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You are here: Home / credit where due

credit where due

by Freddie deBoer|  August 4, 20119:58 am| 64 Comments

This post is in: Rare Sincerity

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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.

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Reader Interactions

64Comments

  1. 1.

    WereBear

    August 4, 2011 at 10:03 am

    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.

  2. 2.

    Rick Massimo

    August 4, 2011 at 10:06 am

    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.”

    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.

  3. 3.

    The Moar You Know

    August 4, 2011 at 10:16 am

    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.

  4. 4.

    Jewish Steel

    August 4, 2011 at 10:16 am

    not surprising that it’s falling back on diversity

    I wonder if Harvard grad M. Edward Whelan III has, not surprisingly, fallen back on inherited privilege.

  5. 5.

    Dennis SGMM

    August 4, 2011 at 10:18 am

    @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.

    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.

  6. 6.

    Freddie deBoer

    August 4, 2011 at 10:20 am

    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.

  7. 7.

    kwAwk

    August 4, 2011 at 10:20 am

    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.

  8. 8.

    General Stuck

    August 4, 2011 at 10:20 am

    Another poll on the debt ceiling deal, backs up the recent CNN results

    “But if you want evidence that conservative opinion leaders (Limbaugh, Red State, DeMint) might have more sway over Republicans and conservatives than liberal opinion leaders (Krugman, Daily Kos, Bernie Sanders) have over Democrats and liberals, check out these numbers. According to the poll, 64% of Republicans and 64% of conservatives opposed the deal. By comparison, 58% of Democrats and 51% of liberals supported it. Bottom line, at least per this poll: More Democrats and liberals sided with Obama. than with the liberal opinion elite.”

    Liberal blogs are a wonderland of bullshit.

  9. 9.

    Omnes Omnibus

    August 4, 2011 at 10:22 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    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…

    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.

  10. 10.

    Bob

    August 4, 2011 at 10:23 am

    CNN misuse of statistics 101

  11. 11.

    kindness

    August 4, 2011 at 10:24 am

    @The Moar You Know: So, are you gonna campaign for Ralph Nader?

    Me, I choose not to shoot myself in both feet.

  12. 12.

    OzoneR

    August 4, 2011 at 10:27 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    A diverse judiciary who is firmly in the pockets of corporations, spy services and the military is still a great Obama accomplishment, right?

    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.

  13. 13.

    Linda Featheringill

    August 4, 2011 at 10:28 am

    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.

  14. 14.

    General Stuck

    August 4, 2011 at 10:28 am

    CNN misuse of statistics 101

    LOL

  15. 15.

    Ben Cisco

    August 4, 2011 at 10:30 am

    __

    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.

    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.

  16. 16.

    OzoneR

    August 4, 2011 at 10:30 am

    @Linda Featheringill:

    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.

    and this is why its a mistake to elect a black president and expect him to successfully lead a progressive movement.

  17. 17.

    Dennis SGMM

    August 4, 2011 at 10:30 am

    @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.

  18. 18.

    Brian S

    August 4, 2011 at 10:31 am

    @Bob: MIsuse of Statistics would be a good class. I’d take that class.

  19. 19.

    OzoneR

    August 4, 2011 at 10:33 am

    @Dennis SGMM:

    I guess there’s no way that 58% of Democrats and 51% of liberals could have simply not wanted to see the economy crash.

    Doesn’t that make them weak in the eyes of the left?

  20. 20.

    Paris

    August 4, 2011 at 10:37 am

    The Obama administration doesn’t have a coherent judicial philosophy ideology

    fixed.

  21. 21.

    The Moar You Know

    August 4, 2011 at 10:37 am

    So, are you gonna campaign for Ralph Nader?

    @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.

  22. 22.

    Cacti

    August 4, 2011 at 10:40 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    That being said, I would prefer he go the LBJ route, frankly

    The LBJ route that ended with the election of Richard Nixon?

  23. 23.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    August 4, 2011 at 10:40 am

    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.

    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?

  24. 24.

    OzoneR

    August 4, 2011 at 10:41 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    That being said, I would prefer he go the LBJ route, frankly.

    Funny how LBJ suddenly stops being the progressive hero Obama should emulate and is now the right wing DINO failure Obama should emulate.

  25. 25.

    General Stuck

    August 4, 2011 at 10:42 am

    @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.

  26. 26.

    Judas Escargot

    August 4, 2011 at 10:46 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    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.

    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.

  27. 27.

    B W Smith

    August 4, 2011 at 10:47 am

    @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

  28. 28.

    Roger Moore

    August 4, 2011 at 10:48 am

    @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.

    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.

  29. 29.

    Samara Morgan

    August 4, 2011 at 10:52 am

    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.

    I am asking sincerely and openly: given that I have the commitments I’ve laid out above, how can I possibly support Barack Obama? He bragged—bragged—yesterday that this deal would be lowering non-defense discretionary spending to its lowest levels since the Eisenhower administration. That is, he bragged about his role in ending essential government programs that defend our environment, educate our children, provide crucial scientific and medical research, and in a myriad of ways contribute to the flourishing of our country and our people. At some point, the charade can’t continue.

    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.

    This is not merely a person who doesn’t deserve my support. This is a person who is unequivocally and demonstrably not an American liberal, and someone who has no interest in defending the historical constituencies or commitments of the Democratic party.

    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.

  30. 30.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    August 4, 2011 at 10:54 am

    @The Moar You Know:

    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.

    It’s a shame we didn’t make you all sign loyalty oaths back when you were at your most fervent.

  31. 31.

    Omnes Omnibus

    August 4, 2011 at 10:55 am

    @Samara Morgan: Copy and paste much?

  32. 32.

    Samara Morgan

    August 4, 2011 at 10:56 am

    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

  33. 33.

    Samara Morgan

    August 4, 2011 at 10:58 am

    @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.

  34. 34.

    Dennis SGMM

    August 4, 2011 at 11:00 am

    @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.

  35. 35.

    PK

    August 4, 2011 at 11:00 am

    So now we can get screwed by a more diverse bunch of people.

  36. 36.

    Dennis SGMM

    August 4, 2011 at 11:01 am

    @General Stuck:
    “Real liberals.”

    Bwahahahaha!

  37. 37.

    Roger Moore

    August 4, 2011 at 11:03 am

    @Linda Featheringill:

    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.

    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.

  38. 38.

    Freddie deBoer

    August 4, 2011 at 11:05 am

    How can I both be a left-wing critic of Obama and a libertarian?

  39. 39.

    OzoneR

    August 4, 2011 at 11:07 am

    @Judas Escargot:

    If Americans hate their government, they should look in the mirror. The problem is them.

    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

    Not to mention that if one were to take your comments to their logical conclusion, the country is hopelessly fucked no matter what we do.

    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.

  40. 40.

    General Stuck

    August 4, 2011 at 11:09 am

    @Dennis SGMM:

    Bwahahahaha!

    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.

  41. 41.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    August 4, 2011 at 11:12 am

    @Freddie deBoer:

    How can I both be a left-wing critic of Obama and a libertarian?

    You should prolly just ignore her like the rest of us.

  42. 42.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    August 4, 2011 at 11:13 am

    @Dennis:

    Starting to realize why you left the first time?

  43. 43.

    Omnes Omnibus

    August 4, 2011 at 11:14 am

    @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.

  44. 44.

    Samara Morgan

    August 4, 2011 at 11:49 am

    @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.

    I am asking sincerely and openly: given that I have the commitments I’ve laid out above, how can I possibly support Barack Obama? He bragged—bragged—yesterday that this deal would be lowering non-defense discretionary spending to its lowest levels since the Eisenhower administration. That is, he bragged about his role in ending essential government programs that defend our environment, educate our children, provide crucial scientific and medical research, and in a myriad of ways contribute to the flourishing of our country and our people. At some point, the charade can’t continue.

  45. 45.

    Dennis SGMM

    August 4, 2011 at 12:09 pm

    @Just Some Fuckhead:

    LOL! Some days more than others. I excuse it because it’s full of the zealotry of the newly converted.

  46. 46.

    Cat Lady

    August 4, 2011 at 12:12 pm

    @B W Smith:

    I am Nick!

  47. 47.

    Freddie deBoer

    August 4, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    Matoko, that is criticism of him being insufficiently left wing. You are now officially incomprehensible.

  48. 48.

    General Stuck

    August 4, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    @Dennis SGMM:

    I excuse it because it’s full of the zealotry of the newly converted.

    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.

  49. 49.

    Dennis SGMM

    August 4, 2011 at 12:36 pm

    @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.

  50. 50.

    General Stuck

    August 4, 2011 at 12:49 pm

    . My liberalism is neither pure nopr brilliant, just constant.

    LOL
    Yer a liberal legend in your own mind dude. And constant. Too funny.

  51. 51.

    Samara Morgan

    August 4, 2011 at 1:03 pm

    @Freddie deBoer:

    Matoko, that is criticism of him being insufficiently left wing. You are now officially incomprehensible.

    well you arent.

    Shorter de Bore;
    The left needs a tea party to get things done, and O is insufficentiently liberal.

    defend this statement WITH DATA (if you can.)

    I am asking sincerely and openly: given that I have the commitments I’ve laid out above, how can I possibly support Barack Obama? He bragged—bragged—yesterday that this deal would be lowering non-defense discretionary spending to its lowest levels since the Eisenhower administration. That is, he bragged about his role in ending essential government programs that defend our environment, educate our children, provide crucial scientific and medical research, and in a myriad of ways contribute to the flourishing of our country and our people. At some point, the charade can’t continue.

    otherwise run away like you usually do.

  52. 52.

    General Stuck

    August 4, 2011 at 1:05 pm

    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.

  53. 53.

    aisce

    August 4, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    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.

  54. 54.

    Samara Morgan

    August 4, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    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 teabaggers Team Reaver.

    Give the guy some credit for HCR.
    its the GOP’s waterloo.
    its the Doom of Sarnath the GOP.

  55. 55.

    General Stuck

    August 4, 2011 at 1:16 pm

    Anyways, you can have the last word. Later Alligators.

  56. 56.

    kindness

    August 4, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    @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.

  57. 57.

    Samara Morgan

    August 4, 2011 at 1:30 pm

    @Freddie deBoer: wallah, dude, defend your position.
    to paraphrase Patrick Henry,

    give me data or give me death.

  58. 58.

    Mike Lamb

    August 4, 2011 at 2:03 pm

    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!”

  59. 59.

    Samara Morgan

    August 4, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    @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.

    I am asking sincerely and openly: given that I have the commitments I’ve laid out above, how can I possibly support Barack Obama? He bragged—bragged—yesterday that this deal would be lowering non-defense discretionary spending to its lowest levels since the Eisenhower administration. That is, he bragged about his role in ending essential government programs that defend our environment, educate our children, provide crucial scientific and medical research, and in a myriad of ways contribute to the flourishing of our country and our people. At some point, the charade can’t continue.

    idc which.
    :)

  60. 60.

    Samara Morgan

    August 4, 2011 at 4:02 pm

    /taps foot impatiently

  61. 61.

    Ronbo

    August 4, 2011 at 4:05 pm

    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.

  62. 62.

    Triassic Sands

    August 4, 2011 at 4:26 pm

    Unless, of course, you happen to think that increasing diversity to be better representative of this country is a coherent judicial philosophy.

    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.

  63. 63.

    CaliCat

    August 5, 2011 at 12:15 am

    Reply @ General Stuck:

    Liberal blogs are a wonderland of bullshit

    I’m getting this on a T-shirt. A truer statement has never been uttered.

  64. 64.

    Samara Morgan

    August 5, 2011 at 5:18 am

    @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.

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