Firefighters in Ricci case sitting behind Sotomayor...has this EVER happened before?

[Peacetrain]

Now I remember with Anita Hill coming up to testify against Thomas, but that was a personal work relationship being testified to between professional colleagues.

I do not ever remember the opposition party bringing the litigants, of a case a judge has heard to testify against them?

Has this ever happened before?

[Thrill]

1. Theatrics. I guess the Pukes want them there to intimidate her somehow.

[Peacetrain]

2. I saw those 25 firefighters in full uniform walk in..

And it hit me.. this is really odd..theatrics is right..

[Cha]

4. Wonder how Hispanic Firefighters and

other Firefighters across the country think about this?

[vaberella]

9. Is this in video? That's out of control. Angry White men, what can you do?!...n/t

[blm]

3. Funny how corpmedia didn't care about firefighters' views when they ENDORSED KERRY in 2003-4.

They wouldn't show the endorsement and pointedly refused to broadcast Kerry's speech to Firefighters Convention Aug192004, because he used it to attack the swifts and challenged Bush to stop hiding behind the swifts and their lies.

Firefighters' opinions are only highlighted by corpmedia when its a few RWers willing to be useful to the GOP agenda.

[4lbs]

5. It failed. Did you see when she walked up to 4 military men, shook their hands, and talked with

them?

She has no problem talking to the military establishment. I would think a military officer would be a little more intimidating than a firefighter. Note, I'm not saying that firefighters are wimps, but that she isn't going to be intimidated easily.

[CTyankee]

27. A bunch of muscled uniformed men, yeah.

But I get the feeling that this lady ain't gonna be intimidated by ANYBODY!!

[tularetom]

6. Hope they don;t have any fires while those guys are sitting there with their fingers up their butts

[avaistheone1]

8. I wonder how they managed to get the time off to go to DC?

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

17. Good question. Also, who's paying for transportation, housing, meals, etc.

It seems that would make an interesting sidebar to the whole firemen sideshow the GOP staged.

[Peacetrain]

18. I never even thought of that

[CTyankee]

29. I'm gonna follow up with my alderman on this question. I did find out that

the wearing of the uniform is up to the Fire Chief. If they are wearing the uniform of the city FD then they are representing the City of New Haven.

My alderman is a liberal Dem in a section of New Haven that has a strong liberal Dem base. I'm sure he's already gotten several inquiries. I'm going to give him a call tomorrow...

[whistler162]

24. I will be nice about this.....

Professional firefighters usually work 24 hours straight and then have anywhere from 1 to 4 days off depending on the way the different shifts are rotated. So the time off was not a issue unless your shift fell on that particular day.

Now wasn't that nicer than calling both of you troglodytes who tried to score "points" by insulting firefighters.

[CTyankee]

30. Well, it's convenient to say the least that all the litigants in the case had the same work

schedule...

[CTyankee]

28. As a New Haven resident and a taxpayer, I want to know that too.

I'll find out thru my contacts at City Hall and get back to everyone at DU...

[tomm2thumbs]

7. it'll just make it seem like bullying - and that's so GOP

and is another reason they are dropping like flies - keep it up ya'll, keep it way up

[Peacetrain]

10. It does look like a bully move..

[Fire1]

14. Ain't it the truth! I thought Spector was gonna keel over on

the spot!!:scared:

[theothersnippywshrub]

11. One of the Democratic Senators should talk about Frank the Plaintiff's

litigious history. He has made a career out of suing, or threatening to sue, different fire departments. Someone should also point out that 23 different federal judges looked at Ricci's case and 12 of them thought he should lose.

[Peacetrain]

12. You are kidding me

:wow:

[theothersnippywshrub]

15. I wouldn't do that. n/t

[Gabi Hayes]

20. he sued, and won, because he claimed to have been discrimated against because he was.....

dyslexic!

http://www.slate.com/id/2222087/

[Raine]

13. Cheap cheesy theatrics.

x(

[CTyankee]

31. My sense is that Ricci is preening in his newly found celebrity.

He's gonna milk this for everything he can! The guy just LOVES the spotlight. It's all about him, ya know...

[TheCowsCameHome]

16. Who's protecting the good citizens of New Haven?

[grantcart]

19. What message do you think the 30 million Hispanics are getting from all of this

This has been a disaster of the first order for the Republicans.


They keep throwing red meat to their base while pushing everyone else away.

[FrenchieCat]

21. The fact that the GOP tried so very hard in making into a caricature

the expression "wise Latina" ain't gonna sit well with most of them; that I know.

[ellie]

22. I don't understand

the reasoning behind this. Are the repukes saying that she should have judged the case based on white men being discriminated against or to base it on the law? Because if you are basing it solely on white men being discriminated against then isn't that the definition of an activist judge? Didn't she base the case on the law that was on the books at the time? Isn't that what they want? I know the answer of course, no, they don't want that.

The repukes make my head hurt. All of their contradictions must leave them spinning like a top. Like this one: they don't want government involved in any health care decision except abortion.

[chriskirobb]

32. I'm curious, what is the general perception of what affirmative action is, and what are the legal...

requirements and boundaries as to how it is administered?

[Honeycombe8]

23. That should not have been allowed. Mealy mouthed Democrats on that committee.

Anita Hill testified because she was called to testify about alleged acts that had direct bearing on Thomas' character.

These firefighters weren't called to testify. They were asked if they wanted to, and they wanted to.

Interesting. But their viewpoints have no direct bearing on Judge Sotomayor in any way...her character, her judgment, her legal opinions, or anything else.

It shouldn't have been allowed. Not harmful. But perplexing.

[madmom]

25. Hope they didn't expect EMPATHY!

[CTyankee]

26. I asked the same thing! I think it's totally in appropriate.

If the Dems did that, the pukes would have a fit...

I just wish more could have gotten out about Saint Ricci's addiction to litigation every time he didn't get his way on a job....