I’ve been criticized for failing to recognize the liberal victories of the Obama administration, and it’s a well-taken criticism. Here’s a good piece from NPR that highlights the Obama administration’s considerable and righteous efforts to make the American federal judiciary a more diverse institution. A justice system can only remain truly fair and impartial if it is made up of professionals who accurately reflect the composition of the nation. The Obama administration has to be commended for making this a priority.
Of course, there’s a Republican dicknose concern trolling.
“The Obama administration doesn’t have a coherent judicial philosophy so it’s not surprising that it’s falling back on diversity, which I think it sees among other things as appealing to its various political constituencies,” says Ed Whelan, a prominent conservative who used to work in the George W. Bush Justice Department.
Unless, of course, you happen to think that increasing diversity to be better representative of this country is a coherent judicial philosophy. That equality under the law was denied to so many classes of people for so long doesn’t change the fact that centuries of jurisprudence have proven the value and inherent justice of giving all constituents adequate representation among the judicial class. This kind of statement is classic GOP dreck, by the way; the idea that democratic republics such as ours have a legitimate interest in promoting the cause of equal representation is just dismissed out of hand. It’s got to be playing to political constituencies, the dread “special interests” that are code for “anybody Republicans don’t like.”
Note that the same Bush administration tool expresses the really important takeaway, to my mind: there is more diversity in large part because “There’s a much bigger pool of minority candidates with lots of legal experience….” It’s depressing, but not surprising, that he can’t see the disconnect here. There’s a much bigger pool of minority candidates with lots of legal experience precisely because of efforts like the one Obama is undertaking. Diversity breeds diversity. Years of affirmative action and other policies designed to give opportunities to underrepresented groups at all levels– law school, clerkships, in DA and public defender offices– have led directly to talented and experience minority candidates who can fill these vacancies and make the courtroom a more equal and fair institution.
Why, you might even say that those programs are helping America to more fully embody its best commitments.
WereBear
Excellent point to make; the judiciary makes decisions that live a long time.
I firmly believe, with the challenges facing the whole world, that we ignore any pool of talent at our peril.
Rick Massimo
The underlying mindset being that white men are Americans and everyone else is just sort of along for the ride and are welcome to stay as long as they don’t make too much trouble for the Americans.
P.S.: re “credit where due,” you don’t want the only reason to vote for someone to be “look at whom he pisses off,” but I have no problem saying that that’s on my list of reasons to support Obama again.
The Moar You Know
Frankly, that’s nice and all, but I’d be happier with a judiciary of 100% straight, lily-white men who would actually enforce the law, to wit – against those who spy on citizens without warrants, those who commit war crimes, those who lie to get the nation into undeclared wars, those who break into hotels to steal opposition party files…you get the idea.
But hey, at least we can console ourselves with “diversity”. A diverse judiciary who is firmly in the pockets of corporations, spy services and the military is still a great Obama accomplishment, right?
EDIT: Yes, I’m bitter. I had a “come to Jesus” moment last night where I realized my president has failed not just me, and not just my party, but my nation in some very important and fundamental ways and I’m not sure I can get over it. Apologies made to whoever pleases.
Jewish Steel
I wonder if Harvard grad M. Edward Whelan III has, not surprisingly, fallen back on inherited privilege.
Dennis SGMM
@Rick Massimo:
You’re obviously overlooking the fact that none of those others could even survive here before before the heroic white men singlehandedly made this a fit place to live.
Freddie deBoer
But hey, at least we can console ourselves with “diversity”. A diverse judiciary who is firmly in the pockets of corporations, spy services and the military is still a great Obama accomplishment, right?
As I said, I believe that a more diverse judiciary is a good in and of itself. That the judiciary is afflicted with the same endemic deference to moneyed interests as the rest of our political process is tragic, but it doesn’t discount the importance of a diverse judicial branch. If you could demonstrate to me that there’s a conflict between having a diverse bench and having one that checks corporate interests, we could discuss it. But I don’t see any reason to believe that’s the case.
kwAwk
This is actually very informative of the way conservatives think. It’s a failing that the President doesn’t have a coherent judicial philosophy, as if the coherent judicial philosophy of the ruling party should determine the coherent judicial philosophy of the courts.
We don’t want judges who are good at what they do, we want judges who’ll rule the way we want.
General Stuck
Another poll on the debt ceiling deal, backs up the recent CNN results
Liberal blogs are a wonderland of bullshit.
Omnes Omnibus
@The Moar You Know:
Were any of the judges who dismissed these types of cases appointed by Obama? An appointment to the federal bench is a lifetime gig. The ranks of the judiciary are stuffed with Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II appointees. Not much can be done about them except to appoint good people to replace them when they leave.
Bob
CNN misuse of statistics 101
kindness
@The Moar You Know: So, are you gonna campaign for Ralph Nader?
Me, I choose not to shoot myself in both feet.
OzoneR
@The Moar You Know:
When you get over your bitterness, see how Sotomayor and Kagen have been ruling since they got on SCOTUS.
Hint, not for corporations, spy services and the military.
Linda Featheringill
Have judges that reflect the population as a whole could lead to an even more stable union.
If you think you’re going to get a fair hearing by someone who understands you, there are a lot of things you probably won’t do.
General Stuck
LOL
Ben Cisco
__
Great point.
__
I hit the wall with a black conservative friend of mine (we have since stopped communicating) over this very issue; specifically, over the Sotamayor appointment to SCOTUS. Among the issues he had the appointment (other than falling for the whole “wise Latina = reverse racist” agitprop) was that President Obama “can’t even consider a white guy for the job.” It never even occurred to him how thoroughly JACKED that line of thought was, let alone on how MANY levels. I tried to point this out to him, only to get the “politically correct” screed unleashed on me.
__
Finally, I told him that the power structure in America spent so many decades hammering home the point that anything not white or male was by definition second class/second rate/less than ideal, that some of US had even become convinced of it. That was pretty much the last political conversation we had.
__
I wonder what he thinks of what has gone on since.
OzoneR
@Linda Featheringill:
and this is why its a mistake to elect a black president and expect him to successfully lead a progressive movement.
Dennis SGMM
@General Stuck:
I guess there’s no way that 58% of Democrats and 51% of liberals could have simply not wanted to see the economy crash.
Brian S
@Bob: MIsuse of Statistics would be a good class. I’d take that class.
OzoneR
@Dennis SGMM:
Doesn’t that make them weak in the eyes of the left?
Paris
fixed.
The Moar You Know
@kindness: Oy, the stupid reflexiveness of the hardcore Obama supporter. What is more embarrassing about your comment than anything else is that I probably would have posted it myself two weeks ago.
Those of us who are unhappy with Obama aren’t going to vote Republican, or third-party – at least not those of us with any brains. No, if he’s the Democrat in 2012, I will, reluctantly, vote for him. That being said, I would prefer he go the LBJ route, frankly.
Cacti
@The Moar You Know:
The LBJ route that ended with the election of Richard Nixon?
Just Some Fuckhead
Is this why the SC sucks? 6 Catholics/3 Jews. 7 men/2 women. 7 Caucasians/1 Hispanic/1 African-American. 6 Conservatives/2 Moderates/1 Liberal? 8 Heterosexuals/1 Closested Homosexual?
OzoneR
@The Moar You Know:
Funny how LBJ suddenly stops being the progressive hero Obama should emulate and is now the right wing DINO failure Obama should emulate.
General Stuck
@Dennis SGMM:
You completely miss the point as usual, dude. Which was real liberals out there in the countryside don’t listen to fappers like you, Krugman, Sanders and the rest of the chicken little firebagger crowd, whatever their reasons for supporting the Obama debt deal.
And that is, like always, backed up as actual staunch and rock steady approval of Obama’s job performance by the monthly polling by Gallup where self described liberals have the highest of any dem group, and highest since they started polling. It hasn’t moved much from 85 to 90 percent for libs. REAL libs.
Judas Escargot
@The Moar You Know:
I still think we have the best President our culture could realistically give us at this point in history. And I don’t buy into the “The System(tm) is Rotten” narrative, either.
Thirty-odd percent of Americans are essentially insane. And an additional 20-30% (at least) is too damned stupid for self-reflection and responding to reality (and therefore, too stupid for self-government). Our elected government reflects these conditions perfectly.
“The System”, sadly, is functioning exactly as designed: It’s the “inputs” to that system (ie the citizenry, and the media that serves them) that’s the problem.
If Americans hate their government, they should look in the mirror. The problem is them.
B W Smith
@The Moar You Know: If I remember correctly, “going the LBJ route” got us Richard Nixon. No thanks.
Edit: beaten by Ozone, now I guess I’ll be called Nick
Roger Moore
@The Moar You Know:
Yes, I’d like a pony, too. But until you can propose a system whereby we can get the judiciary you’re describing- where the judges will come from and how they’ll get confirmed- it’s a pipe dream. If you want a more valid point to criticize Obama’s appointments, it’s in Justice, not the Judiciary; there he has a lot more control and could have picked people committed to prosecuting the Bush Administration’s abuses.
Samara Morgan
No, de BORE, a lot of people are criticizing you for lying, glibertarian spin and your vitriolic and unjustified hatred of Obama.
Not to mention putting completely different posts on your home blog, and here where you massage shit for your credulous juicer audience.
I still want you to explain this statement.
Obama did that? i think that is a pack of hysterical lies and firebagger spin. Please defend your assertions with facts and links.
Now here is some pure venom for you.
your politics theory post was partly about excess invective directed at Obama from the Left– yet you are the biggest Obama Concern-Troll on the thread.
Do you think i dont read your blog?
run away and whine to Cole and mistermix about mean i am or stand deliver, defend what you said.
you should mail Cole.
he lurves mail.
Just Some Fuckhead
@The Moar You Know:
It’s a shame we didn’t make you all sign loyalty oaths back when you were at your most fervent.
Omnes Omnibus
@Samara Morgan: Copy and paste much?
Samara Morgan
HALP HALP ABL!
the undead glibertarian is back! bring a stake of truth and justice to drive into his pustulant heart!
/draws Blood Pentagram on screen to summon ABL
Samara Morgan
@Omnes Omnibus: lissen fucktard. its my right to ax this creepy little poseur to defend what he posts on his blog.
i’ll copy and paste that shit until he defends or retracts.
Dennis SGMM
@OzoneR:
Not in my eyes anyway. Congress was starting to look, to me, eerily reminiscent of the Guns of August. At this point the economy seems to be so deeply broken that no administration, even with enthusiastic congressional majorities, can fix it so if the price of averting a genuine catastrophe was to accept anything other than a clean debt-ceiling increase then that’s the way it has to be.
PK
So now we can get screwed by a more diverse bunch of people.
Dennis SGMM
@General Stuck:
“Real liberals.”
Bwahahahaha!
Roger Moore
@Linda Featheringill:
This applies beyond the judiciary, too. You’re a lot more likely to turn to the police if there are officers who look like you and understand your cultural background than if they look like a foreign occupation. You’re more likely to try to work within the political system if there are people like you who have succeeded in getting elected to important offices. The idea that anyone can succeed in America is much more convincing if the group of successful people is diverse rather than a bunch of old white guys.
Freddie deBoer
How can I both be a left-wing critic of Obama and a libertarian?
OzoneR
@Judas Escargot:
I think liberals realize this, but refuse to admit because it will force them to accept that “fighting for the people” isn’t necessarily fighting for their values.
In yesterday’s thread when I was once again accused of being a Nick, liberal said this to me
And the answer to that is, yes, we are hopelessly fucked no matter what we do as long as we keep believing people “get it.” Once again, I go back to the president. Anyone who thought a black man who barely got his party’s nomination is going to be able to convince the white-majority that they’ve been wrong for the past 40 years is beyond delusional. As long as the left is living in that type of delusion, it’s hopeless.
My problem with the left is simply, they fail to see the public doesn’t want what they’re selling, even if they say so in polls. People want jobs, but they’ve never thought Keynesian economics would bring jobs, even if Obama and Democrats try to sell the idea during the stimulus era. That’s why the stimulus was unpopular almost immediately after it passed. At the time I never saw the left defend Keynesian ideas. I never saw them defend high speed rail funding, even when GOP candidates ran on platforms of REJECTING the money. I only saw them mock Sarah Palin and then complain about “not winning the message war.”
I mentioned the other day that Nassau County, NY rejected a bond initiative that would pump $400 million into new infrastructure projects including a new arena for the Islanders, worth 4,000 jobs in a county that needs jobs and more taxable income. They did so despite it only costing each household less than $40 a year. The bond initiative failed in Democratic parts of the country more than in Republican parts.
It probably fell on deaf ears.
The greatest enemy to a progressive agenda is the people themselves.
General Stuck
@Dennis SGMM:
You’re to dumb to know I was mocking you with the Real Liberals quip. It really means liberals that aren’t driveling idiots on blogs pumping out bullshit and telling everyone that Obama shit on his base, and why are they right? cause they worked on campaigns for like ever, and it was hard work, really hard work.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Freddie deBoer:
You should prolly just ignore her like the rest of us.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Dennis:
Starting to realize why you left the first time?
Omnes Omnibus
@Samara Morgan: You will, of course, do whatever you choose. I simply chose to observe that you were copying and pasting. Which I find a bit sad.
Samara Morgan
@Freddie deBoer: all libertarians are Obama-concern trolls.
it is the Greenwald Axiom of the Unified Field Theory of Libertariansism.
you are not “left-wing”. you just headfake left-wing for you posts here as I FUCKING POINTED OUT.
you are a liberty-as-goal libertarian.
i know you read that Manzi taxonomy.
quit denying it and defend what you said ON YOUR BLOG.
Dennis SGMM
@Just Some Fuckhead:
LOL! Some days more than others. I excuse it because it’s full of the zealotry of the newly converted.
Cat Lady
@B W Smith:
I am Nick!
Freddie deBoer
Matoko, that is criticism of him being insufficiently left wing. You are now officially incomprehensible.
General Stuck
@Dennis SGMM:
I am humbled by your pure and brilliant liberalism. Us peon Obama supporters hope to reach such spiritual perfection, but I guess we just don’t know any better. Yer funny dude. A head case. But funny.
And nice firebagger reach around there fuckhead.
Dennis SGMM
@General Stuck:
I am chastened indeed because you almost never stoop to branding anyone a firebagger. My liberalism is neither pure nopr brilliant, just constant.
General Stuck
LOL
Yer a liberal legend in your own mind dude. And constant. Too funny.
Samara Morgan
@Freddie deBoer:
well you arent.
defend this statement WITH DATA (if you can.)
otherwise run away like you usually do.
General Stuck
Here is a suggestion, why don’t you clowns form a new and more pure party than the one that most us unconstant dems that support the current democrat president Obama, and quit running around with purity tests of those 90 percent that approve of the job Obama is doing. Do Something, any fucking thing, other than blather on blog and grade Obama supporters according to some magic formula litmus test you made up in your heads on “constant” liberalism.
You could call it the 10 percenters, or something like that.
aisce
fucking leftist scum. this is why you get punched.
you spend half your time moaning about every last societal ill, but then, once there’s the most socially progressive administration ever to the point where he makes his democratic predecessor look like a reactionary troglodyte, suddenly it’s 100% economics again.
fucking losers and miserablists. did you know communism failed? true story.
Samara Morgan
And here we have Our Fucking Resident Obama Concern Troll giving Obama some grudging credit for the judiciary?
you fucking assclown de Bore, we have a CONSERVATIVE judiciary because of glibertarians like you, basically fifth columists for
the teabaggersTeam Reaver.Give the guy some credit for HCR.
its the GOP’s waterloo.
its the Doom of
Sarnaththe GOP.General Stuck
Anyways, you can have the last word. Later Alligators.
kindness
@Moar You Know: Dude, projection much? Yes, I’d say.
I am not happy with Obama, I want him to fight and not be ‘the adult in the room’. He won’t. So I say I’ll vote for the Democrat & not the third party candidate that splits the ticket and gives the election to the fascists. And for that I’m labeled an OBOT. What ever dude. Me, I have a happy life. Hope you find yours.
Samara Morgan
@Freddie deBoer: wallah, dude, defend your position.
to paraphrase Patrick Henry,
Mike Lamb
Samara reminds me of a dog trapped in a yard, that barks at the neighbor’s car as he/she drives to work each morning. Each time, the car keeps driving on to work, and the dog smugly thinks “That’s right, you’re scared, run away!”
Samara Morgan
@Mike Lamb: but freddie does always run away.
just like Kain did.
eventually the driver will pick a different route to drive to work, like Kain did. or de Bore COULD defend his statement.
idc which.
:)
Samara Morgan
/taps foot impatiently
Ronbo
Yes, we need MORE ultra-conservative, staunchly Republican judges. Without them, how could we make “Citizens United” look like a moderate decision to get more free speech?
God bless the trojan-horse Republican that currently occupies the Whitehouse. How many times can FOX call him “liberal” when he just keeps moving policy right? Richard M. Nixon is now a flaimin’ Liberal by modern standards.
Triassic Sands
In the United States the only truly coherent judicial philosophy is the one that appoints judges and justices who favor the wealthy and corporations over all else. It’s who sits on the courts and it isn’t absent even in Obama’s appointees, though it is much less important to them than to Republican appointees. By the time anyone is appointed to a high court seat, he or she has attained privileged status.
I can’t help but think of Sandra Day O’Connor, who, I imagine saw herself as open-minded and compassionate (which is why so many conservatives hated her), but her opinions and speeches made it clear that she was utterly incapable of thinking outside her “class.” In 2000, she couldn’t understand how any voter would have trouble with a butterfly ballot. With a relatively high IQ and a law degree from Stanford, O’Connor couldn’t understand how an high school dropout or an elderly person could be confused by something that didn’t confuse her. It was painful listening to her reveal her complete unawareness of what most voters are like.
CaliCat
Reply @ General Stuck:
I’m getting this on a T-shirt. A truer statement has never been uttered.
Samara Morgan
@CaliCat: lol!
liberal blogs are at least empirical.
conservative blogs, OTOH, a wonderland of delusion, the fantasy of the “freed” market, american “exceptionalism, “victory” in Iraq and A-stan.