September 13, 2005Question Time for RobertsI posted the below in my "Capital Games" column at www.thenation.com. If you've seen it already, please scroll down to previous postings Before the John Roberts confirmation hearings began, progressive opponents of Bush's pick to be chief justice were fretting that the media attention given to the Katrina mess would prevent Democrats from using the hearings to make a public case against Roberts. Now I'm thinking that maybe--in a way--it was good that the public is not seeing much of the Roberts hearings. The Democrats have not succeeded in depicting him as a danger to Americans. As I previously wrote (see two postings below), most of the Democratic members of the judiciary committee spent the first day of the hearings--the warm-up day--fixating on process questions, such as whether they had the right to ask Roberts questions about his views. (See the post below.) Day 2 was the supposed to be the main attraction: question time for Roberts. And it came as no surprise that a fellow who has argued dozens of cases before the Supreme Court was able to deftly handle the queries from the Dems. That's not to say that he always was right in his answers or bested his interrogator on debate points. But the Democrats landed few blows. They can huff that he did not answer questions about Roe while he did about Brown v. Board of Education. But Roberts--as was his mission--provided them little ammunition. He displayed a gentle and thoughtful manner. And appearances do matter. (Just ask Robert Bork if he wishes he had shaved off his less-than-stylish beard.) Roberts sounded reasonable, as he ducked critical matters or parried with Democrats. Right off, Republican Senator Arlen Specter, the chairman of the committee, led Roberts through the critical issue of the hearings. He asked Roberts about Roe and the principle of stare decisis. Roberts quoted James Hamilton in the Federalist Papers that judges need to be "bound down by rules and precedents." He said all the right things about the importance of precedent and the value of stare decisis. He noted that precedent can only be overturned in limited cases. But he would not talk specifically about Roe, noting he feels "the need to stay away from the discussion of specific cases." Specter several times described Roe as well-established precedent, calling it a "super-duper" precedent. Roberts thoughtfully discussed the abstract notion of precedent. But he said nothing about how stare decisis might be applied to future cases involving abortion rights. This duet produced rhetoric useful to each participant. Specter trumpeted his support for abortion rights and argued that Roe should not be overturned. Roberts praised precedent as a guiding but not inviolable principle without making any commitments to protect Roe. Then various Democrats took their turns. Senator Pat Leahy tussled with Roberts about a decades-old memo in which he seemed to suggest presidents--not Congress--can decide whether to wage war. Roberts claimed--politely--that Leahy was "vastly over-reading" the memo and added that he merely had been representing the position of his boss at the time, the president. Senator Ted Kennedy challenged Roberts on positions he had taken--or represented--on civil rights law when he worked for the Reagan administration. Roberts revived arguments the Reaganites had used to oppose certain remedies for discrimination. This produced much spirited much back and forth over legal matters years old. That's not to say this stuff is not important. But I doubt the debate over the Grove City decision would resonate with a general audience. Under the questioning of Senator Joseph Biden and other Democrats, Roberts did say that the Constitution contained a right to privacy. But he would not say whether such a right covered abortion. Biden cornered Roberts once or twice--but not in any fashion that would matter much beyond the committee room. Senator Russell Feingold inquired about an ethics matter. In April, Roberts, an appellate court judge, heard a case involving the Bush administration six days after he was interviewed by administration officials for a possible Supreme Court vacancy. Feingold asked why did he not recuse himself. Roberts refused to explain. At the hearings, Roberts opponents were telling reporters that Senator Dianne Feinstein was likely to cause the biggest sparks of the day by questioning Roberts on Roe. But she fared no better. As she pressed him, he continued to bob and weave in his artful and unflappable manner. At the end of the day, the Democrats had extracted little of political use. The Democratic Party did issue a press release headlined: "Roberts Watch--Day Two: A Day of Evasion, Obstruction and Distortion." Its examples were not unconvincing. But neither were they likely to change the course of the nomination. There was probably not much the Democrats could have done. Roberts is a smart, savvy, and smooth attorney. The legal issues at hand do not translate well into soundbites. But I wonder what might have happened had one Democratic senator taken a less conventional approach to the legalistic questioning. Imagine if Feinstein had asked Roberts: "You indicated that Brown v. Board of Education was decided correctly. Would you tell us if you believe Roe v. Wade was decided correctly?" Roberts would have ducked and dodged, of course. But what if she asked the question again. Maybe once more. Then looked at the clock and said, "I have 28 minutes left. I am going to wait all that time for an answer because I think Americans should know whether the next chief justice of Supreme Court believes abortion rights ought to be protected or not." And then stared at him for 28 minutes. Would that have been a galvanizing moment? Who knows? But it sure would have made the point more strongly than any of the exchanges that occurred. Posted by David Corn at September 13, 2005 11:31 PM |
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Comments
Roberts is a lost cause....Nothing will sink that ship. He does not have enough of a record to attack, nor is he controversial enough. This was a calculated move by the Bushies... it is the next nomination to replace the O'Connor swing vote with a some Bork-like nut case that the Dems should be loading up for bear on. That vote will define the next generation of the Supreme Court and if not blocked, the hands of time will continue the turning back that started under Rhenquist...
Jonnyboy
Posted by: Jonnyboy at September 13, 2005 11:50 PM
I watched a few minutes of the hearings. My instincts tell me he says what he needs to say. What are his convictions? It's as if everything in his career was a calculated move to get ahead. This follows right to the Guantanamo Bay rulings. The American people have the right to a sense of who he is as a person. The nation needs to be represented. That's the job of the Supreme Court. It's not their job to represent the Bush Administration.
Posted by: Jeanne at September 14, 2005 12:05 AM
put me down as one for the party line
Dems need to FIGHT till they see ALL his past papers.
Posted by: Alan at September 14, 2005 12:24 AM
Mr. David Corn,
"You tell me: how hard should the Democrats fight the Roberts nomination? Should the Dems push for a straight party-line vote against him?"
The democrats should oppose with all they have.
The fact is, Bush should consider the split electorate and find a nominees that represent the balance of both groups of voters. He will not because as he thought he had political capital, he also thinks the opposition does not matter. He and the GOPhers are not willing to consider roughly half of the electorate in anything they do and that is an insult.
In all fairness Bush should have named both nominees, if he had the insight they could be polar opposites and both might have garnered legitimate support. Instead he is playing a shell game and I get the feeling the next shoe to drop will be a real pip.
Bush has never thought about the huge numbers that do not support him and did not vote for him. Anybody that questions him or what he does is "playing politics" and he has the gall to say such things in his staged photo op's.
The democrats must differentiate themselves from the neocons and should make it a party line vote. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Hell some might even remember what it felt like to actually have a spine.
Thanks
Kirk
Posted by: capt at September 14, 2005 12:27 AM
ADD: If the Dems stood together it might give some cover to a couple of GOPhers to defect.
Just a thought
capt
Posted by: capt at September 14, 2005 12:32 AM
The senators should vote by Roberts record and answers to questions. Most senators are playing politics with their vote. I believe that no one should be on the Supreme Court until they had 10 years experience as a judge.
E.J. Dionne, Jr. wrote an article, End of the Bush Era. That article is wishful thinking. Bush says that he takes responsibility. Those words are for Americans to give him a higher poll rating of 60 to 65% after his Thursday speech to the nation. Bush is worshipped by the majority of Americans and they still love him, whether he is a murderer and a war criminal or not. My concern is not his lower ratings regarding Katrina; my concern his favorable ratings as a murderer and a war criminal. Americans are a screwed up people regarding priorities, such as we impeach a president for a blow job but we accept an emperor who is a murderer and a war criminal. That to me is a clear sign that Americans are very screwed up. Americans are a mirror image of the chief psycho who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 12:37 AM
What I truly want to hear is for bush to say that he accepts the BLAME for his lies, murders, and war crimes. He is the BLAME for a great portion of evil in America and throughout the world. After accepting the BLAME he should resign and say to the American people that he is leaving public life to spend time on a religious retreat in order to reevaluate his clueless, meaningless, pathetic, useless, and worthless life.
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 12:46 AM
Texas is set to execute a black woman Wednesday. The first "in modern times"... but the third woman since '82. The thing is, it was Houston's crime lab that analysed the evidence. That lab has been retesting a ton of evidence after proof that some of them have been altering results or out and out faking them.
Last-ditch efforts to save inmate
"We believe she's innocent," he said. "But if you kill her tomorrow and you find out later that she is innocent, there's nothing you can do to undo it.
"Think about that, governor. Think about it."
Posted by: Alan at September 14, 2005 02:50 AM
No, Roberts is not a bad guy. But is he Chief Justice Material? Na. Not yet.
Posted by: titchaba at September 14, 2005 03:04 AM
Shrub boy's days are numbered.
DUBYA'S WAR MACHINE
When Dubya plays at statesman
he takes the world to war
without an explanation
of what we're fighting for.
When Dubya plays at General
a thousand kids will die
He sold them all a story,
he told us all a lie.
Weapons of mass distruction
they he knew were long since gone
and he is far from finished
Mama hid your son.
Mothers hide your children
where they can not be seen
keep them safely far away
from Dubya's war machine.
Its not Sept 11
that isn't why we're there
Its more so Kellog, Brown and Root
can be first to get their share.
Mothers hide your children
where they can not be seen
keep them safely far away
from Dubya's War Machine.
Two days before Katrina
the danger was forseen
but the NewOrleans National Guard was gone
to Dubya's war Machine
Katrina landed hard
NewOrleans sunk before our eyes
No Dubya taking charge
as we heard the desperate cries.
Finally OFF vacation
Our Mighty Dubya spoke
0 tollerance for looting is what he
told these desperate folk
We watched the poor who suffered
we watched the old ones die
we saw newborn's expire
and we heard their mothers plead and cry.
Day three and four post Katrina
Doc's and Nurses Scream
Our city and our poor are lost
to Dubya's War Machine.
We want our National Guard back
we want em back right now
we never really understood just why
you had to take them anyhow.
When finally some help arrived
too little and to late
little did these bleagured people know
what exactly might await.
a safer cleaner shelter; more healthy but no way
to get out and back to work
military recruiters on the scente
as is the Dubya way.
In the search for WMD'S
we prod, poke and push
and finally we found one;
GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH
Mothers hide your children
where they cannot be seen
keep them safely far away
from Dubya's War Machine.
Posted by: titchaba at September 14, 2005 03:29 AM
Asking the governor of Texas to debate an exectution is akin to asking starbucks to give you a double decaff half late'.
First, adjust your expectations.
Posted by: titchaba at September 14, 2005 03:35 AM
Old Bob in North Dakota is going to repeat this....
Democrats don't get it. The last thing that Republican strategists want, is to overturn Roe v. Wade. Nothing favors their Presidential aspirations more, than to have a 5-4 or 6-3 Court against Roe.
All Bush had to do, was mumble the words, "I believe in a culture of life," and millions of votes were assured. Millions. As in...the deciding factor in two elections. My sister, a convert to Catholicism, called Kerry "The High Priest of Molech", for his pro-choice stance (Molech was an Old Testament deity that demanded child sacrifice). I mean...what politician would want to give up such blind allegiance?
Can't anyone accept the fact that Roberts is telling the TRUTH...that he feels that Roe is "settled law?"
Trust old Bob in North Dakota...the pro-lifers are going to get borked on this one. The top Republican strategists are way cynical on the pro-life issue. It gets them votes. They'll ride this horse as long as possible.
Bob in North Dakota
Posted by: Bob in North Dakota at September 14, 2005 03:36 AM
Ill take a moment here to tell users about firewalls.
Dave, hopefully you know about these.
If you are dial up, you need an antihack utility , I Use zonealarm pro. you need an antivirus utility; I use Norton anti virus.
If you are dsl or cable you need a router, I use a linksys four port router.
If you are cable do NOT trust the wimpy modem you cable comany gives you.
Get your own linkys modem.
Consider configuring your firewalls.
You can allow or block at whim. Ultimately what gets at you......you allow.
Food for thought.
Posted by: titchaba at September 14, 2005 03:47 AM
In a word, NO.
Posted by: titchaba at September 14, 2005 03:50 AM
In a word..............NO
Posted by: titchaba at September 14, 2005 04:24 AM
Memory's Revenge
Here are the most glorious words in the English language. HELL NO WE WON'T GO!!!!!
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 09:26 AM
Beyond
HELL NO WE WON'T GO!!!!! Why should I get killed for gutless rulers like bush and cheney?????
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 09:35 AM
We take you now to the Oval Office...
Bush: Condi, nice to see you. What`s happening?
Rice: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.
Bush: Great.Lay it on me.
Rice: Hu is the new leader of China.
Bush: That`s what I want to know.
Rice: That`s what I am telling you.
Bush: That`s what I am asking you. Who is the new leader of China.
Rice: Yes.
Bush: I mean the fellow`s name.
Rice: Hu.
Bush: The guy in China.
Rice: Hu.
Bush: The new leader of China.
Rice: Hu.
Bush: The Chinaman!
Rice: Hu is leading China.
Bush: Now whaddya asking me for?
Rice: I`m telling you, Hu is leading China.
Bush: Well, I`m asking you. Who is leading China?
Rice: That`s the man`s name.
Bush: That`s who`s name?
Rice: Yes
Posted by: James Ha at September 14, 2005 09:38 AM
It's Time
HELL NO WE WON'T GO!!!!! Let's filter out the bullshit!!!!!
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 09:40 AM
The Unraveling
HELL NO WE WON'T GO!!!!!
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 09:45 AM
keep repeating that Gerald! I see the news is as bad as always. Just checking in.
Later
Posted by: Saladin at September 14, 2005 09:50 AM
Unintended Consequences
HELL NO WE WON'T GO!!!!!
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 09:54 AM
Yes, I think that the Democrats should oppose Roberts vigorously. The single thing that troubles me most about his responses thus far is that he too often discusses whether decisions of the supreme court are correct, or were correctly decided- even when it is not part of the question asked. He seems to think that this is his role, that this is always a question before a justice of the supreme court. No. The question always before him is, or should be, how to decide within the context of the law- previous case law. Rarely overturn precedent. And the question of whether to "correct" should never arise. Only when a previous decision is egregiously wrong, much more than debatable, only when the just decision otherwise reached forces the overruling of precedent, should a case be overruled. This should never be an initial question for a justice. Perhaps for an advocate, but really, not even for advocates. We have decided over time that stare decisis is the rule. (This is what worries me most about the right in this country in general. They seem to believe that they need to correct/change things. That's good, really. But then go to the question of what should be changed, understanding that the purpose of government, all three branches, is to benefit and improve society as a whole. This they do not seem to address- what is best for our society as whole? Of course the whole original intent belief is bizarre to me, a kind of idolatry. If we aspire to act as the founding fathers did, why not adpot their beleif that leaders act as they think is best for the nation, or that we listen, consider, debate, and compromise? Anyway, beside the point. ) Within the judicial branch, the rule is stare decisis for the very reason that we have decided that that is what is best for society. We have decided that it is best for stare decisis to temper change and allow for gradual evolution. So I do not support anyone with the underlying attitude that each case or issue should be assessed in terms of whether it should be used to correct another case. "Correction" should not be an issue. (another side- I had to laugh when he said he had no agenda- don't remember the context. Of everyone is that room he had the most clear objective- to get hired. The fact that its implicit doesn't mean it isn't important.)
Posted by: pegfrank at September 14, 2005 10:04 AM
James Ha,
Hu Ha HA! Thanx...
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The Dems in the senate represent more Americans than the Repubs, because the senate represents states equally and not by population.
Zero Bush appointments should go foward from this point on until full hearings are held on all the screw-ups this adminisration has overseen.
Let's look into transparant elections, intelligence failures or complicities, cronyism and profiteering, FEMA, the whole FUBAR shebang!
Filibuster and force the nuclear option. Make the Republicans pull the trigger. Then wait for the fallout.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 14, 2005 11:07 AM
James,
Tee Hee Hee.
Posted by: Jeanne at September 14, 2005 11:26 AM
The dire predictions of Y2K were all proven to be mere hype.
The dire predictions of the overturning of Roe would also be proven to be mere hype.
Abortion would be illegal in Utah. Abortions would continue in Colorado and Nevada. Abortion would be illegal in North Dakota. The clinic in Fargo would re-open within 24 hours across the river in Moorhead....and so on.
What WOULD happen if Roe were overturned, is that the Republicans would lose an issue that has frozen certain voters in the headlights for decades. Socially-liberal but religiously-orthodox Catholics and Black fundamentalists would go back to being Democrats.
Overturning Roe would be bad for Republicans in the long run, Bob is predicting.
I would bet twenty bucks that the number of abortions in America would not drop 10% if Roe were overturned. In all of the states with more than a million population, abortion would remain legal.
Bob in North Dakota
Posted by: Bob in North Dakota at September 14, 2005 11:42 AM
Arms fair criticised for using Iraq war to market weapons
By Terry Kirby, Chief Reporter
Published: 13 September 2005
British and American arms companies have been criticised for marketing weapons used in Iraq at Europe's biggest arms fair.
Campaigners against the arms trade have criticised the Government for inviting countries with dubious human rights records, such as Indonesia and Colombia, to the fair. The campaigners also accused companies such as Lockheed and BAE Systems of "revelling" in the opportunity to sell equipment "battle-tested" in Iraq to those countries. [...]
Cluster bombs on offer at arms fair despite sales ban
By Saeed Shah
Published: 14 September 2005
Cluster bombs are being offered for sale at an arms fair in London, The Independent has discovered, despite assurances by the organisers, that the weapon would not be marketed at the event.
Denel, the South African company, confirmed yesterday at the show being held at the Excel Centre in Docklands, that it made and supplied the cluster weapons.
******
The War Profiteering train rumbles on and on...
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 14, 2005 11:46 AM
Hi Bob,
While I agree with you in part, abortion would remain legal NY, CA, etc. and probably be criminalized in Utah etc., this would have much higher consequences for poorer women in those affected states than for those with means to travel. Katrina illustrates the numbers of folks without the means to travel.
Overturning Roe would be bad for R's in the long run, but at a cost to those with the least among us.
As it is now, in many jurisdictions, public hospitals have been closed or taken over by religious institutions which do not even provide contraception services any longer. While Roe is still on the books.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 14, 2005 11:56 AM
Ooops:
legal [in] NY...
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 14, 2005 11:58 AM
As bodies recovered, reporters are told 'no photos, no stories'
Cecilia M. Vega, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
[...]Dean Nugent, of the Louisiana State Coroner's Department, who accompanied the soldier, added that it wasn't safe to be in Bywater. "They'll kill you out here," he said, referring to the few residents who have continued to defy mandatory evacuation orders and remain in their homes."
"The cockroaches come out at night," he said of the residents. "This is one of the worst places in the country. You should not be here. Especially you," he told a female reporter.
Nugent, who is white, acknowledged he wasn't personally familiar with the poor, black neighborhood, saying he only knew of it by reputation. [...]
**********
I had an interesting experience last night. It was about 8:30 in the evening and I was on the Los Angeles Metro Red Line, North Hollywood Station, waiting for the train to depart.
A Sheriff's Deputy walks onto the train car, which had about 10-12 people scattered about on the seats, many black and hispanic. Myself, I'm a white 48 year old with a beard and pony tail. Anyway, this (the term fuzz pops into my mind and dates me perhaps) uniformed officer comes onto the car and proceeds to give everyone the evil eye. Now, I appreciate the Sheriffs Deputies patrolling the stations, but this was downright rude, he snapped at one rider who had a brown lunch bag on the seat next to him that he had to physically hold the bag.
A communication device on his belt was loudly beeping the whole time. A young women's children were visibly upset. As I say, the man's demeanor was menacing. After a few minutes he left the car and was seen to be joking with an MTA employee.
You know how an unusal event will get strangers to start talking? Well, the car let out a collective sigh of relief with his departure, and comments were made about his suspicious attitude, and generally inappropriate demeanor.
Except for one middle-aged white dude who shut the conversation short with, "They should be as suspicious as they want - I'm not ready to die..." well not exactly that, but close enough.
Then one women in the back of the car, who had mostly been saying it was a bad day, and she just wanted to go home and relax before her bad day tomorrow, piped up with, "Welcome to Disneyland."
Indeed.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 14, 2005 12:47 PM
Next Stop
HELL NO WE WON'T GO!!!!! The bush/cheney war games have just begun!!!!!
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 12:53 PM
If this is Disneyland, the rides really suck.
Posted by: titchaba at September 14, 2005 12:54 PM
Titchaba,
Sorry, No Refunds.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 14, 2005 12:58 PM
Robert,
I agree with you on the abortion issue. I have always look at the issue as one of discrimination against the poor. Not only that but how many states in the south would allow legal abortions? Travel is that much harder when you are going long distance for a medical procedure.
And...let's take an example. Let's say you have a young woman who is pregnant in North Dakota. She is terrified. Let's say she was raped and got pregnant. Everything about the process is outside a comfort zone at a time when she needs a comfort zone the most. Having to leave her state and having to find a state and a facility where she can get the abortion is overwhelming. It shouldn't be this way. She should have the right to chose.
Another case. A girl get's pregnant by her father, or her step brother or uncle. Anyway let's say incest. She has to somehow handle her situation and needs the help to come up with a solution. Having to go to another state to get an abortion should not be part of the solution.
Another case. A woman is having life threatening comlications early in the pregnancy. Let's say cancer is detected.
Another case. The baby is doomed to a very severe genetic problem.
Why should women be forced to go to another state in cases where her needs are should be the greatest concern?
Medical procedures are not fun.
Abortion, I would suspect, is an extremely difficult decision to make for any woman.
I would say, a vast majority of women have the children rather than get the abortion and either give them up for adoption or raise them.
Another concern I have is the fact that the decisions to make abortion legal or illegal is proportionately fought by men. They are always the greatest defenders of the unborn. However they are not the greatest defenders of the child. Many of these men will not support universal health care. They don't support equal pay for women. You can't have it both ways.
Posted by: Jeanne at September 14, 2005 01:07 PM
Robert,
Which brings us back to Judge Roberts. How does he stand on the abortion issue? And how does he stand on women's rights and equal pay for men and women?
Posted by: Jeanne at September 14, 2005 01:12 PM
A Weekend
America is the most dangerous terrorist country on the planet. If you love killing people, you will feel very comfortable in America.
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 01:17 PM
High Ground
Run for cover!!!!!
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 01:20 PM
High Ground
Correction has been made.
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 01:26 PM
Federal Officials View Pine Belt Pipeline.
Shortly after Katrina slammed into Louisiana and South Mississippi Aug. 29, gasoline was in short supply and a presidential directive made restoring power to the pipeline a priority at the expense of rural hospitals and rural water associations.
"I can't speak to that," Bodman said. "The private sector makes all those decisions."
But Jim Compton, manager of the Hattiesburg-based South Mississippi Electric Power Association, said he pulled linemen from restoring power to hospitals in Stone and George counties to comply with a directive from the White House to restore power to the pipelines.
"You have to know the importance of this operation with three cabinet members coming to the site," Compton said. "If this site is that critical, then I suggest they provide the money to make sure the power supplies to the two pipelines will not be affected by the next hurricane.
"If this is a national issue, let's fix it now so that so that we can take care of the needs of our people in the Pine Belt," Compton said.
-------------------------
I accept the importance to the economy in restoring these pipelines but not at the expense of people. This was another area FEMA dropped the ball. They should have sent in people from other parts of the country who could do the work and have those who were restoring the lines to the hospitals and water facilities continue on with their work.
Posted by: Jeanne at September 14, 2005 01:31 PM
Don't Bug the Hegemon
The war games are about to commence. The psycho from Crawford is just starting. HELL NO WE WON'T GO!!!!!
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 01:31 PM
Don't bug the hegemon
Correction has been made.
Posted by: Gerald at September 14, 2005 01:35 PM
Jeanne,
He won't answer that. Equal pay or comparable pay is the question and how do you evaluate that?
I maintain that there should be minimum and maximum pay levels, no ballplayer deserves millions more than teachers, and the like, but thats me. Moms should be payed as well.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 14, 2005 01:58 PM
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS THAT THE DEMS SHOULD ASK ROBERTS: BUSH v. GORE
They should ask John Roberts what his thoughts/legal opinions are on Bush v. Gore.
They should ask him if SCOTUS exercised partisan politics, rather than the "rule of law." If he says, "No" -- ask him to explain, in detail.
They should ask him to clearly explain his role in his "consultations" with Jeb Bush and how he thinks that may have affected Bush v. Gore.
They should ask him if he thinks that the 5-4 ruling contradicted their stated positions in other cases. (And cite some cases where it appears they did.)
They should ask him if he thinks the majority 5-4 vote of SCOTUS would have stopped the Florida recount on the flimsy "irreparable harm" proposition if Gore had been AHEAD in the vote count.
Posted by: micki at September 14, 2005 02:10 PM
The aftermath of Katrina has produced a debate over poor Americans. There are about 37 million people living below the poverty line right now. The issue was described this way by Newsweek reporter Evan Thomas, a liberal guy but not alone, who writes,
"Liberals say the Bush administration was indifferent to the plight of poor African-Americans. It is true that Katrina laid bare society's
massive neglect of its least fortunate."
Massive neglect??? Let's take a look at that bit of overstatement. Halfway through President Clinton's tenure in office in 1996, the poverty rate was 13.7 percent. Halfway through President Bush's tenure, the rate is 12.7 percent, a full point lower.
In 1996, the Clinton budget allotted $191 billion for poverty entitlements. That was 12.2 percent of the budget and a whopping amount of money. That's why Bill Clinton was called the first black president by some.
However, the Bush 2006 budget allots a record shattering $368 billion for poverty entitlements, 14.6 percent of the entire budget, a huge increase over Clinton's spending on poverty entitlements.
Did the elite media mention that? Jesse Jackson mention that? Of course they didn't, because it's much more convenient for Evan Thomas and others to imply America under President Bush has turned its back on the poor, but it's absolute nonsense.
Even in the midst of the war on terror, this country's spending a massive amount of money trying to help the poor.
So why the lie?
Because political gain can be made off the suffering of others, that's why. Those who oppose the Bush administration don't care about the truth. They only want to advance their own agenda. So once again, the no- spin zone rides to the rescue.
Hard-working Americans are providing the poor with Medicaid, food stamps, supplemental security income, that's free money, child nutrition programs, welfare payments, child daycare payments, temporary assistance to needy families, foster care, adoption assistance, and health insurance for children. But it will never be enough for the Paul Krugmans, David Corns, Jesse Jacksons and Howard Deans of the world ... never!!! If they told you the truth. They would go out of business.
Posted by: soko at September 14, 2005 02:17 PM
Snow Job
Bush's economic numbers keep getting flakier.
By Lawrence Mishel
[...]So, how do an administration and its friends tiptoe through these tulips? Very selectively.
Consider this point in a new ad widely distributed on the Internet, titled "Working to Keep America Working," which hypes the Bush administration's record: "Unemployment rate after Bill Clinton's third year, 5.6%. Unemployment rate after G.W. Bush's third year, 5.6%." True, but isn't it gutsy to say this seeing as the unemployment rate was about 4 percent when Bush was elected (therefore it rose 1.6 percentage points to 5.6 percent) and was 7.5 percent when Clinton was elected (therefore it fell almost 2 percentage points to 5.6 percent)?
Here's another quote from the ad: "US Economic Growth: 'Strongest in Nearly 20 years' (CNN, October, 2003)." This sounds impressive, and it is -- for the one-quarter of growth last summer to which CNN, in late October, was referring! Somehow overlooked is the fact that the economy has grown more slowly (3.5-percent annual rate) in the first 11 quarters of this expansion than in those of the prior eight expansions (5.7-percent annual rate).
Another part of the ad makes it seem as if poverty has been reduced by the current administration: "Poverty in Clinton's years, 10.5%; Poverty in G.W. Bush's years, 9.5%." You would never know that the poverty rate was 8.7 percent in Clinton's last year (2000) and rose to 9.6 percent in 2002 (the latest year of available data). In contrast, poverty was 11.9 percent in 1992 when Clinton was first elected and fell to 8.7 percent, a drop of more than 2 percentage points. [...]
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 14, 2005 02:59 PM
Yo Soko, don't know where you've been shopping, but our families dollars go alot less farther in the last 5 years! $191 billion in 1996 probably would in fact buy more than benevolent bush's $368 billion in 2006. Why not blog somewhere where you are wanted. Feather is a WANKER and a WANNABE.
Posted by: Robert Slaten at September 14, 2005 03:16 PM
Robert 46
191 to 368, buys more, are you FUCKEN NUTS?
I will go some where else, where people have a working brain, and want to hear facts and truth, unlike you.
You just stay in the land of OZ where you belong.
Posted by: soko at September 14, 2005 03:22 PM
Robert,
You have (911) obviously (get him dead or alive) let (terrorist threat) the facts (45 minutes and mushroom clouds) confuse (stockpiles of nerve gas) you (Al Qaida).
Just (911) because (Yellow cake from Niger) Clinton (BJ) left (liberals hate America) a better (Monica) economy (Osama) and created 22 million (Halliburton) new jobs (Davis Bacon) does not (North Korean Nukes) mean (Iranian enrichment) Bush (lying jerk) cannot make points (spin machine) by feeding (poverty up 12.7%) the mindless (troll/ditto headed) echo chambers (YouÕre either with us or with the terrorists) with more lies (Rush on Oxy) to keep (silly putty for brains) the blind (blue dress) and feckless (spreading democracy) base (Rove is a traitor) supporting (baby killers and fags) his (pretzel please) failed (like father like son) policies.
All should seek and hail Bush the neo-messiah:
Hold your arm aloft in religious ecstasy and :
"Seek, hail. Seek, hail. Seek, hail."
"War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent." ~ George Orwell, 1984
"Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power." ~ George Orwell (1903 - 1950), 1984 Book 3, Chapter 3
capt
Posted by: capt at September 14, 2005 03:35 PM
Robert Schwartz, thanks for debunking Soko's numbers with sources. I knew it wouldn't take cornbloggers long to see through the fog. The trolls always pop in, and in fairness, they actually believe what they're fed from the Rovians. Notice how Soko didn't mention any of the social programs cut, the first responders grants cut, at the same time giving coporate welfare and tax breaks for the rich. Biff needed a bigger boat, dontcha know. *gags*
Posted by: Alan at September 14, 2005 03:35 PM
Jeanne wrote:
> She should have the right to chose.
This is one of those thorny issues where people of good will can differ, even tooth-and-nail. Pro-choice people always...always....focus on the rights of the mother. Pro-life people always...always...focus on the rights of the unborn. Both side thinks they are right, and the other is utterly wrong. Both sides can't understand why the other doesn't "get it."
Personally, I feel that the reason that our country is so dysfunctional over abortion, is that it has been removed from the only realm where we decide such things....the democratic process. We have relegated the entire issue to the decision of five old farts, which is no way to decide anything. Congress is afraid to touch it, and the states can only nibble around the edges of what the federal courts have decided.
I would guess that, if Roe were overturned, that within 10 years, the issue will largely disappear as an issue, to the gain of the Democrats. In the states where it would be legal, it would be legal, and in the few (population-wise) states where it would be illegal, women's groups would find a renaissance, helping women obtain legal abortions in neighboring states.
Regarding North Dakota, there is only one abortion clinic in the whole state, in Fargo. It would move one mile to the east, to Minnesota, if Roe were overturned.
Bob in North Dakota
Posted by: Bob in North Dakota at September 14, 2005 04:51 PM
Titchaba's poem tells it like it is.
Posted by: patriot at September 14, 2005 10:18 PM