The Pickering nomination : Was it careless timing or deliberate gesture to

[kentuck]

a certain portion of the Republican coalition? Paul Krugman says it was a deliberate gesture to his supporters: "The most sinister example was the recess appointment of Charles Pickering Sr., with his segregationist past and questionable record on voting rights, to the federal appeals court — the day after Martin Luther King's actual birthday. Was this careless timing? Don't be silly: it was a deliberate, if subtle, gesture of sympathy with a part of the Republican coalition that never gets mentioned in public."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/20/opinion/20KRUG.html

[pmbryant]

1. Of course it was deliberate timing

The GOP needs to reassure their racist base, so that Bush can later go off and say good things about minorities without worrying the racists that he may act on his words.

Nothing this White House does is accidental.

--Peter

[underpants]

5. Plus he had just LEFT Mrs. King so he didn't have to face her

very slimy.

[ramapo]

2. Deliberate

No question about it

[Homer12]

3. And a metaphor to us that Bush is a bigot

Appealing to his racist/militiant base; How Republican of him?

When will Bush put on his hood?

[underpants]

4. It's the MO-on a Friday afternoon/holiday weekend

They have done this on several occassions particularly with environmental um policy announcements. RFK,Jr. point is out in the Rolling Stone article (500 greatest albums) and that these stories slip by without anyone noticing.

The did the reverse of this two days before Thanksgiving-releasing the incredible economic numbers so as to control discussion over turkey and gravy.

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Sophmoric Irony

The Republicans love their cheap irony.

From the SCOTUS using Civil Rights law to disenfranchise Gore voters in 2000, to claiming that Bush was only following a Clinton resolution in attacking Iraq, to a photo-op wreath-laying on King Day immediately followed by the recess installation of a segregationist judge, the conservatives will find any reason they can to exercise their "poke-in-the-eye" sense of humor.

Expect to see more of it. Much more.

--bkl

[tom_paine]

10. I agree If the Nazis had had a sense of humor

it would have run along these lines.

They LOVE their "poke-in-the-eye" humor (without the slapstick or anything that actually makes it funny to normal, non-Brownshirts).

Hence the title of the 2002 Election Theivery Program "rob-Georgia"

Bev Harris, our DU Black Box Voting Guru, has also noticed this, even up to and including their Election Theft Programs or the mysterious 18181 number that 3 or 4 Rethug candidates "won" their local Texas (no surprise there) elections by (all the same number, what are the odds?)

Further, what are the odds of the letter=number spelling of those mysterious victories, being "ahaha".

Busheviks do love their creepy "laugh at the cripple trying to crawl across the street" humor.

[Dogmudgeon]

16. 18181

At least four Republicans and one conservative Democrat. And that was from about 15% of the results scrutinized.

To see neo-con "delicious irony" being savored to the full extent of the law, check out Idiot Rottweiler's "war blog". Mr. Rott, a.k.a. "Emperor Darth Misha I", has to be the most over-the-top gloatmeister on the Net. I won't even try to describe it. Worth reading, though, if you want to see political mania in full bloom.

--bkl

[LeahMira]

7. It was also done on Friday...

It was an anti-affirmative action gesture.

Bush didn't get his way in Michigan, so next time something like that comes up...

Fact: many people who think of themselves as not prejudiced discriminate in subtle ways. They rationalize these behaviors and insist that they aren't prejudiced, but the rationalizations stand in the way of actually recognizing, admitting, and eliminating their prejudice.

Another thing... anyone else notice how many things are announced on Fridays or right before a big holiday? Tell me they aren't ashamed of themselves and afraid of the righteous anger that ought to be coming their way if Americans were really vigilant. Tell me also why we aren't vigilant.

Edit... oops! Friday was already mentioned. Great minds, eh? :-)

[underpants]

8. Like two coconuts banging together

:thumbsup:

The Friday/holiday is no accident, nothing is with these yahoos.

[Solomon]

9. There was nothing subtle

about it. He does something like this every year for MLK day. Last year it was filing the affirmative action brief.

I'd be interested in seeing what he did as governor each MLK day.

[tom_paine]

11. Deliberate

It is self-evident, obvious, and shameless. Like so much of what the Busheviks do.

[CBHagman]

12. Wesley Clark, God love him, also pointed this out.

The thought crossed my mind, too, over the weekend.

They're exactly the same way with women's issues, too, and literacy. For the latter, they trot out Laura and the authors for a White House event, all while requesting cuts to literacy programs. For the former, they prance about telling us how much they've helped Afghan and Iraqi women. Meanwhile, the latter get screwed (sometimes literally) as warlords and traditionalists work their will.

Let's talk this up when we write letters to the editor or call TV or radio programs.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. It was a slap in the face for blacks -- atleast that's how I read it.

One day he's condescendingly attending a MLK gathering -- a token act at best -- and the next he's appointing someone who can really hurt black and minority causes in the year or so that he serves on the court.

[davsand]

14. Opportunity AND motive.

Recess nominations have to happen at specific times and when those are varies according to legal opinions you read. This recess appointment thing is not new--George Washington used it, as have Presidents from both parties all the way thru. The length of recess is a big spot for contention, legals run from several months to several days to three days according to one Justice Dept decision. The fact that it was a Sine Die adjournment is the biggest factor, IMO.

His decision on the DAY to do it was obviously political--that recess had been going for some time--he didn't have to do it on a Friday before MLK's birthday. The timing on this also allows Pickering to stay on there thru Bush's term. There is much to be gained politically from a friendly judge--as we all saw in 2000.

I'm WAY more worried about a recess appointment to the SCOTUS, to be honest. The ability is there and it has been done before--15 times. Chief Justice Earl Warren and Justices Potter Stewart and William Brennan were ALL recess appointments later confirmed by the legislature.

I'll grant you it is politically very risky to do recess appointments, but in this case it wouldn't matter to them-they just want to reverse certain things like Roe and Affirmative Action laws. They can appoint some hack that would never make it thru hearings simply to get the job done.

Laura

[beyurslf]

15. I didn't know they could do recess appointments to the SCOTUS.

That is scary.

[DrWeird]

17. This is SOP for the POS.

That is, make a small and insignificant gesture towards the left, followed quicky by a pandering to the extreme racist right. If you look closely you'll notice he has done it numerous times.