Listening to the Alito hearing:

Sen. Hatch just set up Alito (as no doubt rehearsed) to state that he, Alito, was not biased!

Now let's get REAL! Doesn't everybody (especially those in the political arena) HAVE BIASES! That's what this nominee should be clarifying now. But to deny he has them! It is silly, crazy, a mockery, even insanity!

The point IS to find out what a nominee's biases ARE and to see if he can be objective and fair DESPITE those biases!!!!!!!

These people must have immature minds to think they can say the immature things they say!!! These are not true adults talking!!!

Adults in this hearing, please take charge and get this hearing BACK ON TRACK!!!

(And I'm being kind here. If it's not mere arrested development/immaturity, then it is worse: Criminal, conning, scamming minds revealed. Take note!!!)

Great... now... what I wanna know ... how do you and Chris explained that after these hearings the same dEMS that are against Alito will turn around and promote Casey and the anti-choice fighting dEMS?

The Dems have entered into these hearings already half beaten... they can't very well call Alito on being anti-choice when the Democratic leadership has been overtly and agressively promoting anti-choice dEMS... they would look kinda stupid.

Being "progressive" is not just for hearings.. yunno or when the camera is on for for selling books.... it is consistently upholding the Democratic IDEOLOGY. Yeah, that same ideology that created every single progressive movement in this country. I am sick of "just turned" dEMS spouting that they know better... when they would have never put their butts on the line for the IDEOLOGY that made this country a beacon of social progress.

They chatter about throwing out the IDEOLOGY and replacing it with propaganda (noise machine) and want to sell elections to the highest bidder whether it be "new media" corporations or "old media" fundamentalists.

I applauded the tenacity but frankly... it is useless if all this is for show and next week every one begins in earnest touting for Casey et al. That is what being non-ideological gets you... believing in nothing and settling for whatever scraps that the GOP decides to offer.

This is a farce... I thought the Roberts hearings were pathetic... today the GOP is in the midst of the biggest political firestorm EVER...bigger than the Nixon debacle... and the Dems are still wussing out.

Very sad indeed.

One more thing... are there going to be other "guest" bloggers... the blogosphere is quite large and has differing opinions on how to reach a Democratic majority... it would be nice to hear other opinions than the talking points of the DK communities.

AlitoWorld: Rarified! Elitest!
So Alito thinks the only women at risk are those who will receive an abortion LEGALLY. How about those women who will be forced to choose an illegal abortion? But I forget. AlitoWorld is so different! So Elitest. It's a wonder he remembers other "small" people (his patronizing term, right?) even exist! Those "other" people are so expendable. He even feels their children can be BRUTALIZED with strip-searches just because of their CLASS.

When ALITO stubbornly avoids a direct answer, you know what I want to hear?!

I want the Dem questioner to say for the audience, the media, and the record THEN AND THERE: "I want the record to show that my request for clarification was not met by the nominee." Or "Let the record show I did not get a satisfactory answer to my question."

I need to know the questioners are as frustrated as I am, dang it!

I had heard that the Alito hearings were interrupted today when some wag put a saucer of warm milk in front of the photographers' pool. Evidently all of the Democrats leaped over their desks and a big hissy fight erupted over who would get the most laps at the bowl. I didn't believe it, so I tuned in. Sure enough...there was an empty bowl, and Chuckie ("I'd still vote for the war even knowing what I know now - you know...like 'W' wanted me too") Schumer was still busy licking his right paw...er, hand...and rubbing it on the side of his head.

Face it, kiddies...abortion rights arguments are going back to the states within the next two years...tops...fascist America is going to own the rights to all of your library cards, your emails, your telephone conversations, your credit card receipts and probably even your conversations with your lawyers, the only "persons" with civil rights in this country will be corporations, our economy will eventually return to the good old days of the 1880's, and this is all because Democrats have acted like timid, goddamned pussies for the past 15 years.

Oh - and a special thanks to the DLC. Thanks for moving the "middle" of the political road into Denny Hastert's vest pocket.

Sho show of hands, those timorous Dems who claimed a "victory" in the cloture rule "compromise." Doesn't matter, actually. You can't say "filibuster" when the only thing that comes out of your mouth is...

"Meee-ew"

Disgusting Republicans again today, led and coached Alito on his answers. "You didn't mean THIS by your answer, Right"?

All of them, in appalling appearances. No questions, just take whatever the Democrats said, twist it around, and ask Alito if that was what he meant !

Well, one thing these little weasels better remember. When Alito helps this Executive Branch get all that power, and a Democratic President gets in, boy will these guys regret how they pushed for this jerk! Maybe even Hillary and Bill spying on them! SWEET!

Wish I got the Rep. Senator's name -- the one who closed by saying, "Thank you so much, Judge, for answering my questions" when the whole time the Senator asked no real questions and merely STROKED Alito up, down and sideways! Sheesh!

o my gosh...the psychological propping up was enough to make me hurl...

i've decided to take a look at fashions from the forties, getting ready for the era that will unfold o so painfully if this scuzz gets in...

woe to the dino that approves...woe

Scalia lied his butt off all those years ago. Now, he is the idealogue in chief. It is sad that regressives can never gain power promoting their true agenda.

Alito does not pass the sniff test

When in doubt, throw him out!

Meeee-ew.

Dems want someone who is in the mainstream. What is that and who decides? Is Ginsberg in the mainstream? Bush won the election (actually 2) and the spoils of winning are appointing qualified judges to the SC. The ABA says he is qualified. One of his former female colleagues, a feminist dem no less, says he should on the SC. By the way, if the CAP stuff were true and the Vanguard stuff mattered, yet he said he was pro abortion, you all would love Alioto (props to Sen Chappaquiddick).

formercalifornian,

Yes the "binge drinker" in the WH won the elections with a landslide so now he has a blank check to usurp whatever powers he wants.

Your radical right wing friends claim Alito will "right the wrongs" of the Warren Court; the court that gave us landmark civil liberties decisions.

Let your pal, Alito, acknowledge publicly in the hearing that he will overturn Roe, he will revisit the decisions of the Warren Court, he supports W's view on executive powers, he supports the lowering the wall of separation between church and state. Then he deserves a up-or-down vote. If he "filibusters" the confirmation process and takes a "5th" then the Senators have the obligation to the American people to filibuster his nomination!

And grow up pal. Senator Kennedy has done more for this country than W, Daddy and Grandaddy put together. Move to the present, pal, and worry about the sexual harrasment that your good friend, propaganda-in-chief Bill O'Reilly had to take care of.

Be careful what you wish for regressives. When the shoe gets on the other foot, qualification will be the only standard applied.

Sam,

Uh what exactly has Sen Kennendy done for America? Also, compare your post to mine. I don't recall being as abrassive as you, my friend. Ain't free speech wonderful!

formercalifornian,

I suggest you look up the number of bills the good Senator has authored. And check out the number that Republicans co-authored with him; the same Republicans (Orin Hatch) who don't miss an opportunity to bash Senator Kennedy in line with the radical right wing propaganda machinery, pride themselves of the bills they have coauthored with Senator Kennedy.

And see what the Bush dynasty has done. Iraq, war on terror, Katrina, economy, Constitutional rights of the citizens, US standing in the international diplomacy and respect, size of government, national debt, integrity in government, corruption at Washington..... The Bush dynasty has taken the country on the regressive path. No amount of the radical right wing propaganda can change that! The silent majority is catching on to the incompetence of the W administration!

All you radical right wingers can use for "not being abrasive" is "Sen Chappaquiddick" that happened almost 40 years ago and the courts held the Senator innocent! Grow up pal!

How about trying your "free speech" on the Republican blog other than to follow the party dictat!

No amount of radical right wing propaganda is going to change the fact with Alito on the Supreme Court the radical right wing will have 4 very good friends on the court for 25, 30 or more years. The intepretation of the Constitution as we know it now will gradually, steadily and surely change. Privacy Rights, Individual Rights and Civil Rights will be gradually and substantially eroded, the wall of separation between Church and State will be slowly and surely lowered, and the boundaries and scope of executive powers in relation to the other branches will grow to unhealthy proportions!

While I've heard Democrats question Alito about many cases when Alito ruled out of the mainstream, I have not heard any of the very important cases and issues reported on the news.

In fact, CNN's American Morning just closed a segment by saying "What made Mrs. Alito cry? Are Democrats being too hard on Alito?" This was a gross distortion of the incident because it was a Republican that was questioning Alito. This incident is a headline in Washington Post today. These are two examples of how the media is not reporting the important questions asked about Alito's out of the mainstream rulings.

I think Schumer pointed out that a headline said, "Alito says he'd keep an 'open-mind' on abortion." Schumer asked if a nominee has ever said anything that would disqualify them. Good point. The headline was a ridiculous statement.

I would like to see a list of all the questions, actions, and rulings raised by the Democrats. I think this list would be extensive and alarming. Then it would be easier to direct attention to the horrible record of Alito.

People who care about justice, liberty and the Constitution need a comprehensive list of the evidence that shows Alito is extreme, and out of the mainstream. Democrats need to get the important issues raised. Right-wing, Anti-choice minority is calling all the talk shows and attacking Kennedy. They are afraid of the truth, and they can not defend Alito's record.

Thank you Durbin, Schumer, and Kennedy. They are protecting our Constitution which is what really protects our freedoms. Our Constitution is what keeps America more free than countries like Russia and China. I'm very thankful for our patriots fighting for the Constitution. God bless them!

I pray the Democrats will keep focusing on the facts, despite the lack of fair, accurate reporting. Our Constitutional Rights are threatened by this "activist" nominee. Alito must be stopped. I say GO NUCLEAR!

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060123/editors

Many Dems are very upset with the leadership as they have not pressed the Repubs on many issues. The crass comments on this board are a fair representation from my experience teaching and blogging elsewhere.

Regarding Alito, if the Dems attempt a filibuster they BETTER remind American that the Repubs killed 65 Clinton nominees in committee or through filibusters. The Dems have only filibustered 10 G.W. Bush nominees. Additionally, all non-filibuster tactics the Repubs used under Clinton were immediately absolved whent the Repubs gained control of Congress and the White House. I expect the Dem leadership to yell this info non-stop from the highest mountain and lowest valley.

These comments about “ruling out of the mainstream” are quite disturbing. The U.S. is not a simple majoritarian which is what the Repubs want in a simple up or down vote and using the "nuclear option". If our government, including judicial rulings, allowed majoritarian rule, what would have been the outcome of Brown vs. Board of Education? The system of checks and balances counters majoritarian rule. All of this information is high school civics lessons. The Repub leadership and other posters on this blog do not seem to have learned (or remembered) that lesson.

When the shoe is on the other foot.....................

From my blog:

The questioning of Sam Alito yesterday reached a dramatic point when his wife, seated behind him, started to cry as Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) apologized for Democrats, who he beleived were calling Mr. Alito a bigot by questioning his involvement in a college group with known racist, antifeminist and bigoted views. Mrs. Alito was so distraught she had to retire to a waiting room to compose herself.

The brave citisoldiers over at the FOXhole, and their puppets on the conservative aisle, decried the vicious attacks on the poor judge who was only trying to gain a lifetime seat on the bench of our nations highest court. "How," they cried, "can we expect anyone to want to try for a public position in the future if they know they will be subject to such vicious questioning?" They decried the fact that a group of cowardly Senators, who "probably got slapped around alot in school", would now try to act like tough guys in their questioning of Alito.

Well, I sure wish conservatives would make up their minds. For the past six years in particular, Republicans have repeatedly engaged in personal attacks against their opponents, calling decorated veterans cowards, calling concerned Americans terrorists, questioning the morals and attacking the character of every single person they disagree with. But now, just as they always do when faced with tough opposition, they cry "foul!". Poor judge Alito, having to sit there and get attacked by the bad, mean Democrats! Whaaaah!

Excuse me? I, for one -and I think a majority of Americans agree with me- don't think they are grilling the son of a bitch hard enough. The guy is seeking a position of power from which he can never be removed. Hell, I've had bosses literally screaming at me for making a mistake, and I've never had more power than that of a low-level supervisor. I expect the panel to not only ask valid questions about Alito's beleifs and actions, I expect them to demand an answer. I expect them to break him down until he's the one crying. This man, if confirmed, will have power over every American's life. The Republicans expect it to be just given to him, but We, the People demand an accounting. I urge all concerned Americans to contact their Senator and write a letter to the editor of the local paper, and demand that Alito not only be grilled, but that he be flipped over and reamed, too.

"Well, one thing these little weasels better remember. When Alito helps this Executive Branch get all that power, and a Democratic President gets in, boy will these guys regret how they pushed for this jerk! Maybe even Hillary and Bill spying on them! SWEET!"

Yeah. That's gonna happen. They stole the last friggin TWO Presidential elections, and what did the dems do about it (except for Conyers, Boxer, and Black Caucus)?

NOTHING

They are setting up a DICTATORSHIP with this nominee. And, it doesn't look like the dems will filibuster.

I am putting the dems on notice. They don't filibuster, now. FORGET about my help, donations, and hundreds of hours of donated time.

I am LEAVING the party and going to work on outside Progressive groups.

The dems have ONE last chance. Filibuster. If not, why the hell would I stay with the party?

I have HAD it.

Posted by debbielus...

Yeah unfortunately alot of Dems feel that way, and it hurts the Democratic party, even while it is the Democrats' fault. I must agree with what a CSPAN caller said today, that, "The reason the Democrats never get anywhere is they try to please all the people all the time." By being afraid of doing anything that may piss off some people in the party, they end up never doing anything. I just hope instead of leaving the party, we can work harder to let the big dogs know they can put up a fight and still uphold our values. We aren't afraid, why should they be?

Who says being pro-choice is in the mainsteam? If that were the case, knowing how Bush stands on abortion, Bush would not have won the last two elections. I am offended with Dems co-op everybody when requiring that the nominee be in the mainstream, when they are defining the mainstream. Was Ginsberg in the mainstream? The fact that the Senate confirmed Alito to the Appeals Court and that leading democratic attorneys and judges endorsed him should make him a lock for the SC. Like it or not, the dems action this week is hurting how they are perceived by the "mainstream."

What does "pro-choice" really have to do with it. "Pro-choice" is a single-issue-voter smoke screen. Undoubtedly, if the right wing has its way there will be no right to choose, but then we won't have any of the rest of the 10 amendments to the Bill of Rights either. We also won't have the system of checks and balances that was built into this government. The attack on the Constitution is total, not just single-issue, and if the right wingers get their way, all we'll have left is an oligarchial dictatorship and a third-world economy.

Please, please, lets use common sense and filibuster this nominee. He is only trying to get a job...and its much more important that that. We have the chance to make this about the majority of people in the United States...Lets do it!

Here's a concept: God in his wisdom gave us a right to CHOOSE. Why should we let any person or persons take away that right. I am 110% for choice, I am also personally, against abortion AND I'm a Democrat...go figure!
I believe the best way to teach anyone anything is by education. Some choices like abortion are going to be decided personaly, as they should be.
I'm a Christian AND a Democrat. I would encourge anyone to read their Bible AND Do unto others as you would have them do to you...which also implies..DON'T do unto others as you DON'T want them to do to you!
We gotta change our nations direction...for our children if nothing else. If we don't...I hope we can deal with dictatorship. Cause here it comes! We're almost there already. With the way Big Business is writing the laws and running/ ruining the country.
I hope we can get it back!
When I was a child in the 60's communism was our enemy and it was partly described as a country where neighbors spyed on each other and the goverment spied on their own people...sound familier?

I am so tired of hearing about if Roe is over turned then abortion will be illegal. Nothing is further from the truth, if Roe is overturned it will become a State issue and each individual state will decide. NOW and DNC are using fear mongering to raise money, when Ted Kennedy (the ferry was not running so I swam across Marthas Vinyard) is the conscience of the Senate something is very wrong,The truth is Roe is a political issue that is emotionally dirven and is a source of fund raising, the truth is the truth, Here in California we have it written in our State Constitution that women have the for abortion. No federal law can take away that right,
I am so tired of the blowhard Senators Kennedy, Biden (spoke for 24 minutes of his 30 minutes question and answer period to mug for the camera), Schumer, Leahy, they no longer speak for the DNC, they are insignificant in todays world, they only want to retain power and care little if any about the common nman. I would be willing to bet they know nothing about the price of gasoline, bread, milk or even what a mortgage costs per month, they are the rich white liberals who know the best for the common man. Yet they never leave their rich white castles to see how the rest of us live. Unless this party gets back to the middle the Reps will control everything for the next generation. It is time for the younger new Dems to come into power and the Edsels of the Democratic party to get out of the way

Hey, Liberal Dems! You and MS. Smear just DON'T get it, do you? You are the Minority because ONLY a small minority thinks you are SANE.

On Teddy Kennedy and the subject of ethics: "Mary Jo was unavailable for comment."

Same old arguments from same old liberal democrat playbook. Big bad racist-GOP, taking away women's rights, polluting the water, hurting our civil rights. You guys really are truly the "Same-Old, Same-Old" in your arguments, but you are so far to the LEFT.

Get used to remaining the Minority. Get used to LOSING. Billiary, JFK & FDR's Ghosts, and every anti-American lie you attempt won't do anything for you in 2006 or 2008.

Go, GOP, President Bush! Thank GOD for Our Military, Our Nation, and RUSH!

CAREY
U.S. ARMY

KyOTFiddler:

If you're a Christian (no, I'm not doubting you), and you believe in the "Do unto others," why not show a little faith in Bush trying to do the right thing? RIGHT! Your use of scripture is limited. Sorry...I don't read anything about Jesus being concerned about "takeovers," or getting wrapped up in conspiracies.

Nice try...

KyOTFiddler: Guess you must be a "Carter Christian..."

:) Dems, go on with your loving...and Losing.

CAREY
U.S. ARMY

1. Roe is in doubt with a right-wing court. It's happened once. It can happen again. And they would add all kinds of regulations making it almost impossible for an abortion/contraception. It's a major issue.

Don't you get it? Countries like China tell the citizens what reproductive rights they have. Thanks for fighting to take away our "freedom." Go ahead, take that right away, and see how many woman start to vote Democrat. Go for it!

2. We will win when 80% of our voting systems are not run by two partisans, Diebold and ES&S. They are brothers. It's been proven that Gore had more, even without the thousands of votes purged by a Texas company. Kerry trounced bush. All the exit polls showed Kerry won. It's all leaking out... just like Rove's outing a secret agent. BTW, in a time of war, that's treason.

3. We don't buy Bush's two-step. Borrow and spend budget and pandering to patriotism. He's a joke. And you know it. Just remember "be careful what you ask for because you just might get it." Bush will go down as the worst President in history. His Chief of Staff will go to jail. So will his VP for taking us to war with manipulated intel and lies. It's worse than Watergate.

4. Alito is an Activist. Law experts stated that yesterday. Alito is an extremist. "Moreover, according to estimates by University of Chicago law professor Cass Sunstein, more than 90% of Alito's dissents take positions more conservative than those of his colleagues, a much higher percentage than even ultraconservative judges like Michael Luttig. Professor Sunstein has also noted that Alito is "so often more conservative than fellow Republican appointees," and that "when there is a conflict between institutions and individual rights, Alito's dissenting opinions argue against individual rights 84% of the time."

http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0112-17.htm

P.S. You couldn't hold Kennedy's jock strap when it comes to fighting for American workers, our children, justice, and freedom. No wonder you have to stoop to cheap person attacks. You're afraid of the facts. Only communists, fascists, and Islamic fundamentalist types would dare tell it's people what kind of personal medical decisions they can make. So don't wave the AMERICAN flag and destroy it's meaning and value around here, you GOP hypocrite.

What's the number one issue that Republicans use to defeat Democrats and liberals?

Fear.

Fear of terrorists and crime.

If you can't even find the courage to stand up for your principles, how can you convince Americans that you have the courage to keep America safe?

Unless the Democrats stand up against Alito, they'll never be able to convince America they'll be able to protect them. If Dems can't do that, they'll never get back in office.

Posted by GOPsoldier on January 14, 2006 at 07:22 AM
-------------------------

Who's a minority? Regardless of who controls Congress or the White House, in the 2000 and 2004 elections, if you take into account the fact that not all liberals are Democrats and not all conservatives Republicans, approximately 54 percent of Americans who bothered to vote voted for liberal candidates. And, unfortunately, alot of liberals don't vote, while conservatives almost always do. America is and always has been a liberal nation.

'Tis the first new poem of the new year...


Q&A
by Tarzana Joe

Welcome Judge, your honor
To our little tete a tete
We’re really pleased to have you
On hand with us today

I have several thousand questions
That I want to put to you
So that if you join the SCOTUS
I’ll know what you will do

My questions are important
Listen—and you’ll find--
That every word I utter
Reveals what’s in your mind

I’ve been thinking since I met you
Of some hypotheticals to test
So the folks who watch on C-span
Would see me at my best

And frankly I’m just puzzled
By the answers that I’ve heard
I’ve been speaking for an hour
And you haven’t said a word

I hope you don’t mind me having
Um, having my little say
But to use a baseball analogy
Rome wasn’t built in a day

Now let’s get down to business
The public needs to know
On every vital issue
Which way your vote will go.

I’ve devised a tricky question
From which my genius you’ll infer
I see your wife behind you
When did you stop beating her?

Heh-heh, I thought that I could trap you
But you wouldn’t take the bait
I thought that you might drop your guard
While I pontificate

And I’m frankly disappointed
By the way you’ve kept your head
And I don’t believe a word of
Everything you haven’t said.

Don’t think that you’ve convinced me
Don’t think that it’s been fun
Thank you judge for coming
I see my time is done

To Happy,
Your party is nothing but corruption and greed,
bust the budget and smile as the troops bleed,
for short-term profits and oil companies you sell,
I hope for you they have a special place in hell,

You come here to start trouble,
so I have to pop your bubble,
You know what I've said,
so just go right ahead,

1. Roe is in doubt with a right-wing court. It's happened once. It can happen again. And they would add all kinds of regulations making it almost impossible for an abortion/contraception. It's a major issue.

Don't you get it? Countries like China tell the citizens what reproductive rights they have. Thanks for fighting to take away our "freedom." Go ahead, take that right away, and see how many woman start to vote Democrat. Go for it!

2. We will win when 80% of our voting systems are not run by two partisans, Diebold and ES&S. They are brothers. It's been proven that Gore had more, even without the thousands of votes purged by a Texas company. Kerry trounced bush. All the exit polls showed Kerry won. It's all leaking out... just like Rove's outing a secret agent. BTW, in a time of war, that's treason.
http://www.solarbus.org/election/cd/test/videos.html

3. We don't buy Bush's two-step. Borrow and spend budget and pandering to patriotism. He's a joke. And you know it. Just remember "be careful what you ask for because you just might get it." Bush will go down as the worst President in history. His Chief of Staff will go to jail. So will his VP for taking us to war with manipulated intel and lies. It's worse than Watergate.

4. Alito is an Activist. Law experts stated that yesterday. Alito is an extremist. "Moreover, according to estimates by University of Chicago law professor Cass Sunstein, more than 90% of Alito's dissents take positions more conservative than those of his colleagues, a much higher percentage than even ultraconservative judges like Michael Luttig. Professor Sunstein has also noted that Alito is "so often more conservative than fellow Republican appointees," and that "when there is a conflict between institutions and individual rights, Alito's dissenting opinions argue against individual rights 84% of the time."

http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0112-17.htm

P.S. You couldn't hold Kennedy's jock strap when it comes to fighting for American workers, our children, justice, and freedom. No wonder you have to stoop to cheap person attacks. You're afraid of the facts. Only communists, fascists, and Islamic fundamentalist types would dare tell it's people what kind of personal medical decisions they can make. So don't wave the AMERICAN flag and destroy it's meaning and value around here, you GOP hypocrite.

Power Of Equality:

I believe in Billiary having the equal right of LOSING BIG IN 2008...to Dr. Rice.

Now, you and the other NAGS have to believe...in JUSTICE ALITO!
Go ahead and cry now...it's okay. Losing should become easier to you libs after a while, though. Love it, learn it, and embrace it...

J. CAREY
PROUD AMERICAN SOLDIER

Power Of Equality:

"You couldn't hold Kennedy's jock strap when it comes to fighting for American workers, our children, justice, and freedom? No wonder you have to stoop to cheap person attacks. You're afraid of the facts? Only communists, fascists, and Islamic fundamentalist types would dare tell it's people what kind of personal medical decisions they can make? ...don't wave the AMERICAN flag and destroy it's meaning and value around here, you GOP hypocrite?

Such words! Oh, Teddy's such a gooooood boy, isn't he??? And the DNC, Nancy Pelosi are such gooood Americans...BALONEY.

Personal attacks, NAG? How about the personal attacks on Alito. AND how about Teddy and ethics? Of course, Mary Jo is unavailable for comment on that one, isn't she? Just say, "Chappaquidik..." Just say Teddy's a hypocrite. Just say, like the other feminist, "We're fierce, We're feminists, and We're in your face!" Right...

Where are the FEMINAZIS when Dr. Rice is being verbally attacked, and sexual suggestions are being made by her? Oh, that's right - Dr. Rice is a CONSERVATIVE, and she doesn't count in your little group.

Please...

J. CAREY
U.S. ARMY

Okay...that WAS sexual suggestions being made about Dr. Rice, NOT by her.

JCC
U.S. ARMY

Justice Alito...

JUSTICE ALITO...

"JUSTICE ALITO!"

It's going to happen...just like your losing again in 2006, 2008...get over it.

JCC
U.S. ARMY

jlfallaw:

Sounds like you guys are the ones crying....Whaaaaaaaahhhhh!

Seek therapy for losing, and bless your heart.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR MEN & WOMEN IN UNIFORM, AND GOD BLESS PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH...& THE REPUBLICAN WHO WILL SUCCEED HIM.

Oh, yes...GOD BLESS JUSTICE ALITO.

JCC
U.S. ARMY

Happyonahorse:

LOVE that poem. Unfortunately, most on this blog are...

"CRYINGONAMULE."

Hope you libs appreciate my attempt to keep the nickname "clean." You might hate my humor and my guts, but you'll be hard pressed to find profanity...

JCC
U.S. ARMY

I loved hearing that Soldier who just returned from deployment put Murtha and another Congressmember in their place.

Murtha did serve his country well, but his stunts in the past few months have been self-serving and planned with Pelosi. What that man is saying is NOT in Our Soldiers' best interests. I, as a Soldier, was offended by his "Cut & Run" call, too, and I AGREE with Rep. Schmidt's move, before she backtracked.

About the only Dem I see with the same amount of courage and conviction is Sen. Liebermann. Of course, he's not useful to lib dems anymore, is he???

Care to debate that???

JCC
U.S. ARMY
GULF WAR, OIA & OIF VET
JCC
U.S. ARMY

Goodnight, all, or morning...where you are.

It's a GOP-World...

JCC
U.S. ARMY

1. Roe is in doubt with a right-wing court. It's happened once. It can happen again. And they would add all kinds of regulations making it almost impossible for an abortion/contraception. It's a major issue.

Don't you get it? Countries like China tell the citizens what reproductive rights they have. Thanks for fighting to take away our "freedom." Go ahead, take that right away, and see how many woman start to vote Democrat. Go for it!

2. We will win when 80% of our voting systems are not run by two partisans, Diebold and ES&S. They are brothers. It's been proven that Gore had more, even without the thousands of votes purged by a Texas company. Kerry trounced bush. All the exit polls showed Kerry won. It's all leaking out... just like Rove's outing a secret agent. BTW, in a time of war, that's treason.
http://www.solarbus.org/election/cd/test/videos.html

3. We don't buy Bush's two-step. Borrow and spend budget and pandering to patriotism. He's a joke. And you know it. Just remember "be careful what you ask for because you just might get it." Bush will go down as the worst President in history. His Chief of Staff will go to jail. So will his VP for taking us to war with manipulated intel and lies. It's worse than Watergate.

4. Alito is an Activist. Law experts stated that yesterday. Alito is an extremist. "Moreover, according to estimates by University of Chicago law professor Cass Sunstein, more than 90% of Alito's dissents take positions more conservative than those of his colleagues, a much higher percentage than even ultraconservative judges like Michael Luttig. Professor Sunstein has also noted that Alito is "so often more conservative than fellow Republican appointees," and that "when there is a conflict between institutions and individual rights, Alito's dissenting opinions argue against individual rights 84% of the time."

http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0112-17.htm

P.S. You couldn't hold Kennedy's jock strap when it comes to fighting for American workers, our children, justice, and freedom. No wonder you have to stoop to cheap person attacks. You're afraid of the facts. Only communists, fascists, and Islamic fundamentalist types would dare tell it's people what kind of personal medical decisions they can make. So don't wave the AMERICAN flag and destroy it's meaning and value around here, you GOP hypocrite.

No, it's a GOP VOTE COUNTING COMPANY!

IF you believe what that person said no Murta, you are sadly mistaken. Go talk to them. Recruiting is WAY down, and "stop loss" is a backdoor draft they don't like, and they are suing.

Did you hear about the sign in the RESEVRVISTS truck in Iraq? It said "one week-end a month, my ass."

Top Hot Topic: FILIBUSTER ALITO. If the Dems can't do this, the Repugnicons rule.

Call, Fax, Stop the Alito Confirmation. Google the Senate Judiciary Committee and email the Dems. Concentrate on Senator Brownback, who seems to be a voice of reason in the opposition.

Alito on the Supreme Court can block present and future progress, we know. I hope Democrats take the time and focus their attention on a filibuster. If the Democrats can't, they will lose women and many minorities.

GOP soldier sure does have alot of time on his hands. I guess he's one of those proud, brave soldiers who sit on their asses all day surfing the internet while the real soldiers are in Iraq and Afghanistan dying for their country. I also noticed the word Feminazi. Must be a Rush Limbaugh fan. Strange, Rush, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, Michael Savage; none of those right wing blowholes you love so much ever served in the military, despite their hawkish positions. Cheney, Libby, Rove, Wolfowitz- some of the military's most vocal "supporters", never served. Bush avoided Vietnam by wrangling a spot in the National Guard, and couldn't even serve his full commitment there. John Bolton, Andy Card, Richard Perle; vocal supporters of war, but never served in one. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson; Holy rollin' Christian soldiers- but not American soldiers. GOPsoldier loves the praise he gets from his beloved GOP, even though they only love him because he's dumb enough to fight for them and their fortunes. I wonder how he reconciles himself to the fact that the Bush administration has systematically slashed combat pay and veterans benefits and refused to provide troops with adequate armor, while dishing out billions to Cheney's buddies in Halliburton for meals never served to soldiers, services never provided to soldiers, and reconstruction never done. What a pathetic robot you are, GOP soldier. I guess you really deserve the GOP "leadership" you desire.

With its decisions the Supreme Court alters civil rights, contracts, Social Security, medicine, privacy, copyrights, trademarks, work safety, damages, debt collection, rent, due process, taxation, worker compensation, pensions, retirement, mobility, schools, the military, Wall Street, the Constitution, government, speech, the press, transportation, police procedure, reasonable doubt, and so much more. Every aspect of our life at home, work, and play is decided by that court.
Every appointment to the Supreme Court matters more than we dare imagine. With every appointment there comes an individual with preconceived attitudes towards society, government, business, religion, the Constitution and the law. It is a misconception that the Constitution is interpreted within limited boundaries. Our Constitution is a living document designed to change with circumstances, conditions and society.
If society sways to the right the Supreme Court will imitate society, provided Republican Presidents have the opportunity to appoint enough Justices to deliver conservative opinions. The same is true when society leans to the left.
I believe that access to justice must be universal and without respect to class and wealth. Circumstances can and will allow the least among us to change the world. Our access to justice prevents government, business and individuals from exploiting and abusing us as a people and as individuals. Case by case we live, love and pray and petitioner by respondent we change. It is vital we elect Presidents who will make appointments to the Supreme Court with the consideration of the people foremost in every thought.

Today Justice Robert showed how his record on the Supreme Court would be with the Oregon assisted suicide case. Justice Roberts joined the other two friends of the radical right on the Court (Scalia and Thomas) in a dissenting opinion.

The champions of "states rights" have shown "states rights" is just a code word for forwarding the radical right wing agenda and not a judicial philosophy.

What is unfolding is where Justice Roberts stands. It is becoming clear he will join Scalia and Thomas as an activist right wing judge. With Alito on the court that will become 4.

There shouldn't be any doubt in anybody's mind how the "block of 4" will vote on cases of Privacy Rights, Civil Rights, Individual Rights, Wall of Separation between Church and State, boundaries and scope of executive powers etc.

Make no mistake on the direction the interpretation of the constitution will go with Alito on the court.

It's interesting how GOPsoldier puts down the very people who have been standing up for the soldiers by fighting targeted pay raises which keeps the lower enlisted people on food stamps while they do the bulk of the fighting and dying. It's Democrats like Murtha who are trying to keep the Republicans from cutting the funding for the Veteran's Administration as the Bush admnistration's war is creating more disabled veteranms than anytime since Viet Nam.
GOPsoldier either is VERY badly misinformed, or he has, like the Bush administration, no regard for the lives of American military personnel.
I saw the changes in the command climate, I saw the generals with the ethics and the expertise get passed over, I saw the readiness reports get disregarded. I'm voting Democrat. Hoooah!!!

Just read that Sen. Nelson from Nebraska has come out and stated he will vote for Alito's nomination to SCOTUS. So much for a united democatic front of opposition. I guess his constituents in Nebraska really want Alito as a justice.

I wonder why when I go to the GOP website (just for the laughs), the send light on my modem stays lit about five times longer than it does for any other site? Collecting a little more personal data?

OPEN LETTER TO MEMBERS OF THE US SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
From: the Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy (POCLAD)

January 19, 2006

Dear US Senate Judiciary Committee Members,

The Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy (POCLAD) calls on you to complete your questioning of US Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. Judge Alito's position on the larger issue of this nation's democracy, trampled by the rights and powers of corporations to govern, was left untouched and unexplored following last week's Senate confirmation hearings.

The vast majority of non-criminal cases to be brought before the nine robed ones of the Supreme Court in the next few years will relate to matters of corporate "rights," protections, and dominance and their impact on the rights of human beings in this so-called democracy. How strange, therefore, that among the many questions posed to nominee Alito, not a single one addressed the doctrines of corporate autonomy and authority that insulate these collections of capital and property from control by the people and their legislatures -- which used to exist at one time in this nation.

Have the judiciary's efforts been so successful over the last 200 years to find corporations within the US Constitution and bestow constitutional "rights" upon them that current lawmakers fail even to question this democratically illegitimate reality? Indeed, for two centuries Supreme Court justices, the closest institution we have to Kings and Queens, have been at the center of affirming and expanding corporate rule and placing corporations well beyond the authority of the people. We hope you do not concur with this history and its consequences.

As the following questions were not asked of Judge Alito during his Senate hearings, it is absolutely necessary now to determine his response to them in writing. Only after Judge Alito responds to these concerns and his answers are promptly made available to the general public and to all U.S. Senators should voting on his confirmation occur.

The appointment for life of a person who will assume a position of vast and seemingly ever growing power in our society demands an exhaustive review of every issue area that he/she is likely to address on the high court. Corporate constitutional rights and their impact on our rights as self-governing human beings certainly qualifies as one such issue area. This decision is of the utmost importance to the fate of the country.

Respectfully,

Greg Coleridge
Karen Coulter
Mike Ferner
Ward Morehouse
Jim Price
Virginia Rasmussen
Mary Zepernick

For the Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy

Phone: 508-398-1145 people@poclad.org www.poclad.org

Questions for Judge Samuel Alito:

First a bit of background.
In a 1978 case, First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, the Supreme Court decided, 5 to 4, that business corporations -- just as flesh and blood persons like you and me -- have a First Amendment right to spend their money to influence elections. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist dissented. "It might reasonably be concluded," he wrote, "that those properties, so beneficial in the economic sphere, pose special dangers in the political sphere." The late Chief Justice went on to write: "Furthermore, it might be argued that liberties of political expression are not at all necessary to effectuate the purposes for which States permit commercial corporations to exist."

-- Do you believe that corporate money in our elections poses "special dangers in the political sphere"?

--Do you believe "that liberties of political expression" are necessary "to effectuate the purposes for which States permit commercial corporations to exist"?"

-- Do you believe that money is speech? Or is it property?

In 1886, only eighteen years after the people ratified the Fourteenth Amendment, the Supreme Court had before it Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad. The issue was whether the Amendment's guarantee of equal protection barred California from taxing property owned by a corporation differently from property owned by a human being. Chief Justice Morrison
Waite disposed of it with a bolt-from-the-blue pronouncement: "The Court does not wish to hear argument on the question whether the provision in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which forbids a state to deny any person the equal protection of the laws, applies to these corporations. We are all of the opinion that it does." How would you characterize the Court's refusal to hear argument in a momentous case before deciding it?

-- Judge Alito, was the "person" whose basic rights the framers and the people sought to protect through the 14th amendment to the Constitution the newly freed slave?

-- Was the "person" a corporation?

-- Is a corporation a person "born or naturalized in the United States"?

-- In proclaiming a paper entity to be a person, Judge Alito, was the court faithful to the intent of the framers of the Amendment and to the intent of the people who ratified it?

- Judge Alito, how would you characterize the court's refusal to hear argument in a momentous case before deciding it?

--Would you describe the court's decision in Santa Clara County as conservative? As radical? As open-minded?

--Would you agree that the Court that decided Santa Clara in 1886 failed to meet the standard of judicial conduct that was met by the Court in 1973, when it decided Roe v. Wade only after being fully briefed, hearing oral argument, and deliberating at length?

-- You have expressed profound admiration for Judge Robert H. Bork, calling him “one of the outstanding nominees of the 20th Century." As you know, he famously denounced Roe as "a wholly unjustified usurpation of state legislative authority." Without regard as to whether Roe was rightly or wrongly decided, was Santa Clara "a wholly unjustified usurpation of state legislative authority?"

-- Again without regard as to whether Roe was rightly or wrongly decided, how does it strike you that the Court has declared a corporation -- a paper entity that is neither born nor naturalized -- to be a person but has declared a fetus not to be a person?

Note: The above questions were drawn from an article prepared by Morton Mintz who covered the Supreme Court for the Washington Post for four years and is a former chair of the Fund for Investigative Journalism.

POCLAD researches corporate, legal and movement histories and works with activist organizations to develop strategies that assert human rights over property interests.

Corporate personhood is an idea put forward in the era of the robber barons of business, who made working conditions so miserable for real people that they sparked the rise of labor unions, and the resultant turmoil.
The way laws work, right now, the "persons" of the corporations have more rights than real people. We are regressing back to the 19th century.
Do we have to wait for things to get so bad that we have to repeat the events of the late 19th and early 20th centuries? This is NO way to start the 21st century. We need to be looking forward, not regressing into the past.
The Democrat party is SUPPOSED to stand up for real people. They need to start doing it, like yesterday.
Yes, it'll start a fight, and a bunch of mudslinging spin, but if we don't fight for the rights of real people, then we won't have anything. It's a fight worth fighting because it concerns the future of American citizens.
Grow a backbone, take Harry Truman lessons, kick butt and take names. Lead, Follow or get out of the way! Hoooah!!!