Official Day 2 of Roberts hearing thread - CSpan 3

[Greeby]

http://www.c-span.org/watch/cspan3_rm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS3

:popcorn:

[Greeby]

1. Kick, it's about to start

:kick:

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

2. It's on C-SPAN for those of us playing along at home

[Greeby]

3. Is it me or do Roberts eyes remind you of Data in Star Trek?

Just wonderin :shrug:

[Skidmore]

6. Noooo, Data is one of my favorite characters....

There is something about him and his demeanor that brings Ollie North to mind though.

[Greeby]

7. I was only 6 when Reagan left office

So, I never saw all of that, only read up about it in later life

[Mist]

4. Specter starts with abortion-Roberts says he wants to stay away

from discussing particular cases. I THINK Roberts is saying he'll discuss application, but somehow wants to do this without referring to specific cases. Specter makes the point that for over 30 years Americans have "ordered their lives and their intimate relations knowing that abortion has been available in case birth control fails."

[Skidmore]

5. I'm getting the impression that the Rs won't bring this

subject up again after Specter is done. He seemed satisfied with the response. Now they can say they addressed it with him.

This guy is slimy.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

8. Specter is very pro-choice. nt

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

10. Yesterday, Fooj had a thread about Robert's eyes being dead looking.

They really are.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

17. "Jadity" has set in for me. I can't imagine why on earth we are

going through the motions of questioning Roberts for confirmation. The questions from the repugs are tilted in his favor, the questions by the Dems will no be answered, and Roberts has no intentions of giving any information other than stuff that has already been sanitized and cleaned by the repugs. Period. Anyone nominated by this administration has no hesitancy to lie under oath so why should we think anything of any consequence will come out of this hearing? The fix is in and Roberts will be confirmed no matter what. The repugs could have info that Roberts is a drug addled, alcoholic, pedophile mass murder who got his law degree from a online diploma mill and they would still confirm because their agenda is more important than ability, truth or judicial common sense. He meets their one criteria for confirmation - he is one of them.

I must be having a real down day but I can't see that anything will come out of this exercise except it will help C-Span, CNN & MSNBC burn a little air time. And even worse? We get to go through this again as soon as Commander Bunny Pants nominates another asswipe for the other vacancy. And we have three more years and how many more Supremes will retire in that time?

[Mist]

9. Roberts agrees that sometimes a ruling over precedent "jolts" the system

Points out the Brown case as overruling Plesy, and that was a "jolt to the system." Roberts making the point that some established law has been overruled decades later; seems to say there's precedent for overruling established law.

[gkhouston]

38. really. I didn't think "umpires" did that. n/t

[Mist]

11. Any lawyers on this thread? Roberts is referring to "stare indecisis"

(I probably didn't spell that right!) What's Roberts talking about?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. Decision Stands....

A reliance on precedent....


It's a bedrock of our judicial system that foks have some idea of what to expect...

[Mist]

20. Thanks! n/t

[Greeby]

12. Big placard time

Specter pulling out the 38 cases affirming Roe v Wade

[Mist]

13. Specter holds up a chart showing 38 cases where Roe v. Wade was upheld

Making the point that R v W is "settled law of the land."

[Mist]

14. Roberts agrees that R v Wade is settled court precedent. Mentions

"stare indecisis" again.

[Armstead]

16. Roberts is slick as a dick

Agrees that there is a "right to privacy" but listen carefully, and it only applies to certain aspects.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. It Was Very Narrow To Me Too...

nt

[Solly Mack]

19. yeah..exactly

he qualifies after he agrees

[ProfessorGAC]

67. That Really Sticks In My Throat

Of course there's a right to privacy. The Constitution isn't designed to spell out rights. In fact, the document makes it clear that the rights on inherent and implicit. The document only attempts to make extraordinarily clear, those things the GOVERNMENT CANNOT DO! It's not a statement of the conference of rights, but rather a statement that unless specifically exempted, there is nothing a gov't can do to subrogate rights.

So, the fact that "right to privacy" doesn't appear in ink on that parchment is irrelevant and people like Roberts, who can't understand that, have no place on the Supreme Court deciding matters of Constituionality.
The Professor

[Mist]

21. Sen. Leahy up now - concerned w/separation of powers

[mainegreen]

22. ooooh, Roberts is good.

Every phrase is crafted just so.

[mainegreen]

23. Interesting. Is it specified anywhere in the Constitution that congress..

or anyone can stop a war? Explicitly specified?

[Habibi]

24. One would assume

that if it explicitly states Congress can declare a war, it is implicit that it can also stop a war.

But what do I know. Gratuitous comparison: Roberts looks like an older, fatter, Pee-Wee Herman to me.

Edited for typo

[Mist]

26. To get the looks thing out of the way: I think Roberts looks like

an over-the-hill Ken doll, as well as looking slightly wired (big bug eyes).

[MN ChimpH8R]

39. Nope - he looks like Frank Burns

[Solly Mack]

25. Article II, Presidential powers?

President can make treaties (peace treaties?)by and with the advice and consent of the senate

[Greeby]

27. Orrin Hatch is up

If anyone had wanted 30 minutes to step out, now's the time :puke:

[JNelson6563]

28. Hatch, the whiniest of them all

:puke: sums up my reaction to him perfectly.

[mainegreen]

29. So far Roberts seems to be a

kinda whats in front of me is all I can judge kinda just. Or at least he seems to be based on what he's said so far. While I'm sure he's so conservative I want to puke, if thats the kinda judge he actually would be, I could probably live with him without having to fling myself off of a cliff. Maybe.

He's answering questions, so I suspect we're going to be stuck with him.

[Solly Mack]

30. a "modest judge"? wtf????

that man loves stari decisis - well, he loves saying it anyway

which is just another way of saying (coming from him) "rule of law" (since precedent sets law)but keeping in mind the "rule of law" changes...so a precedent can be replaced with a new challenge to precedent...which is why Spector was hitting him on Roe V Wade and the 38 challenges...he wanted Roberts on record saying a much challenged precedent is set in stone (as law), as it were...


on edit:

and Hatch just proved my point...he said it (casey v planned parenthood) upheld the central holding BUT changed the framework...and calling it a newer precedent...which eroded the original precedent of roe v wade...and Roberts agreed.

in layman's terms? Roberts will change Roe v Wade given the chance.

[Mist]

32. Boy, they're slicing and dicing to a fare-thee-well! Not changing

a case but changing the "framework" ?!?! Certainly sounds like a toe in the door to changing the law.

[dogday]

31. Why doesn't Hatch just get down on his knees

and kiss Robert's ass......

[mainegreen]

33. Precedent is weakest in Constitutional cases....

Geee, what's Hatch driving at? I wonder.
:eyes:
Hatch: Is precedent weakest in Constitutional cases?
Roberts: Hem, haw, look over here.

[Solly Mack]

36. exactly..and note he went to "interstate commerce" after that

under which they made laws against taking a minor across state lines for an abortion

[DemonFighterLives]

34. Not to derail the discussion but has anyone noticed the woman

behind Roberts. She looks terribly uncomfortable.

[mainegreen]

35. The blond with the bob?

I've noticed. She keeps adjusting her skirt.
Perhaps its herpes.

[Mist]

41. The woman in the pin-stripe suit? Is that Roberts' wife? She looks like

a real Priscilla Priss.

[DemonFighterLives]

45. Someone told me it is his wife

I can't find her picture on google now.

[DemonFighterLives]

44. No, the lady with the pearls

She looks like something is bothering her. I'm watching C-span and she is over his right shoulder.
Good answer though!

[msanthrope]

37. Why not just blow him, Orrin?

I mean, the whole "I know you do pro-bono while you make a half-million dollars" thing is sickening.

[Greeby]

40. Ted Kennedy is up

:woohoo:

[Solly Mack]

42. equal protection (14th amendment)

Kennedy is walking Roberts to a point...

first talking Brown v Board of Ed.

Now up to Civil Rights

now asking if progress made are constitutional (to Roberts' thinking)
asking if he has problems with the advances made in civil rights

Roberts hedging and basically refusing to directly answer the question

now asking about 65 voting rights act....cause it's up for renewal

82 act extension


Roberts WILL NOT answer on if he thinks those provisions up for renewal are constitutional or not

though he will say "he's unaware of any challenges"

Basically, Roberts is not answering for his personal views....but instead is claiming he can't answer because someone in the future might make an argument that successfully challenges the voting rights act


Kennedy is now calling him on his (Roberts) past words...

saying Roberts did not grasp the impact of discrimination in America...(based on his writings)

back to voting rights act 65, outlawing voter discrimination (by race)


Roberts rejected consideration of impact in the voting rights act...

calling it an intrusion (proof of discrimination -section 2 of voting rights acts)

Roberts - no evidence of voting abuses nationwide to justify the provision (section 2 of voting rights act)

[texpatriot2004]

43. Thank you Mr. Kennedy for bringing up my right to VOTE here.

Here we go.

[texpatriot2004]

48. It's all coming together for me now, this whole Roberts

nomination thing...ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS SON OF A BITCH DENIED MY INALIENABLE RIGHT TO VOTE AND DID THE SAME FOR MY FELLOW COUNTRYMEN?

[texpatriot2004]

49. It seems that Roberts did to our votes what Bush did for his war.

MANIPULATED THE "LAW OF THE LAND" (OR DISMISSED IT ALTOGETHER) AND CONTRIVED HIS PLAN TO PROMOTE HIS AGENDA AT THE EXPENSE OF ALL THAT IS SACRED IN OUR AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.

[texpatriot2004]

50. Gee, is it me, or is there a theme emerging...ANTI-CIVIL RIGHTS

:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[texpatriot2004]

52. It sounds like what we got here is one of those "ACTIVIST"

Judges.

[gkhouston]

51. Yup. Behold the smiling screw. And now they'd like to

have him make decisions that will affect us for the rest of our lives and our children's lives, as if lumbering us with blivet** hasn't been bad enough.

[Solly Mack]

53. worse Roberts disallows the intent of discrimination

where the effects aren't of a certain level

so if someone intends to discriminate against you, it's OK...if the effects isn't widespread or provably negative

making it harder to prove discrimination because the effects didn't meet a certain level

[texpatriot2004]

55. Thereby altering our law altogether eh? n/t

[Solly Mack]

56. more or less...it removes the power of the law ...the teeth of it

it says...sure, there's discrimination...but prove it to my standard...and they set the standard

[texpatriot2004]

58. That seems treasonous. Is it? When you attack our laws to

twist them for your own purpose?

[Solly Mack]

59. It's what they do though - twist the law to their advantage

and yes, I call that treasonous.

[texpatriot2004]

60. Oh, well, I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT. I did pretty good for

a Bachelor of Arts in Psych with a Minor in Poli Sci (I got a good gut when it comes to politics, if I do say so myself.

[Solly Mack]

61. The only thing I think I'm right about is - Roberts will be confirmed.

:(

but I'll take the ribbing if I'm wrong - gladly. :)

[texpatriot2004]

62. That seems VERY WRONG to me. n/t

[DemonFighterLives]

46. Kennedy now interrupting the charade

about the law of the land. Go Kennedy! Hold the fire on him.
Spector getting upset with Kennedy.

[Algorem]

47. Harlet Specter should let Kennedy finish his questions.

[mainegreen]

57. Kennedy was being a bit interuppty as well,

not to defend what Arlen was doing.

[Greeby]

54. Someone tell Magic Bullet Arlen to give it a rest

:eyes:

[mainegreen]

63. I'm so sick of people talking only about precident.

A respect for precident, while important, is not the end all. We get it. Roberts says he respects precident. MOVE ON!

[Skidmore]

64. I hear you. Respecting precedent doesn't mean you

can't create a new one. Dems are allowing this point to slide.

[Solly Mack]

65. basically Roberts is saying Precedent doesn't mean anything

and that he'll overturn anything and everything regardless of precedent

because while he claims to respect precedent and even though he keeps repeating stari decisis, Roberts counters with why precedent can be eroded...another reason republicans are playing to original intent verses interpretation

[Greeby]

66. Biden up

Lets see if his opening statement is any hint of whats to come

[Solly Mack]

68. Anyone else having to take something for a headache by now?

[Greeby]

69. Nope

Coz I take breaks when Repukes are on. You're not gonna get anything from them

[Solly Mack]

70. Hatch gave me a dilly of a headache

[KoKo]

73. Had to turn it off Biden was making me Sick and Roberts looked bored

to death with Biden's praise and bloviating.

[Solly Mack]

76. I must confess that Biden does annoy me

not always - but way too often.

[DemonFighterLives]

77. You tuned out too soon

Biden got things going.

[mainegreen]

71. No comment on right to abortion from privacy

Lame.
So he has no opinion on anything he might face in court?
Rubbish.
He has commented on other possible matters that he may face in court, but somehow abortion he wont comment on!

Agenda.

[mainegreen]

72. Bidden is on FIRE!

He's Filibustering!

B-)

[gumby]

74. Continue to not answer the question,

sez Biden.

[DemonFighterLives]

78. That cracked me up

Right near the end he told Spector that Robert's answers were misleading. Trying to keep order Spector said they may be misleading, but they are his answers. :rofl:

[Greeby]

75. In recess till 2:15pm