Speaking of freudian slips

[grace0418]

did anyone catch Bush referring to the Patriot Act as the Terror Act before correcting himself?

Hmmmm, which is the more appropriate name, really?

[CJCRANE]

1. Also said "Constructionists" instead of "Constitutionalists"

when referring to picking judges for the Supreme Court.

[StrongbadTehAwesome]

3. that's actually a term that is used, though

in my poli sci classes, when we covered the whole "activist" judge thing, my professor referred to judges as either "strict constructionists" or "activists."

However, we also learned that the constructionist/constitutionalist mindset would really be independent of either political party. Technically, the idea that we have ANY "non-protected" speech goes against the language of the 1st amendment, "Congress shall make NO law...abridging the freedom of speech..." so that would be a rather liberal interpretation (there certainly wouldn't be any free speech zones). I doubt you'll ever see *'s "favorite justice" Scalia taking that position though!

[CJCRANE]

5. Thanks for the info -

I didn't know that meaning of "constructionist" (I'm a brit so don't have much of an indepth knowledge of US law). I was thinking it referred to the Christian Constructionists.

[DemBones DemBones]

6. Nixon was the first one I remember talking about

"strict constructionism." I think it's a term out of the Federalist Society (a group of conservative lawyers, including Antontin Scalia, Clarence Thomas.)

And it's Christian REconstructionists -- as if we once had a Christian society that stoned people to death for adultery. :eyes:

America and England: two great countries separated by a foreign language. ;-)

[colonel odis]

7. interpretation of the constitution goes back as far as jefferson, though

i don't know if they used the term "constructionist" or not. but a strict interpretation vs. a boader interpretation was an issue as early as when john marshall was chief justice.

[DemBones DemBones]

8. Sure, but I think the phrase originated within the Federalist Society

and gained currency due to Nixon's usage of it. I'm afraid that "strict constructionists" are as prone to mistakes in interpretation as anyone else, despite proclaiming themselves superior. They remind me of RW Christians who are sure their reading of the Bible is the only correct one.

[Joefess]

2. Also...

When Bush was saying that Kerry was the most liberal in the Senate. Bush said Kennedy instead of Kerry.

[npincus]

4. caught that, too! tee hee

at least he didn't say "Lincoln"