And the drone goes on.
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
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Alito: I LOVE freedom of speech and I strongly support those rights. Now I’m going to go through all the supreme court case law on the subject to make myself sound like an absolute expert on the subject. Because throughout this hearing we’re all pretending that I won’t have any law clerks to help me look up this law once I need to. I’m not going to piss off rich people who own shopping centers by saying that I think they are public forums. I’m going to talk about viewpoint discrimination because that ties right into the whole WAR ON CHRISTMAS.
Go right to the top, and tell ’em “No” to Alito’s confirmation:
Phone, fax, and email addresses for the Judiciary Committee.
Here’s another “Veto Alito” tool:
Write a letter to the editor of your local paper and contact your congress critters — all with one click.
People for the American Way has collected over 60,000 signatures to send to the Senate, please add yours:
Save the Court Petition
Alito: Commercial Speech? Thank you Senator DeWine for that softball question that makes me look smart (because even the most junior law student knows there is a distinction between commercial and political speech). That’s not the point, however. The point is that I’m letting you know I’m aware that some people would like to get rid of the protection of commercial speech and we all know that commercial speech rules tie into SIN – alcohol advertising, etc..
Not just “war on Xmas” and sin, but this also goes to the perceived right for so called Christians to proselytize, even when you don’t want to be friggin bothered.
More to the point, however, this goes to the “right” to block my access to go to Planned Parenthood and my right to be left the hell alone.
(I remember I was walking hand in hand w/ my hubby–not realizing how close I was to the local PP downtown, not realizing these dumb asses were protesting–and more to the point, not going to PP but just WALKING DOWN THE STREET WITH MY HUSBAND HOLDING HANDS and we were damn near accosted by some nut case saying, “Don’t kill your baby.” What the fuck? How the fuck do you know I’m pregnant? What the fuck business is it of yours what we do? You don’t know dumb fuck and it’s none of your fucking business. Sorry, flashback. Yes, we screamed on him, but damn–can we be left alone?)
Remember that DeWine, like the rest, are EXTREME right-wing cretins PARTICULARLY on abortion–DeWine esp.
You’d think you’d have heard more on “free speech zones” when it comes to protesting Shrub and this vile ass war, but this, too, has to do with abortion…until they overturn it.
Di Fi is up and is talking Roe.
Alito: Stare Decisis is not an inexorable command – everybody knows that! Because then we would by stuck with cases like Plessy (and Roe). What? You aren’t buying my answers? Oh Di Fi. You can quote me from Justice Roberts’ hearings all you want but I’m still going to evade you. And you know I have a bad memory so I can’t remember everything you just read to me.
If anyone has noticed that I am not around as much lately, well, it is because I have had to drop school (temporarily I hope!) and take a graveyard shift job just to get the recent inflation stacked bills payed…
Thanks for the outstanding job on the economy there with your VODOO ECONOMICS, rising national debt, shrinking US dollar, and inflation out the ying-yang MR. GOP tax-the-fuck-out-of-the-middle-class asshole.
And now… Back to your regularly scheduled GOP propaganda debunking.
(Pay no attention to the broke-middle-class-people behind the voting curtain) lol 🙂
OMG–I hope it’s short, too.
And I wish this “4” could pay a bill or two…I know a little something about that.
Keep your chin up. :<)
Since I haven’t been working the last few years at all, even with my wife’s “upper-middle-class” pay scale, we have been pretty much just “blade-running” on a month-to-month basis but doing ok.
Now with the inflation, rediculous costs of heating oil and gas for the car, and food etc, we have been feeling it the last year.
We should be fine again in a couple of months BUT, for the life of me, I cannot understand how everyone with “blue-collar-wages” and less (“Middle-class”, “Lower-middle-class”, AND POOR!) is getting by at all in our neck of the woods given the high cost of living around here to begin with even before all of the recent rising costs of everything?
on medicine, which they could not really afford anyway, many will reluctantly face the fact that housing is a luxury they can no longer afford, having already maxxed out their credit cards on last year’s utility bills, and medical treatment that they could not really afford, but purchased anyway.
Some will simply sit in the cold and perish, for others it will be a slower process, but a sacrifice they are apparently willing to make if their government believes it is best.
We aren’t “in that way” (YET? lol) but we are trying to avoid ending up in that kindof situation.
The only thing that pisses me off is tossing the education aside when I have been doing well in that department (Honor roll, Deans list, invited to join the “honor’s society/Elitist fraternity”, etc… lol) And for what? To work in a big-box retailer on the graveyard shift unloading trucks because it was the best paying job available in town? Cripes! What a waste.
Alito is still saying if he’s elected, essentially he can revisit rewrite any existing law, precedent or otherwise.
Alito: I think Justice Roberts rocks! And that’s all I’m going to say. Well, ok. I’ll go through everything I’ve said and you can take the time and trouble to compare it with this statement of Justice Roberts because I’m not going to do your work for you.
Alito: Damn, you noticed that I was willing to give my opinion on “one man one vote” even though there are 4 cases pending in the court right now on that issue, but I’m not willing to talk about Roe. So let me say again – it would not be appropriate for me to discuss this. I would be very respectful of the doctrine of stare decisis and that’s all I would say.
Alito: Clean Water Act? To get in front of my court you’d have to drink the water in front of me and immediately become paralyzed or, better yet, die.
Little critter endangered by global warming.
Alito does not concern himself with protecting the environment.
One of the things that strikes me while listening to Alito on the radio (and maybe not distracted by the the TV visuals) is how absolutely positive he is on some subjects, recalling in amazing detail all manner of arcana about the progression of various cases and events, while at other times, like when he’s answering questions about abortion, his membership in CAP, etc. he can’t recall, racking his brains about the most basic facts of the situation.
Alito: Terry Schiavo type cases? If I talk long enough about federal jurisdiction maybe everyone on life support will just die of boredom on their own and I won’t have to address it because I know these cases are SENSITIVE. Still alive? OK I’ll go through the Cruzan case and run out the clock.(Why do people pronounce Missouri with a long o—Missori, it really bugs me).
the parenthetical was my own editorial comment. He shouldn’t be chief justice if he doesn’t pronounce Missouri either Missoooori or Missooorah, like everybody else).
didn’t mean chief justice. Just justice
Damn straight! It’s Missooorah, as I recall from the several years I lived in Columbia.
It’s confusing enough having two correct pronunciations — we don’t need a third!
Republican up — I didn’t catch who. Does it matter. Blah, blah, blah, blah, you’re great, I have respect, blah, blah, blah, blah
It’s Sessions. But then again, it really doesn’t matter.
Sessions.
Alito: Let me interject here to say that you are stating my views perfectly Senator.
Sessions: Liberals are evil. Let me say LIBERAL as many times as possible.
Sessions: Letters, we have letters. On Vanguard, why should we worry about whether you lied to the Judiciary committee as long as we have letters about you that use the word “integrity” many many times.
Sessions: Let me liven up the session and let you talk a little and let’s let you talk about PORNOGRAPHY.
Alito: I’m going to talk about eminent domain first. Ah, there’s no place like home.
Shorter Sessions: Judge Alito, where on your ass would you like me to place my lips?
Sums up Sessions’ comments pretty accurately.
It was near thing trying not to toss my lunch listening to him…
This has been fun, but I have a 3:00 meeting. Hopefully it won’t take too long.
This may be cheating in a sense since this is not a named open thread.
This, to me, is an extremely important development vis a vis Iraq and the entire /Bush/Cheney/Neocon agenda there and I’ve seen or heard nothing about it in the corporate media save for this one article in the NYT here.
I think this may signal the end of the clever deception BushCo has sought to foist upon us, that being their desire and belief that they were helping to create a liberated democracy in Democracy. This announcment by Hakim would seem to indicate that such a dream is pure fantasy, an invention of delusional minds, and that their claim to be pursuing such a goal successfully is a failure on virtually every level.
Now back to alito, who under the critical inquiry of Feinstein, failed again to state that he regarded Roe as settled law. A vote for Alito is a vote to overturn Roe. It will be Spector’s legacy that he presided over this hearing and gave alito his enthusiastic support, and likely faux democrat Biden will further erode his already damaged credentials as a member of the Democratic Party.
I think Susan and Booman had to run some errands so I’ll fill in for a while. Russ Feingold is up now.
Alito is dodging Feingold’s question as to whether his appointment would change the direction og the court.
Feingold says Alito ruled against the defendent in every disputed death penalty case. Alito contends that he did find for the defendent at least twice.
Feingold clearly feels Alito is way too pro-capitol punishment.
Alito as a young man
Saturday Night Live’s Fred Armisen
Alito seems to be saying that he sees no ethical reason to recuse himself if Vanguard cases come before him on the Supreme Court.
Graham is up.
Can’t belive I missed Feingold! It’s hell having a job.
Has Graham asked any questions? Or has he just used his time to talk?
Pretty much the latter except for some softballs on the lines of “you would not beat your wife, would you?”
Bet his Stepford wife rolled on the floor with laughter at that.
Graham is waxing philosophical about Justice Ginsberg and what a well-meaning person who deserved the 96 votes she got for the Court despite her liberalism.
The point seems to be that Alito deserves to get 96 votes because he is a nice guy (debateable at best even if it was a good argument, which it isn’t). The Republicans forget that Clinton conferred with Congress before nominating Ginsberg and Orrin Hatch concurred in the nomination.
Shumer is up. Started out that Alito’s claim that he would open an open mind is meaningless. Every nominee says that. The point is a “response” to a question is not the same as an “answer.”
As a mark of the way that people can discriminate — no one I know in Missouri (who is originally from Missouri) likes Schumer and they ALL acknowledge its because they hate his accent. This comes to mind because one of my earlier meetings today was with someone originally from New York and she was going on and on about how great he is.
Learn to use that little bit of human fallibility and your Carl Rove.
Shumer just read Clarence Thomas confirmation hearing testimony pledging an “open mind” on abortion. Shumer hits another home run.
Blah, blah blah. I wish he’d ask a question.
He is setting the table and doing it meticulously and well.
Shumer just asked Alito if Roe is “settled law.” Why is it that only on the issue of Roe does Alito refuse to say if Roe is settled law.
Alito is still claiming he can’t answer because it will come before the court even though Shumer pointed out other cases where he answered the question that will also come before the court. Alito responds that perhaps he was too forthcoming on those other questions.
What was that, a “Sorry, I didn’t really mean to actually answer those other questions, so asking me this one is not fair…” response?
That is basically what the man said.
Shumer is strongly emphasizing that in view of Alito’s unqualified opinion in 1985 that the constitution does not provide for a right to abortion, that is it important that he now discuss the issue.
Shumer is cross-examining Alito on why he would put his membership in CAP on his job application if he had so little knowledge of who they were or when or why he joined? Alito has no credibility when he claims no knowledge of what CAP was all about.
The look on Schumer’s face while he’s tripping Alito up on CAP over and over…he’s having fun.
Schumer hitting him on the Princeton group. Schumer also was trying to get the man to admit he would overturn court precedent the first chance he gets and therefore is an activist judge. Roe v Wade
Schumer made Alito sweat more than his conscience. He was pretty good.
Cornyn is now saying the Democrats are over-reaching, citing a person who was on the original witness list who was later withdrawn who may have had some unusual views. Huh? Now they are even attacking the Dems for witnesses they decided not to call.
He referred to Alito yesterday as Scalito? Cornyn must be a closet lefty.
Thanks Jerry for picking up the live blogging. Great job and insight. I liked how you commented Shumer was “setting the table”.
Cornyn just apologised for accidentally calling Alito “Judge Scalito” yesterday. I missed that. A Freudian slip if ever there was one.
You can see it here. It’s hysterical.
That is too funny…
Thanks. Priceless.
Biden is on CNN. There asking him about Alito’s wife leaving the chamber in tears. She looked kind of bizarre in todays attire as yell as yesterday. The stories this strange woman could tell us.
When did she leave the chamber in tears.
<snark>
She must’ve experienced a sudden epiphany concerning her husband & Jeff Sessions.
</snark>
Sorry for the sophomoric humor, but I’m developing BS fatigue.
I hear you. I’m trying to listen to Durbin’s questions and I keep blanking out.
I’m afraid the only senators I’ve made sure to hear today were Feingold & Schumer.
Yet, regardless of fatigue, I keep listening.
I missed Feingold, for which I was very sorry. I found it hard to listen to Schumer’s questioning because it took it so long to get to his questions. I like Di Fi because she just peppered him with questions.
I’m afraid I missed Di Fi due to absolutely necessary chores.
Ultimately, I was compelled by Schumer’s questioning today to write him with my utmost support. Personally, I like the fact that he seems able to penetrate Alito’s composure.
Feingold definitely softened his approach as compared to yesterday, but he was certainly similarly pointed in his efforts to extract meaningful testimony.
I’m now hearing that what sent Mrs. Alito offstage was Sessions’ sincere apology for the committee’s nastiness. She’s described by NPR commentators as having experienced a ‘meltdown’.
Someone was asking him about the Princeton group I think. Makes you curious doesn’t it?
Seems an odd time to get teary.
They just recessed for 20 minutes. Three questioners remain, but the Dems are asking for another round. Specter hasn’t ruled on that request yet.
The CAP files Ted Kennedy wanted are going to be voluntarily produced.
current AP story:
Dems are losing the PR battle.
It certainly seems to me that he made these statements under extreme duress.
Here’s Brownback assuring us all of Alito’s confirmation by the full senate & ascension to the court. I suppose we can dispose with all the 3rd Circuit witnesses then.
In the small part that I was able to see today he seemed more agitated than yesterday. But it didn’t really matter what I saw since I’m not writing for the traditional media.
He looks like a bit sweaty.
Without the visuals (I’m listening via NPR), his agitation with regard to certain lines of questioning is very, very striking.
Stare, stare decisis,
they did not li-SEN, they’re not list’ning still,
perhaps they never will….
So it’s bye, bye Miss American Pie.
Pick me up off the floor — Senator Brownback decided not to use all of his time. Best PR move of the day.
Now Crazy Coburn is up.
coburn is nuts. Murder is covered by state law not federal law and in most states the death of an unborn fetus was not, for years, treated as murder.
At least Alito acknowledges that its a matter of state tort law.
All it takes for Federal Jurisdiction under the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment is a finding that there is a state guaranteed right to life that is being denied to the class of fetuses. Federal power could then be used to make sure fetuses get the same protection as others. That was a bone to drooling Southern segregationist fundies whose idea of payback for the federalized National Guard enforcing desegregation is using the Military to shut down Planned Parenthood offices in Massachusetts.