to keep his mouth shut

Borrowing from Nixon, when a Conservative Justice does it, that means that it’s not activist.

CHS, sell tickets. You could raise big bucks, you could then donate to the cause of your choice.

I’d pay to see it.

I’d pay double if he kissed Jane’s too.

Condi will go down as the least effective NSC and Secretary of State.

Condi is a perfect match for the worst President ever.

OK, I think I get the difference. Liberal “activist judges” want to “legislate from the bench”.

This is different from Conservative re-activist judges who simply want to enact all of the laws the founding fathers MEANT to put into the constitution but never got around to actually writing down or verbalizing.

You must be this honest to get on this ride.

-G

I remember a similar report was released (same group maybe?) just before the 04 Selection. Only heard it covered on Air America, community radio, some blogs, etc, yet nary a mention in Conglomerate Media. Yet, BigMedia allowed a parade of pundits to repeat constantly the “Liberal activist judge” nonsense. In fact, just had a conversation yesterday with a business colleague where he was convinced that Liberal judges are destroying the Constitution. So weird considering how smart and together the guy is otherwise. (He said he was gonna check out FDL…we’ll see…)

Just shows how important it is to control the message on a mass scale. We must increase our audience share in the New Media, and continue to wrest control of the message from BigMedia.

Gonzo’s just looking for temp work until the Bush Amusement Park / Library opens for business. He’ll be a tour guide there.

Would he be able to remember his way around?

Somehow, I think Fred and L’il Debbie would prefer to avoid Jane and I. *g*

“legislation from the bench” is a rediculous term in the first place

the very purose of the bench is to decide if a law is or is not valid.

you cannot say a law is not valid unless you are legislating as a judge, you cannot even say a law is valid unless you are legislating from your position on the bench

Christy -

did ya see this yesterday ? - Guam drops Greenberg Traurig Indictment

Mornin’ All

Ahhhh — Greenberg settled, did they? Good move on their part…

If we take care of business in November, much of this will sort itself out.

As Mr. Dooley noted long ago, “Th’ Supreme Coort follows the iliction returns.”

Of course, as Mr. Dooley also noted it isn’t helpful when ” th’ dimmycratic party ain’t on speaking terms with itsilf.”

this is just a pic to lift your spirits…its so cute

http://img505.imageshack.us/im.....checr4.jpg

Yeah, and what do we call the conservatives who praise the free market but love them some government handouts when they can get them, and stomp their little feet when they don’t?

On Dan Abrams’ new show Verdict, Dan covered the Obama Bitters. Dan said that much hay is being made on the story on account of no other news to report.

first time in my life,im frightened of my government

you must be pretty young

hahahahahahahaa,thats a lawyer? what a dolt!

They are called “Republics”.

“welfare queens”?

Wow. Let me see. If I have the choice between parsing what Obama meant by the word “bitter” and reporting that the President of the United States admitted that he not only knew that torture was being discussed by the Gang of xxx(the number keeps changing, I know), but that he ‘approved’ it, which one would I choose. Jeeze, it’s just too hard.

im not,but ive always felt,there were SOME reasonable people at thehelm….if you could name 1 in this administration,id like to know it,add in the corrupt corporate media

Do yourself a favor and go read this from TBogg. But put down all liquids before clicking…you have been warned.

Fitz

I read the quote, it a non promise promise, like his non promise to go to public campaign finance in the general election. It aspirational rather than concrete. I found this quote from Obama more interesting

You know, I often get questions about impeachment at town hall meetings and I’ve said that is not something I think would be fruitful to pursue because I think that impeachment is something that should be reserved for exceptional circumstances. Now, if I found out that there were high officials who knowingly, consciously broke existing laws, engaged in coverups of those crimes with knowledge forefront, then I think a basic principle of our Constitution is nobody above the law — and I think that’s roughly how I would look at it.

[emphasis mine]

If we don’t have exceptional circumstance right now, I cannot imagine what would qualify in his mind.

Nope, I don’t see much help there. Read the entire quote from Obama in the article, it promise nothing.

Lieberdouche.

-G

Or just Repubes.

I like the queens part. How bout welfare toddlers? Because they throw tantrums….

There are those that reap the benefits directly and those that work in Media whom are paid to push that deceitful agenda. Pigs at the Trough and Media Whores.

Then, there are white bread Republican voters who hug their guns, and bibles and hate all immigrants except their own great-grandparents.

Hi Raven.

was thinkin somethin along those lines here too…

way back when, i thot we’d learned our lesson.

naive then. guilty as charged. never. trust. again.

Hey Abu !

these folks are always hiring and Paraguay is in the mix :D

Dear Abu:

I know of a firm here in Indianapolis looking for an administrative assistant. Requirements include a High School diploma and two years’ experience in the legal field.

Maybe they’ll let you slide on the legal experience requirement.

Agreed. I guess the only consolation we have is that he hasn’t taken it off the table.

I wonder, though, if part of the problem is that Pelosi and the House have handicapped the candidates here - if it were bad, why didn’t they start the investigation? They have the power.

I also hope (futile and vain though it might be) that he’s playing this close to the chest so as to not give ammunition to the Might Wurlitzer or anyone else who’d take anything he said concrete in this arena and tie it to his terrorist name and create a huge distraction that hampers his ability to do anything, including getting elected. I don’t think his first act after taking the oath of office will be to declassify the Bush garbage and appoint a SP to investigate, but I can always hope.

Gotta play the politics to get to the point where he can really do something.

goodgawd. can we start the poo-throwing yet? or is it too late…

depends on the target for sure. FORE!

I’m not especially afraid but I don’t misunderestimate anything. 38 years ago next week, “We’re finally on our own”.

I’m ready

Ouch.

Actually, I think the leadership in both houses has been handicapped on this by the sentiment of the majority of the members. It’s convenient to put the onus on this on the top, but that sentiment, from what I know of it, comes from a number of levels at once — not just the leadership. And not putting the blame on the bulk of the caucus who said “nuh uh” isn’t a fair reading of how things have worked with this. Just my two cents, but the Blue Dogs and a large number of other “moderates” ought to be asked why, exactly, they find their constitutional duty so distasteful that it is avoided altogether.

i think i get it all right, Raven. no. it’s different from fear. deeper. angrier. at least in this house.

Don’t let it eat you up. . .

Israel and Iran are ramping up the rhetoric.

Damn, the Middle East is so much safer since the Bush/neo-con strategy was implemented.

-G

Christy - every time one of these new items comes up(the latest being Bush’s admitting that he approved torture), I write Nancy, my rep, Hillary and Chuck letters saying, “May the American People have their Impeachment, NOW? No responses to those letters yet.

Good morning, Christy.

‘That’ was an eye-full …

Perhaps sunglasses should be prohibited at beaches, I mean who knows what goes on behind those things …

The fact that he is not going to public campaign financing in the general, after making a much stronger non promise promise o that issue, tells me this is just pandering.

For me, he is all about aspirational talk and “we’ll look into that and come a decision” and not very concrete. One of the few things he has allowed himself to be pinned down on , is that his health care plan is NOT universal.

So, basically, I don’t actually know where he stands on a lot of things (including bringing the troops home-when , how many) and the few concrete things I do know about like universal health care and public financing of campaigns–I disagree with him on.

I don’t need castles in the air, I need concrete proposals that I can sink my teeth into. I don’t need hope, I will supply my own hope thank you very much, I need an actual plan

You cannot open the mail when all of your time is devoted to keeping impeachment off the table.

do you think that taking impeachment off the table at the start was not a leadership decision?

…. the thing that makes me especially angry at the leadership is the way they attempt to keep the progressive wing of the congress in check while using the blue dogs as an excuse.

I could not agree more. Though I never hesitate to vent at pelosi, if she were the only Dem in the House holding her misguided view, she would not be able to keep impeachment off the table.

Every dem candidate ought to be hammered on impeachment at ever campaign appearance, we should be asking the question over and over

Just another example of ace Sec’y of State Condi in action.

If we had the courage of impeachment, we’d be talking about ‘former justice’ X, Y, Z (fill in the blank), whose presence on the bench represents a misdemeanor …

From what I’ve heard, there was a lot of discussion among the entire caucus, not just a top down imposition from the leadership. So, no, I don’t think it was just from the top…not at all.

Which is why every time someone blames only the leadership, I say that the blame shouldn’t just go on them. It’s awfully convenient for the folks in the caucus who were too skittish to do the work on this to have the leadership get the blame, though, isn’t it? Which always leads me to wonder if there wasn’t a bit of Rahm’s hand in the mix pushing all of this — with his long-term desire for the Speaker’s chair always looming int he background in any analysis of what’s going on behind the scenes for me, it always makes me wonder what’s in it for him, ya know?

But I haven’t been able to dig up anything concrete on that particular issue, so it’s still a surmise and not an absolute…

re-activist judges = (John Roberts and) the “stare-decisis destroyers”

(apologies to George Thorogood)

LHP - I’d love one of these folks to just say, “Listen, right now, this country is in one hell of a mess; we’ve got a president who approved torture, a vice president who thinks that his opinion on everything is the one that matters, a DOJ that is filled with shills and panderers, a bunch of people in senior positions in government who are either incompetant, malevolent or both, and a Supreme Court that no one trusts to mete out justice. I think we need to throw some sunlight on all of this.”

In addition to the importance of the Supreme Court, Bushie has stacked all of the federal courts in his favor/world view. I can hardly fathom the overhaul that needs to take place in this government. Just as the Repugs plotted their destruction of our justice system and constitution over many years, we must plot the long haul back to democracy.

Yes, it’s true the Repugnant judges are the activist judges. It’s also time for us to claim the truth of this in our public discourse.

Have a great day all and keep the sun shining through..

i dont believe he has the power to change much though,not a principal,but thanks,he was a source of inspiration,durimng the Scootie affair

if she were the only Dem in the House holding her misguided view, she would not be able to keep impeahment off hte table.

i think this is fair. hold her responsible for her own positions, but not the positions of others.

To impeach a justice, you have to show a substantial proof of misconduct. While I may not agree with reasoning from a number of folks in any given case, I have not seen evidence of criminal misconduct or other problems which would warrant impeachment. Sorry, just don’t see it…

I think I’m o.k. Same back at ya.

Silly thing. Even given all the horrible carnage these last several years, the worst moment for me this time ’round was when the Miami Dade Board of Elections office was stormed and the recount stopped by DeeLay’s henchmen - AND - NO ONE lifted a finger…

we’re in deep trubble, and i don’t see it being fixed in my lifetime. or maybe in that of our kids either.

so… we work… we do what we can… we hug eachother… we “pay forward” with a bit of kindness to strangers, in hopes it will catch on just a little…

P E A C E

here. have a bite of delicious pheasant. just a little chewy, but quite tasty. ;->

That is a good reminder. I’ve tended to focus on leadership rather than the Blue Dogs.

Ding Ding Ding I think we have winner in Christy’s re-branding contest (though since it’s her contest, Christy is the actual judge)

Stare decisis destroyers

That has a really nice sound bite quality and is really pithy.

I like it!

you know me, always Pollyana

OT well, shite…..i’m shaking from adrenaline.

i just got on the diane rehm show, about mccain’s fec violation, made some good points, got good responses, after a few pauses, which is good, but then there were too many points to make, got frustrated and angry, talked too fast and don’t know what the hell i said toward the end.

i did get jane’s filing of her complaint in there, and the 32,000 cosignators……..

and said there were four documents involved, the two fec letters to mccain, one from mccain to fec, and the loan agreement, what’s so hard about that?

they also didn’t mention the dnc court case, which i did…….

someone brought up obama’s funding pledge like he violated something, i brought up how mccain actually signed the papers.

said they keep getting lost in the weeds and not sticking to the facts…….

mary from the wsj said he ’reached’ his funding cap, i pointed out that wasn’t factual, he ’exceeded’ it, big difference. that’s another violation.

also brought up how quickly we came up with quotes from mccain that directly contradicted what he is doing now………

but i think i made an ass of myself, oh well, my shots may not have hit the target cuz of it, but at least i fired on the enemy. the enemy? people not using facts. propoganda.

geeeeeeeeesh…….

i also brought up at the beginning of the call how i sent her the detailed information about the fec violation at the end of march and the beginning of april. and hadn’t heard any of it mentioned in the press, so, that is why i was calling.

in writing all of this, i guess i did get a lot in on that call after all, i feel better.

thanks fdl. and cboldt for linking me to the docs at the end of march.

bbl

Seems like the problem stems from a lack of explanation for the decision.

OT this via TPM

The environmental group Greenpeace was the subject of intense, intrusive attention from a private security firm during the late 1990s, according to documents attained by Mother Jones. Beckett Brown International, made of former Secret Service and police officers focused their surveillance and infiltration techniques on environmental groups for clients like Allied Waste, the Carlyle Group and Monsanto, among others. (Mother Jones)

Private enterprise acting like good corporate citizens, so there you cynics!

Dammit, you just made me spew my coffee… *g*

My bad

heh.

Fitz indeed!

Waxman and Conyers.

Sherrod Brown

From what I’ve heard, there was a lot of discussion among the entire caucus, not just a top down imposition from the leadership.

i know you are probably not in a position to tell us, where your info comes from (if you can, great, but i’m not expecting it).

… so please understand, that it’s not you i don’t trust (i trust you!) - it’s your sources i don’t trust. i don’t know them, i don’t know who they are and i’ve just seen too much spin, dissembling, and out right lying from this congress.

I have had conversations with multiple Congress critters who have said just that. Including Jerry Nadler, Caroline McCarthy, hell, that’s the gist of what Sheldon Whitehouse was saying on Saturday (coverage of his speech at 5 AM FDL time tomorrow) though he was more focused on DOJ.

I think quite a few of them think that, just not enough (in #s) or strongly enough ot buck their colleagues who disagree.

would that be conflict of interest when one should recuse?

I think there are political reasons to not explain it in detail — or at least, they think there are. But I haven’t been able to parse together a decent enough explanation to satisfy myself on what happened, and I’ve talked to a lot of people trying to find out the exact details. So, no, adequate is not remotely what I’d use as a word to characterize what may or may not have happened as has been described with it…not even close.

WOO HOO! Congrats!

John Duncan (Jerk-TN) just claimed that US Environmental Groups are receiving multi-million Dollar donations from OPEC and other foreign energy interests to prevent US energy companies from exploiting domestic energy sources and further the dastardly tree huggers are “Failing to disclose these gifts”. These groups of “Environmental Radicals” are composed of wealthy elites who don’t care that they are hurting average Americans, working men & women. In fact, Environmentalists are “Gleeful” that oil is at $112 per BBL.

imo…why its OFF the table

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200.....nvestments

I think, if I remember correctly, that Nadler said that outright when he was on for his Blue America chat ages ago as well. And I’ve heard that any number of times from others as well — several of whom have told me that they are not guessing on the numbers, but know it for a fact, although they’ve never been willing to share the numbers outright. (Even though I’m always still asking for them. *g*)

“g”

wOO hOO!

Way to go!

According to the report, presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain did not report any defense-related holdings on their filings; Hillary Rodham Clinton did note holdings in such companies as Honeywell, Boeing and Raytheon, but sold the stock in May 2007. All candidates three are members of the Senate.

Yes, the entire Democratic caucus bears responsibility for not acting on impeachment, but this in no way absolves Pelosi for taking impeachment off the table. That is a statement she did not need to make but made anyway.

Thanks for doing that. From your description it sounds like you did fine. Adrenaline is messy stuff, though, isn’t it?

BUY low….sell HIGH

dmac, thanx for that les paul link, I love his interviews and that made my day

No one said anything about absolution, did they?

dmac - you rock. it’s easy to do what you did. thank you!

Hill was invested in defense contractors,and voted for chimp,to do as he damned well pleased

(((dmac))) - a big phat Good On Ya!

You know, we owned some stock in Halliburton at one point in a mutual fund (which, when I found out about it, I made us sell). Does that make me a sell-out to the military industrial complex man, too? Because I didn’t know it was part of the mutual fund until we got our stock report and I took a look at individual stocks in it — and I have no idea how long it was part of the mix, but I do know that we got a decent return on it — and that the person advising us on investments wasn’t looking at politics but more at numbers when they put our money into it in the first place.

It’s quite easy to second guess investments from the outside looking in with hindsight — but it’s awfully easy to get into a mutual fund mix that you don’t know all the details on, especially if someone else is helping you to manage a portfolio and you have a lot of other stuff on your plate…

i wonder if Dan thinks this is news

Car Bombs Kill Nearly 60 People in Iraq, Breaking Recent Lull in Violence

KIM GAMEL
AP News

Apr 15, 2008 09:18 EST

Car bombs ripped through crowded areas in Baghdad and former insurgent strongholds to the north and west of the capital on Tuesday, killing nearly 60 people and breaking a recent lull in violence in the predominantly Sunni areas.

The attacks were a deadly reminder of the threat posed by suspected Sunni insurgents even as clashes between Shiite militia fighters and U.S.-Iraqi forces continued elsewhere.

The first blast Tuesday occurred in Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, when a car parked in front of a restaurant exploded just before noon across the street from the central courthouse and other government offices.

Many of the victims were people visiting the government offices, petition writers helping people with documents in stalls outside or the occupants of cars that were caught in the explosion as they passed through the area, witnesses said. Several cars and minibuses were set ablaze, while more than 10 shops and the restaurant were heavily damaged.

One survivor described a huge fire that sent black smoke billowing into the sky and left charred bodies inside their cars.

*Thumbs Up* dmac!

thanks, i was nervous as hell……couldn’t even follow my notes, didn’t write them out, so couldn’t remember my phrasing, which is why i went ’south’ on vacation at the end.

i write letters all of the time, all over, some of them are read on the air, and sometimes i get letters back and i call in to shows around here, with good repoir even when it’s a tense subject, but this is the first time it was national on the phone. and my nerves got the best of me, dammit.

i interrupted the commenters cuz they were still twistin’ the truth, and got frustrated, you should never do that…..oh well……but after i wrote the comment up thread, i realized i did get in a few, and even if i sounded like a ’bat’ the truth still rings true, even if from a crazy person.

but i figured my job was done when i got jane’s fec filing on the air, and the four documents-figured a lot of people will bite off looking up those realizing it’s not that hard, so, anything else was extra.

and realized that it was the end of the show and she did give it a few minutes even though it was at the end, not much time at the end to say goodbye to her guests, so, yeah, i guess it WAS good!!!!!!!!

ok, i feel better, thanks.

(but i was a crazed ass at the end, i’ll have to practice by DOING IT MORE!!!)

lol

is no one going to ask rice about the torture planning meetings while they have her under oath?

Great job — it’s impossible to cover every point during a live discussion. (Been there, lived that!) But it’s fabulous that you did it — kudos!

Freedom is untidy you know.

-G

well,yes and no…one should know,their investments,and what they profit from,especially if you are a lawmaker supporting the spending that is making you rich…imo

Is lying in the confirmation hearings, as that AFJ vid highlights, an impeachable offense for a Justice?

anytime perris, you know i love making your day, you make mine so often, never forgot your kindness when i first dove into the lake waters.

((((perris))))

Ab-so-effin-lutely. Pelosi made that statement when the republicans were intimating that she’d run impeachment hearings as a road to power. She’s a wimp of the first order.

just wish The Speaker hadn’t said it even if she had no stomach or intention for it -

kinda like leaving your teenagers in charge while you take a long week end off -

“Dad and I will be back Monday night, here’s the credit cards, the car and gunsafe keys, combination to the safe and the liquor cabinet’s been restocked”

and ps…the meme on Hillary is…she is so smart,and experienced,so i believe she knew her stock portfolio,smart enuf to dump em in LATE 2007

sounds to me like you had a ball dmac, and it gets easier and you get better every time you do it

this is great stuff

60 more creamated before their time …oy

oh and you all can listen to the show and see why i HAD to call in…………..and how many points there were to be made in a minute in one call, my brain was reeling.

and i sound better in person, really.

i even used improper english, sounded like a hick.

they had me so frustrated and pissed i resorted to bully talk, not my style……

next time i’ll be more zen……

I found this quote from that link on Posner interesting:

The way I approach a case as a judge–maybe you think it heresy–is first to ask myself what would be a reasonable, sensible result, as a lay person would understand it, and then, having answered that question, to ask whether that result is blocked by clear constitutional or statutory text, governing precedent, or any other conventional limitation on judicial discretion.

Which, if you combine it with Einstein’s famous quote about common sense, means that Posner goes with his prejudices as long as the law doesn’t stand directly in his way.

If we leave Iraq there will be violence.

One of my favorite illogical talking points.

-G

i wonder how many have stock in…EXXON,MOBIL,CHEVRON? the ceo of chevron was on Newshour last night….LYING his bloated ass off…shamefull

we mobolized in 3 effing weeks to go in there
!@#$%^&@#$%^&*I(@#$%^&*argh….it will take yeras to get out

ambassador Wilson told us we are actually going to have to fight our way out at that

I agree that it would be nice. It also seems unlikely that it’s going to happen. I can’t recall any of the serious candidates for President making a statement even remotely like this.

its so very ugly Saigon redux…..we sprinted in,and withdrawl will be excrutiating

didja see this

Rahm Emmanuel on those lazy Iraqis:

“We’ve put about $45 billion into Iraq’s reconstruction . . . and they have not spent their own resources…They have got to have some skin in the game.”

In the wake of Petraeus hearing, I’m quickly despairing that the Democrats’ newest line on Iraq is: blame the wogs. I mean, really.

Unless it’s a ‘rout’ when w hafta get ‘out’ …

The most irritating thing about it — beyond the constitutional implications — is that it was so reactionary to GOP blahbity-blah and didn’t take any sort of long-term strategy or position of strength response into account when it was said. It needn’t have been said at all. But there was, as I recall, a lot of pressure coming from the DCCC and from individual candidates to ease off the pressure from the GOP on that talking point for the various congressional races.

We have got to stop being so piecemeal in how we make response decisions and look at things from a more long-term strategic whole. But you guys already know that. Would that the “consultant classes” and “professional politicians” would wise up. SIGH

yea count me as BITTER …So?

It’s awfully hard to avoid owning some stock in ExxonMobil or Chevron if you own mutual funds. On the other hand, if you own shares in any of these companies (outside of mutual funds) you can vote in a responsible way - try to force them to be more environmentally responsible, have more equitable executive compensation, etc. If enough progressives owned small amounts of stocks in these companies, just think the direction they could be pushed in.

Dead bodies are not “skin” in republican fantasyland… where space is rented by Rahm on a monthly basis.

we sprinted in,and withdrawl will be excrutiating

and no one from the Bush family was willing to serve. They are similar wars.

I don’t understand why. What are they afraid of — Cheney is only going to say, “So???”

no we must win/

Yay dmac!!!!

Good for you, dmac. I suspect people capable of listening heard what you were trying to get across. Calling them on the things they get wrong is a good place to start.

Rahm Emmanuel on those lazy Iraqis:

“We’ve put about $45 billion into Iraq’s reconstruction . . . and they have not spent their own resources…They have got to have some skin in the game.”

Wow. I’d say they have some skin in the game. Especially the ones who are being burned to death in these bombings. Getting their skin burned off, that is.

My other favorite is, “Saddam killed over 400,000 of his own people. He was a bad man who needed to go!”

Yeah, he was a bad man who was propped up by Nixon Era toadies like Rumsfeld and Cheney and he killed 400,000 Iraqis in over twenty years of internal conflict. No doubt. An over simplification of math pegs that around 20,000 deaths a year. A bad guy, absolutely no doubt.

Now, how many Iraqi’s have been killed since Bush’s war started in 2003? 600,000? 1,000,000? 1.5 mil? I don’t know, no one does.

Let’s take the low end and say 600,000 in 5 years; that’s 30,000 dead folks a year, thanks to Bush.

If the logic is formed around “most Iraqi deaths = most evil person” wouldn’t George Bush win?

If the intent is to stay until we “win” why not just define the terms this way, George wins, the troups can go home and fewer Iraqis will probably die as a result.

Would that the “consultant classes” and “professional politicians” would wise up

Well said, but I’d change that “wise up” to “Shut Up“. We’ve heard enough of their “advice” to last a lifetime.

They won’t hire Lyndie England

Per everyone above, great job.

I don’t understand it, either. I’m just going on what I can see happening on this issue, which isn’t much.

im old,im so old,i remember when GM was developing green cars….and then,not too long ago oil was 10$ dollars a barrel…its dirty money,for evryone but the rich are suffering

yea its all Sushi to him

In the wake of Petraeus hearing, I’m quickly despairing that the Democrats’ newest line on Iraq is: blame the wogs. I mean, really.

that is amazing, here we are, occupying their country, pillaging their resources and assets, we are actually torturing their citizens and this maggot says they have no skin in the game

does he think that maybe, just maybe IF we protected the infrastructure they would have more of their “skin” in the game?

no SHIIIITE!

Back when a dollar was still worth a dollar. Now, the dollar should have the portrait of George W. Bush on it.

he is another tiny little man/MONSTER….ugh

it really didnt take long for this fiasco to explode

That’s a 50% increase! Does it mean Bush is 50% worse than Saddam?

and Obama is an elitist
Bwahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Posted that recipe for the lemon macaroon cookies for you under lln.
Bom dia, pups

Well, you nailed it, Saigon redux, plus the supply routes & their sundry exits per all models I’ve seen that are run outside the main BushCo crapfest.

Off to work finally. Read all you good folks later.

Alfred E. Newman is more like it. Anyway he is better looking than Bush.

When thinking of the current republican party, it’s useful to remember that they have succeeded in destroying not just one economy (Iraqs) but two (ours as well) all in less than eight years. When Preznit Dick Head got an M.B.A maybe Harvard actually gave him (sor of) one… a Master of Bad Administration.

Hey, if the foo shits…

CHS, late in response, actually had to work.

I understand your frustration with all the “blame” falling on the leadership, but her emphatic statement that impeachment was off the table, as you say, didn’t have to be said. I don’t care if she was giving cover to the blue dogs, etc. She could have not brought it up without stating that.

Because she shut that door, hard, and locked it, and getting it back open is pretty much impossible now, even if I believe your reports that the caucus doesn’t want it open. The term “co conspirators” comes to mind, because their votes make them complicit.

LHP - Obama and hope obviously touched a nerve with you, sorry about that. I wasn’t talking about his stump speech hope - I was talking about the hope that we all have to have that this election will make a difference, regardless of who gets in (I referred to both Clinton and Obama in my post) that there will be some justice. I get reassurance about dismantling the unitary executive from no one. I have to hope that it is politics preventing that reassurance from happening, and to be honest, that hope isn’t very strong, based on the little done by our razor thin minority in Congress right now. Please feel free, however, to point me to the specific statement by ANY of the candidates that the unitary executive is going away in their WH, because I haven’t seen it. Maybe I’m not looking in the right place.

Wow. Who woulda thought Lyndie England and Abu Gonzales in the same boat together. To quote Condi….”We could not have imagined…..”

Maybe they could both go on Dancing With the Stars? Or a disgraced people version of Survivor?

Let’s take the low end and say 600,000 in 5 years; that’s 30,000 dead folks a year, thanks to Bush.

If the logic is formed around “most Iraqi deaths = most evil person” wouldn’t George Bush win?

If the intent is to stay until we “win” why not just define the terms this way, George wins, the troups can go home and fewer Iraqis will probably die as a result.

I flipped the numerator and the denomenator; if 600,000 Iraqis have died as a result of Bush’s war in 5 years, that’s 120,000 PER YEAR ON AVERAGE!

Que es mas macho EVIL?

here ya go

Survivor: Grenada

The shadow cast by these moral giants resembles that of a period on a piece of paper, perhaps the Yoo memo.

I like that. A lot.

At the same time, their slime covers everything …

… OT from the house armed services committee hearing.

at first, it was just rice that made me want to scream.
then it was congress not asking her about her role in the torture planning meetings.
and now it’s how even the dems are sucking up to her. wtf?

my head is going to explode. i’m not sure i can watch anymore of this. is there no one this committee who will speak up? make some news about the torture regime? maybe even learn something? use some of that famous “sunlight” our congress critters claim to like?

i will libations,or mind numbing drugs,if i think about,their smug words,and mighty evil

umm see didn’t I ask whether there would be disappointment? I have been watching and just shaking my head. I don’t even see the point of these hearings if they aren’t going to ask poignant questions or take her to task for what this administration has wrought in our names.

and their MULTI MILLION DOLLAR BANAL cheerleaders like,BOBO,and Will,and billionaire Freidman,ok mebbe a rolling rock would be good for lunnch”g”

I checked my math (which I rarely do whilst rambling), it’s actually 120k deaths per year. That’s an average increase of 6 TIMES.

Now, I do think it is callous and foolish to try and describe something as horrible as war and human suffering in terms of mean, average and standard deviation; but that’s what the conservative mentality is towards the over arching canard of “winning.” This is a horrible quagmire that simply cannot be won by any rational accounting. The idiocy is shown by using the conservative talking points (Saddam killed 400,000, therefore bad) and showing what idiotic logic one needs to engage in to even begin buying off on that crap!

It disgusts!

wobbs thanks,im growing a lemon tree,donde…le recipe?

leahy asked muckasey (during the appropriations committee hearing last week) some good questions (even if he didn’t follow up on them). even difi asked a good question during that one.

Sparkles, so great to see you here again.

Christy, thanks for this post - and for this question:

I agree with Dahlia Lithwick that the “conservative” brand needs a new name, and I kind of like her “re-activist judges” branding, but I’m not married to it. Suggestions?

For the Federalist Society judges - who worked before and after joining the Federal Bench to overthrow the Republic and subvert the Consitution…

“treason cult” has a nice ring to it.

As should the gavel commencing their Impeachment proceedings.

I agree with Dahlia Lithwick that the “conservative” brand needs a new name, and I kind of like her “re-activist judges” branding, but I’m not married to it. Suggestions?

Paging punaise.

It’s old fashioned sophistry and greed. Mr. strict constructionist himself, Judge Bork, ignores the emasculation of the 4th Amendment because of his wingnut welfare check from the Hudson Institute.

Really appreciate you posting about this Christy.

it’s posted under the late late night thread

do you REALLY belive they EVER thought or cared if they won…it was about rasseling control of the oil,and sending the price into the stratosphere…both doucebags are oil men from texas

Recipes? Why just ask food-network Plagarist Cindy McCain…

danke

true. what’s with the questioning today? No one made coffee this morning?

bitte

i heart you”g”

OfT, but thanks so much for your pounding post last weekend about US feed lots… . Terrific work, as per usual, thanks very much.

Retailers going bankrupt by the droves:

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/....._0414.html

Rahm just won the Hypocritical Wanker Of The Day Award for that one. Since the award is only given when I’m in the mood, I’m sure he’ll be the hypocritical wanker of the day for quite some time.

selise, I admire your fortitude, not to mention the strength of your stomach. I watched about forty seconds of Condi-mints and fled.

As to the Dems…

Ain’t they somthin?

Perhaps Cindy McCain served her “mother’s little helper” brew.

No one made coffee this morning?

i’m thinking it was koolaide instead.

Oh, of course. And don’t forget the absolute need to use up stockpiles of weaponry produced by the Military Industrial Complex. The only thing America builds and exports anymore is war and war engines. It is imperative to actually have a war in order to build more.

It’s like I’ve always said to the conservative canard, “Islamic radicals hate our way of life.”

No, people everywhere hate the way our way of life is dependent upon dropping bombs on their way of life. Go figure.

Wow, someone remembers me?? To quote Condi again, “We could not have imagined!”

wingers are going to have a field day with this one:

Study: Single parents cost taxpayers $112 billion

It’s a little windier, but Affirmative Reactionary Hires certainly sums up their core essence.

The surgical precision of your comment is shockingly well-achieved.

Unfortunately it will not prick the consciences of the ‘cutters’.

Gooper judges practice politics from the bench—–and they are unelected so you can’t vote their asses out……

Of course we remember you. Glad to see you.

Hmmm. Maybe I should use my Macy’s giftcards this week…..

Gawd…well, W costs us that every month.

Who could forget. You’re imortal.

I remember you fondly from Tennessee William’s classic, “Night of the Iguana.”

The file version by John Huston with Richard Burton,Ava Gardner,Deborah Kerr…you sparkled!

My comment @ 201 was to have been directed to dmac @ 195.

from the McCain family recipe page

and heard on the radio this morning

that bush just broke truman’s record for president having the longest period of time rated below 50% favorability. 3 1/2 years…..

now he can say he IS in the record books of history!!!!

congratulations w!

I’m glad you said it, I was in denial

I don’t live in NY anymore, but I thought the same thing….where is all of this leading….

Ghost towns, poor people…unbelievable.

meet nutshell..”g”

So wouldn’t that actually be “Wanker of the Mood?”

wingers are going to have a field day with this one:

Study: Single parents cost taxpayers $112 billion

Dammit, make single parents pay. Garnish their wages! Until that $112 billion is paid back.

Alternative study: Neocons cost taxpayers trillions.

hi pun!

without even clicking on the link, I’m willing to bet the wingers commissioned the um, report

except that my typing channeled dan quayle

me too,out of the city now….ROAD WARRIOR REDUX?

WALL STREET is paved with PLATINUM pass it on

Sharper Image owed UPS $6.6 million when Sharper went under….look for a new “Sharper Image” surcharge next time you send something UPS.

“lazy wogs”……… Rahm

This whole economic disaster seems like a perfect setting for the Pukes to push VP Romney to fix everything.

dw at 201—(chuckling)

an old april fool’s joke is to call someone and leave a message to call ’dick cutter’ and leave the number for a vasectomy clinic…….this was to a secretary, or get someone else to do it, cuz you don’t want the person to know your voice.

i did it once, to the wrong person…my dad….i was young and innocent, and didn’t quite get the joke, but did it anyway cuz i thought it was funny….didn’t realize how crude it was….last april fool’s joke i did. : )

was thinking of it when i wrote the earlier comment at 195…lol.

the billionair doofus…is a REGULAR guy you want a beer with ….and OBAMA is an elitist……………………….hahahahahahahahhahaa,thanks millionaire press corps

Oh noe!

just don’t make a habit of channeling repugs *g*

New thread upstairs…

teehee

((((sparkles))))

I’ve always wondered when during Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justices the nominees are not asked what should happen to them if they do the opposite of what they’ve testified they will do? Alito and Roberts both expressed great “respect” for stare decisis, but their decisions, as Christy points out, have no respect for precedent.

What should be done to ensure that testimony given before the Senate is truthful? How about the Senate break with precedent and hold hearings on the testimony of judicial nominess versus their actions once confirmed. Roberts lied through his teeth. Alito lied too. Of course they’re too “Supreme” to actually testify in front of the Senate anymore. But they don’t need to testify to examine the evidence of their sworn testimony versus their documented decisions. Impeach the mendacious bastards. Through them off the Supreme Court. That’s what can be done.

Even if the proceedings go nowhere, the mendacious bastards should be curtailed somewhat. Just think… enforce Accountability to the Judicial Branch too! Remember, the Founding Fathers, aka authors of the Constitution defined the Congress in the first article of the constitution thereby indicating the supremecy of the legislative branch. The courts are described by the third article. Now then, I realize that All Three of our branches of government are co-equal, but some branches are more co-equal than others. And the Congress has more oversight authority than either of the two other branches.

ITMFA

good …on ya

I think that Speaker Pelosi has kept impeachment off the table because she wants to remain Speaker of the House during the next administration. Unless she would broker some kind of power shuffle before Bush AND Cheney would be impeached, (and yes, they both must be impeached together) she would have to leave the House of Representatives to become President herself. She could not run again (in a regular election) for her old seat until 2010.

To remain speaker for the next Congress, Pelosi would have to resign the Speakership now and let the current Congress elect a new speaker and interim President, OR make a special deal in California that whoever would run for her vacant seat would resign after the inauguration in January to allow a special election in which President Pelosi could run for her old seat, and then for Speaker of the House.

All that seems much to risky for her to regain her current position as Speaker of the House. ergo, Impeachment is Off The Table.

Aarrrrrrggghhhh!!!!!!!
ITMFA

Wow, THAT is brilliantly cynical! I bow to your superior cynicism. Truly, you are well named.

(Makes me think of the old joke, “Why do you ask, Twodogsfucking?”)

Please feel free, however, to point me to the specific statement by ANY of the candidates that the unitary executive is going away in their WH, because I haven’t seen it. Maybe I’m not looking in the right place.

Oh you’re looking all the right places. You’re right NOT ONE candidate has prospectively renounced the sweeping powers that Bush has taken upon himself. Hence my lack of optimism about prosecuting the Evildoers in the WH

What AFJ vid? I missed something.

No one picked up on the reference to supply route exit models for an 11th/12th hour attempt @ troop withdrawals from Iraq.
All together now, “So what”…….