Dear Bieber (h/t reader DE). I made it halfway through and I need a drink…and I’ve had a already had three. (Party/reception at work.)
The Obama administration stipulated the incontestable to a disgruntled federal court on Thursday, formally declaring that “the power of the courts to review the constitutionality of legislation is beyond dispute.”
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., bowing to an unusual demand of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in New Orleans, made official the backpedaling of the past few days over remarks by President Obama about the Supreme Court’s coming ruling on the constitutionality of his health care overhaul. Mr. Obama said on Monday that it “would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step” for the court to overturn the law.
Ever since, the White House has been struggling to explain what the president meant.
Obama engages in legitimate criticism of the most partisan SCOTUS in American history. Winger judge gets his panties in a wad over it. That just shows that Obama went over the line of civilitude and seriousness.
Shoot me.
Baud
I saw that and knew it was going to make the front page here.
Auldblackjack
The Ref’s DO NOT call travelling on the Globetrotters when it’s the 4th quarter, and it’s ALWAYS the 4th quarter.
SiubhanDuinne
??
??
??
Just … FUCK.
Montysano
I’ve read of Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, et al, firing the same sort of shot across the bow of SCOTUS. It’s a completely unremarkable event, except when done by the Near Sheriff. Then, of course, it’s thuggery of the highest order.
The Snarxist Formerly Known As Kryptik
It’s how GOP projection continues to be so stupidly and wildly successful: the media, by necessity, always has to believe the worst of any Democrat and the best of any Republican.
Tonal Crow
Our “liberal” media at work. Bobo’s in the newsroom, you betcha.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Three what?
Time for surrogates to step up to point out: 1) The Court represents one of three branches of government, not a magical temple where Hamilton and Madison talk to them through a magic hat; 2) Scalia was aggressively and cheerfully ignorant of the subject under discussion.
Brachiator
@Doug:
Shorter: he got uppity.
danimal
BREAKING: Obama Uses GOP Talking Points to Describe Supreme Court: Conservatives realize their talking points have made them gigantic pricks for the past two decades; blame Obama for incivility.
General Stuck
It all means exactly nothing, other than just vapors driven punditry by the Village Idiots. The facts of the matter still involve the simple proposition of whether the current SC will cancel 80 years of precedent to eviscerate a run of the mill commerce clause case, to change the American legal landscape in a tectonic way, and in the process, deny 35 million people life saving health care. Nothing Obama says relieves the wingnut justices of this weighty decision, to put it mildly. I still don’t think Kennedy has the stones for that big a roll of the political dice, that the wingnut world is waiting for with bated breath, to save them with a massive turn back of the clock and a big rebuke of Obama and his signature issue. But we shall see.
R Johnston
Lee Atwater was wrong. You can still say “nigger, nigger, nigger,” even in the pages of the New York Times.
Amir Khalid
This is not all that hard to explain. Good journamalism consists of presenting the story in as dramatic and colorful a fashion as possible, so that the New York Times’ readers can be informed, educated and entertained. (That last one very important, you know.) As the legendary journalist Lois Lane once explained to a rookie at her newspaper: “A good reporter doesn’t get great stories. A good reporter makes the story great.”
J. Michael Neal
OT: Burnsie’s team just went down to Ferris State.
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
If we have to have a magic hat running SCOTUS, could it please stop sorting so many of the justices into Slytherin House?
Amir Khalid
Also too, none of you guys were even slightly surprised by this kind of coverage, were you?
The Snarxist Formerly Known As Kryptik
@R Johnston:
And elsewhere. Just ask Trayvon Martin……. (sigh).
TuiMel
@Baud:
I am surprised it took this long…
I listened to Judge Smith making his request. I’ve had much to feel depressed about lately; this was like a cherry on my WTF Sundae.
Arm The Homeless
@Amir Khalid: I think the Village is trying desperately to get Obama into the horse-race since it’s becoming evident that the Klown Kar is becoming too pungent to watch very closely.
I honestly think that many of the punditubbies fear that they won’t have enough time to trash Obama before the GOP convention.
When the ACA is upheld, the story immediately pivots to the emerging motivation within the conservative ranks, and whether or not this means certain doom for Obama, or double-certain doom.
eemom
Actually Obama didn’t criticize shit, legitimately or otherwise. Au contraire, he said he was confident that the Court would NOT fuck this up by engaging in judicial activism and overturning the will of the democratically elected majority.
Anyway mon General is right:
ALL of this is meaningless theatrics, including and especially the antics of that fucktard 5th Circuit judge.
The Snarxist Formerly Known As Kryptik
@TuiMel:
I have to admit, between Hay Fever, the Trayvon Martin story turning into a mainstreamed outlit to declare all blacks Stupid Inherently Criminal Reverse Racist Thugs with a massive dose of victim blame to boot, and the Supreme Court Circus egged on by the Village Vapors, showing just how easily GOP projection becomes conventional wisdom….this week has been flat out shit.
I’d be tearing my hair out if I didn’t get it buzzed short enough to have zero grip on it.
Joseph Nobles
Backpedaling = Explaining why what you said is correct while black.
Had an acquaintance on Facebook ranting about how Obama said the SCOTUS “didn’t have the right” to overturn laws. I posted the link to the original press conference transcript on Whitehouse.gov and told him to point out where Obama said “didn’t have the right” or anything like it. His answer? “He implied it strongly.”
Wingnuts, pay attention: THAT is backpedaling.
Comrade Scrutinizer
BANG!
David Koch
Liburel media bias strikes again.
jlow
@The Snarxist Formerly Known As Kryptik: or even Rue. (If fictional characters count).
RD
@Auldblackjack:
Not unlike the relationship between Cindy Crosby and NHL referees.
dedc79
For the record, the original article as posted on the Times website was way worse. A friend pointed it out to me and then about thirty minutes later it was clear they were in the process of editing it (and the title). Trying to see if I find a shot of the original.
It refers to Obama/Holder as “bowing” to the court and being “obedient”. And that’s not the half of it. Seriously it made it sound like Obama was some angry servant getting reprimanded by his boss.
David Koch
This is the same liburel media who still insists Obama made a mistake in requiring religious employers to cover contraception.
This is the same liburel media who tried to turn the Bin Laden raid into a scandal because John Brennan gave some incorrect details.
Paul W.
Ignore this stuff, every other normal American already is.
Wanking by wankers is nothing new.
West of the Cascades
What assholes at the NYT — the letter was a blow-off to Judge Smith. Besides a straightforward answer to his question (“yes – see Marbury v. Madison), Holder’s letter spent two pages focused on arguing for the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (cleverly without explicitly saying it was discussing the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act), and asserting (correctly) the principle that despite judicial review Courts should be deferential in their review of Congressional enactments.
Judge Panties-in-Knot had also ordered Holder to submit a letter of no less than 3 pages and address the President’s comments “with specificity.” Holder’s letter is 2 and a half pages and refers to the President’s comments only in the last sentence, saying
“The President’s remarks were fully consistent with the principles described herein.”
Basically, Eric Holder told Judge Smith to go fuck himself in a polite legal and fairly brilliant way. And the fucking New York Times ought to get someone who is actually a lawyer to write articles about legal issues.
Assholes.
Keith G
A tempest in a bathtub. It will be hardly remembered in 5 days. Why waste time on blathering that does not add to our overall needs?
Amir Khalid
@Arm The Homeless:
Given the vast difference between Obama and the remaining Republican candidate(s, if you’re being generous) it looks like there’s not going to be a real race for president on the merits. Obama’s got game, as president and as candidate, got it all. Mitt is a transparent phony who can’t keep his foot out of his mouth, Mr Frothy’s creepy wowsering appeals only to other creepy wowsers, Noot’s jig is up, and Ron Paul was never in it.
If the NYT doesn’t pretend the race to the White House is decently close, an army of Lois Lanes couldn’t make a great story out of the coverage. No story means no readers, no readers means no advertisers. No advertisers means no New York Times. And then where will I get my regular fix of KThug and Gail Collins?
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
I think you need to remember your last post and fight. Write them, bitch and throw down rather than running for your drink.
Baron Jrod of Keeblershire
C’mon Judge Smith. Charge that bastard Holder with contempt for daring to make his book report a half page shorter than you demanded. Pin that uppity negro down and make him pay for disrespecting you. Don’t worry, the whole nation is behind you. I read it in the WSJ editorial pages.
As a great freedom fighter once said: “They always get away.” Don’t let this slippery criminal get away! As another great man once said: “Respect mah athoritah!”
burnspbesq
@J. Michael Neal:
We played well enough to win for 55 minutes. Unfortunately, the game isn’t 55 minutes long.
We’ll be back.
Tonal Crow
@Belafon (formerly anonevent):
Exactly. Write them an LTE.
burnspbesq
OT: It probably won’t surprise you to learn that in Simi Valley, CA (the home of the Reagan Library), there is a public thoroughfare called Galt Street. Wish I could have gotten a picture of the sign, but I was too damn slow.
Baron Jrod of Keeblershire
@burnspbesq: I asume that Galt Street has been freed from the crushing tyranny of traffic law so that society’s makers can experiment with more efficient means of transportation. Hey, maybe driving straight down the middle of the street while clearing your path with a flamethrower is the better way, but we’d never know thanks to the cradle-to-grave nanny state telling us how to drive.
Citizen_X
That awful colored man stipulated the incontestable? He stipulated the incontestable? Oh mah stars! Ah do believe ah may faint!
prufrock
@burnspbesq: I saw one of those in Omaha too. I nearly wrecked my car.
burnspbesq
@efgoldman:
It’s also been held in Anaheim. All you need is an NHL arena. And if you’d been cooped up in Duluth or Orono all winter, wouldn’t you like a chance to expose your pasty white flesh to the sun in early April?
Baron Jrod of Keeblershire
@efgoldman: It’s almost like people retain more accurate information and critical thinking faculties when they don’t live in a country with a trillion-dollar right-wing propaganda operation. Who knew?
grandpa john
It’s useless to waste time on idiots like this, After seeing this kind of garbage, I like to go look at the RCP electoral vote page. Obama 233 EV likely or leaning with all the leaning except NV having Obamas ave 10+, NV is 7.
9 toss-up states,Obama has the lead in all but MO. He is leading in VA,OH, and PA +5 or better,margins, and represent 53 electoral votes 233 +53 = 286 .Now these numbers are averages not some cherry picked poll , they even include Rasmussen polls. Now after looking at this I sleep much better at night. Just turn on my CPAP and block out all the right wing lies and bullshit.
Davis X. Machina
@Keith G: I demand needs-based blathering.
OzoneR
Well if only Obama had used the bully pulpit. Using the bully pulpit to call out SCOTUS would have worked. amirite?
Davis X. Machina
@efgoldman: President Mike (+17) Dukakis.
grandpa john
@efgoldman: @efgoldman: Only thing I can figure about them wingnuts is that they must of all married Stepford Wives, Because I learned Years ago , that it was not a good idea to piss off my wife.
Baud
@Davis X. Machina: Obama would look much more bad ass driving a tank.
Citizen_X
@burnspbesq: That street sign would be public property, and since public property is theft, a true libertarian would steal it. Er, I meant privatize it.
Polish the Guillotines
Two words: Justice Sunday.
Democrats need to shout those two words over and over again and remind everyone how the GOP was against the Supreme Court before it was for it.
Make these bastards eat every damn word they’ve ever uttered.
grandpa john
@Davis X. Machina: Obama ain’t a Dukakis and we are talking state polls here, not national popularity polls
Raven
@Baud: Nah, you have to wear those dumb ass helmets. Nobody looks good in them.
Schlemizel
@Polish the Guillotines:
Why is it that this is so obvious to a bunch of us nobodies on an insignificant blog in the middle of Leftblogistan but the pros who make mega-bucks can’t figure this out? What are we missing that these geniuses have figured out?
Davis X. Machina
@efgoldman: I’m taking the Mittster and the points. He won’t win, but he’ll cover.
ppcli
Ever since, the White House has been struggling to explain what the president meant.
Jesus fucking Christ.
I understand why the Republicans in Congress would dishonestly pretend they are puzzled about what he said. And the dittoheads are morons, so of course they don’t get it and will eat up whatever Rush says. But how cynical can a journalist be? There is no puzzle about what the president meant. Of course he didn’t mean that Marbury v. Madison was wrongly decided. Of course he knows that the Supreme court has the power to strike down legislation, and has often done so in its history. That is absolutely fucking obvious. Anyone who maintains otherwise is either dishonest or paramecium-level stupid. And whatever journalist it was that wrote the highlighted sentence knows it. Everybody knows more or less what the president was trying to say, and the Republicans are pretending they don’t, and the journalists like JOHN H. CUSHMAN Jr. of the New York Times are going along with this charade.
Remember that name: JOHN H. CUSHMAN Jr. Let him always be in your memory as the bozo who played along with this idiotic kabuki-dance.
MikeJ
@Davis X. Machina: Agreed. But it was nice to see the wingers pissed at morning blow for daring to say that Mitt is toast, and that everybody in the GOP leadership knows it.
Hill Dweller
@Davis X. Machina:
It shouldn’t be, but this is the most likely outcome.
I was just reading a Mother Jones article about Romney just flat out lying, repeatedly, at the AP yesterday, and no one in the media seemed to care.
The MSM is going to bend over backwards to make this a horse race.
Baud
@efgoldman: The other advantage Obama has is that he can stake out any position he wants — and Romney has to oppose it to satisfy the GOP base. Expect to see Obama come out in favor of puppies some time in late September.
Polish the Guillotines
@Schlemizel: Beats me. I can sort of understand politicians succumbing to election year cowardice — and considering every year is an election year, it’s a chronic condition.
What drives me to drink is the utter incompetence of the press to point out the bleeding obvious. The whole freakin’ point of the First Amendment is to protect the press when they criticize the government and politicians. Live up to the mandate, for fuck’s sake.
Some Loser
@ppcli:
The media needs a damn horse race, and they’ll make one if they have to.
How else will they generate revenue? Actual journalism? Too hard!
Some Loser
@Baud:
He already did.
burnspbesq
OT: Rut-roh. From espn.com
Raven
@burnspbesq: Fukin skunk.
Raven
Jessica Dorrell, she works for the Athletic Dept.
It ain’t the crime it’s the lie.
Mr Stagger Lee
Dear Mr President, Atty General Holder. Put that coffee down! Coffee Is For Closers, Democrats!
Raven
Heart attack for Davy, little herb but nothing else.
swordofdoom
So what I want to know, is how Judge Smith’s nakedly craven political act of demanding the president publicly kiss his ass in a completely unrelated matter doesn’t constitute grounds for impeachment? He, and the two judges who signed the order with him, clearly lack the temperament to render impartial decisions. Yes, of course I know it’s a political impossibility, but what if some pissy circuit court had made a similar request of W., or, heaven forfend, St. Ronnie? You goddamn betcha the GOP would already be firing up the Judicial Committee hearings.
dmsilev
OT: Conservative Catholics find yet another way to be a bunch of assholes:
Hawes
I just hope the White House knows that with all the stink the GOP is raising over this, it just means they are winning.
Narcissus
I still maintain that the solution to all our Village problems is aerosolized MDMA.
Tonal Crow
@Baud:
Not to mention that incident with Seamus on the roof, scared shitless, and Mitt hosing him down and then getting back on the highway. Oh yeah, the Mittster ain’t living that bit of animal cruelty down. Also too, ya think it might be cold on the roof at 60 mph when you’re soaking wet?
priscianusjr
@ppcli:
Even farther west
@West of the Cascades: That was exactly my conclusion after reading AG Holder’s letter.