WP, E.J. Dionne: NOT ONE MORE ROBERTS OR ALITO!

[DeepModem Mom]

Not One More Roberts or Alito
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Friday, June 29, 2007; Page A21

Just say no.

The Senate's Democratic majority -- joined by all Republicans who purport to be moderate -- must tell President Bush that this will be their answer to any controversial nominee to the Supreme Court or the appellate courts.

The Senate should refuse even to hold hearings on Bush's next Supreme Court choice, should a vacancy occur, unless the president reaches agreement with the Senate majority on a mutually acceptable list of nominees.

And no Bush nominee to a lower court deserves any deference now that we learn that U.S. Appeals Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh may have misled the Senate during his confirmation hearings. Kavanaugh claimed he was not involved in administration discussions about setting the rules for the treatment of enemy combatants. The Post reported that he was.

Although a spokeswoman for Kavanaugh insisted that his testimony was "accurate," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said, "I don't believe that he was truthful with us."

As for the Supreme Court, we now know that the president's two nominees, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, are exactly what many of us thought they were: activist conservatives intent on leading a judicial counterrevolution. Yesterday's 5 to 4 ruling tossing out two school desegregation plans was another milestone on the court's march to the right....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/28/AR2007062801791.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

[madfloridian]

1. E. J. better watch it, or someone from DU will tell him judges are never filibustered.

That they are not questioned. Just like today with so many taking up for the ones who put them there. Just like the same ones will do again and again.

:shrug:

Watch it, E. J.

[dsc]

5. we have the majority now

and that makes all the difference. He isn't calling for a filibuster, but of course you know that.

[Totally Committed]

12. We only have the majority on paper.

The RW-ers of our Party pretty much vote with the Republicans.

But, that's only my opinion.

TC

[regnaD kciN]

2. Unfortunetly, the damage has already been done...

The Dems can follow Dionne's recommendations all they want. We can get a Democratic President and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. We can ram through progressive -- even radical progressive -- Justices to replace Stevens, Souter, Ginsberg, and Breyer.

And it still won't matter. On virtually every decision, it will still be 5-4, 5-4, 5-4 in favor of establishing the far-right agenda. Logic and precedent be damned...the ultraconservatives have an iron grip on the judicial system, and we'll be living with their edicts for the rest of our lives. :-(

[JerseygirlCT]

7. And unfortunately, none of the radical right justices we're stuck

with now is particularly old -- or sick. (At least I've never heard anything about that).

That sounds awful doesn't it?

But you're right -- replacing any of the moderates does no good. We've got to replace Alito, Scalia, Thomas, Roberts... or at least Kennedy.

[Gabi Hayes]

18. beat me to the punch, Nick

I couldn't get there from here, anyway

[Richard Steele]

3. So? They already have all they need. nm

[enough]

4. K&R

[Tesha]

6. The part that amazes me is that no one's speaking of impeaching Kavanaugh...

The part that amazes me is that no one's speaking of
impeaching Kavanaugh for the crime of lying to Congress
during his confirmation hearings.

We have Leahy saying: "I don't believe that he was
truthful with us.", but no action is contemplated.
Could someone teach these Democrats that your average
sound-bite-slurping Joe never gets these kind of
remarks? The kind of remarks that they get are things
like:

"Kavanaugh lied."

Not qualified enough? Not couched in weasel words?
Tough. Go back and listen to Republicans talking
about Clinton's blowjob and learn how to say things
that will carry weight with the common people.

And if we establish the precedent of removing judges
through impeachment, maybe we can start digging a
little deeper into Scalia and his failures to recuse
himself, and whether Thomas did a little lyin'
himself during his confirmation hearings. And
I wouldn't imagine that Alito and Roberts are
choir boys either.

When we learn to stop always playing nice and instead
learn to always go for the jugular, we'll start winning
a few rounds in the political big leagues.

Tesha

[JerseygirlCT]

8. Every time, there seems to be this expectation that we need to

be "gentlemanly" about it all, and assume the best of the President's choices, and assume the best motives from GOP senators.

Screw that.

I'm with Dionne. No more. Not one more. Make him sit on it for the next year and a half. Stop assuming he's sincere (goodness, haven't they learned yet he's not?)

Stop talking about "qualifications" as if a diploma is the start and finish of it. Aren't radical judicial ideas enough? You'd better bet they would be were the situation reversed!

And yes, impeach the liar. Time to show at some level that you cannot lie to Congress. Then lets move on up the chain.

[struggle4progress]

14. " ... Leahy also asked that Judge Brett Kavanaugh be prosecuted if it is determined that ...

... he misled Congress about his involvement in drafting the policies in testimony at his Senate confirmation hearing in May 2006 ..."

Democratic senator seeks probe of a Bush judge
Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:57PM EDT
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2732407920070627

[Tesha]

15. Thank you for that link! (NT)

[DeepModem Mom]

9. a.m. kick

[Olney Blue]

10. Great article. K/R.

[The Count]

11. Fixing the barn door after the cows are back? A bit too late for grandstanding

We almost got a filibuster on Alito - but then some loyalists quashed it - like they did with the IWR opposition. And I'm talking democrats here.

[wilt the stilt]

13. 1960's

Having grown up at the same time as these two yahoos I can tell you that they are weirdo's. Anyone who was not affected by the issues of the day(racism, vietnam war and the women's movement) were really out of it. These guys were and are very odd.

[orleans]

16. thanks for the link. we better just fucking hang on to 1009 because

even the dems judgement sucks!

[ProSense]

17. Not One More Roberts or Alito?

Not One More Roberts or Alito?