Alito Hearings

tieguy

Banned
wkmac said:
Now I understand why so much was made of Trett Lott's comments on Strom Thurman but then not a peep about Sen. Robert Byrd who was at one time a Grand Wizard in the KKK. Personally I believe neither man should be up there in Washington. JMHO

Hear ! Hear !!
 
I

Information Please

Guest
wkmac,

I don't want to be put in the position of trying to defend Kennedy. I have a lot of gripes with him, but he's not my Senator, so my gripes are meaningless.

In fact, most of the current crop of Dems are spineless weasels, which puts them a couple of steps above the Repubs, IMO.

I take it that you would have every member of all three branches of the government adhere by a particular standard, yet to be determined? Pie in the sky, I say! I dare you to get rid of every politician in your state that called a Black man a n****r; see, it can't be done.

Whether you agree with Kennedy or not, he was the only Senator that actually tried to make Alito answer tough questions. Alito dodged every question, IMO, and that alone should preclude him from a seat on the SCOTUS.

It seem to be the way of the ruling party, that whenever anyone questions a choice that they make, they attack the messenger, rather than the message. It happened to McCain in Carolina, it happened to Gore, it happened to Kerry, and now Murtha is being attacked, never mind Kennedy, he's an easy target.

I would hope, in my country, that an elected representative would attempt to bring the voice and concerns of his constituents into the record, regardless of their personal belief or background. This is what Kennedy did. If you wish to attack the man, attack him on his blocking of windmills off Cape Cod, not for asking tough questions of a potential Supreme Court Judge, who will shape our laws for generations.

I stand by my statement that different rules should apply between elected officials and appointed for life judges.

In the end, Alito will be confirmed, and Executive powers will increase. Heaven help us if Hillary gets elected!

BTW---Try and file a FOIA request to see if you've been spied on illegally by the present administration. I think you'l find the results interesting.
 

tieguy

Banned
they don't know him. Supreme court candidates don't normally politic and don't normally run a marketing campaign for the position.
 

tieguy

Banned
wkmac,

I don't want to be put in the position of trying to defend Kennedy. I have a lot of gripes with him, but he's not my Senator, so my gripes are meaningless.

It does appear you did try to defend Sir Edward from Maathas Vinyaaad.

In fact, most of the current crop of Dem's are spineless weasels, which puts them a couple of steps above the Repubs, IMO.

wow pretty harsh , even I would not call all of them spineless.

I take it that you would have every member of all three branches of the government adhere by a particular standard, yet to be determined? Pie in the sky, I say! I dare you to get rid of every politician in your state that called a Black man a n****r; see, it can't be done.

Your point is realistically a stretch. The point Wkmac made was not to purge all politicians who have used offensive terminology but the irony of having one senator who was a grand wizard of the KKK challenge another on bigotry.

Whether you agree with Kennedy or not, he was the only Senator that actually tried to make Alito answer tough questions. Alito dodged every question, IMO, and that alone should preclude him from a seat on the SCOTUS.

No offense but pretty weak argument. Kennedy's challenge was below the belt. Good decent people have a right to be considered for prominent positions in office without having their hard earned reputations smeared. Could you imagine going to a job interview and having someone accuse you of being a liar or racial bigot as part of the interview process? That's basically what happens here.

It seem to be the way of the ruling party, that whenever anyone questions a choice that they make, they attack the messenger, rather than the message. It happened to McCain in Carolina, it happened to Gore, it happened to Kerry, and now Murtha is being attacked, never mind Kennedy, he's an easy target.

this is not a monarchy and there really is no ruling party. The minority party can make their challenges without trying to destroy someones reputation. Kennedy who has a walk in closet full of skeletons was wrong.

I would hope, in my country, that an elected representative would attempt to bring the voice and concerns of his constituents into the record, regardless of their personal belief or background.

Are you kidding Susan? Since when did Kennedy determine that the public wants him to deceitfully destroy a mans reputation for political gain. Show me that poll.

This is what Kennedy did. If you wish to attack the man, attack him on his blocking of windmills off Cape Cod, not for asking tough questions of a potential Supreme Court Judge, who will shape our laws for generations.


tough questions?

I stand by my statement that different rules should apply between elected officials and appointed for life judges.

Those appointed should waive their rights to common decency and respect?

In the end, Alito will be confirmed, and Executive powers will increase. Heaven help us if Hillary gets elected!

I'm sure Hillary being elected is the least of your concerns.

BTW---Try and file a FOIA request to see if you've been spied on illegally by the present administration. I think you'll find the results interesting.

Or stalked by a message board psycho?
 
I

Information Please

Guest
To clarify a few points:

Alito listed his affiliation in a sexist, racist organization on his job application. It was not dredged up in some 'Swiftboating' campaign.

I am not 'Susan', and can find no reference to her postings on this board.

I don't believe that anyone is required to register, unless they desire to have their postings go up immediately instead of being censored. I don't believe that I have posted anything offensive, so the delay is fine.

The rest of your rant makes little sense to me; I see no need to reply to half-baked reasoning, and the posting was directed to wkmac in the first place. You are welcome to interject your thoughts, it's a public board, but I don't owe you a reply.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
So, would Hillary be allowed to pick Bill Clinton as her running mate for vice president ??

Gosh, that would be a nightmare!!
 

tieguy

Banned
Information Please said:
To clarify a few points:

Alito listed his affiliation in a sexist, racist organization on his job application. It was not dredged up in some 'Swiftboating' campaign.

I am not 'Susan', and can find no reference to her postings on this board.

I don't believe that anyone is required to register, unless they desire to have their postings go up immediately instead of being censored. I don't believe that I have posted anything offensive, so the delay is fine.

The rest of your rant makes little sense to me; I see no need to reply to half-baked reasoning, and the posting was directed to wkmac in the first place. You are welcome to interject your thoughts, it's a public board, but I don't owe you a reply.

Prove me wrong. Register as Information Please. Unless you have something to hide.
 

tieguy

Banned
Information Please said:
To clarify a few points:

Alito listed his affiliation in a sexist, racist organization on his job application. It was not dredged up in some 'Swiftboating' campaign.

The point still was that Kennedy tried to use the information to paint alito as a bigot and thus destroy the mans fine reputation when he in fact belonged to the same type of organization.

I am not 'Susan', and can find no reference to her postings on this board.

I don't believe that anyone is required to register, unless they desire to have their postings go up immediately instead of being censored. I don't believe that I have posted anything offensive, so the delay is fine.

The rest of your rant makes little sense to me; I see no need to reply to half-baked reasoning,

Ah so now its a rant and half baked reasoning you object to even though I have respectfully asked you why you do not register? I would think message board decorum would require a poster answer a question that is respectfully posed to you as mine was. Once you decide to ajoin yourself to this community you do assume a responsibility to respond to questions or comments directed at you. Private conversations are generally reserved for the chat room.
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
Information Please said:
wkmac,

I don't want to be put in the position of trying to defend Kennedy. I have a lot of gripes with him, but he's not my Senator, so my gripes are meaningless.

In fact, most of the current crop of Dems are spineless weasels, which puts them a couple of steps above the Repubs, IMO.

I take it that you would have every member of all three branches of the government adhere by a particular standard, yet to be determined? Pie in the sky, I say! I dare you to get rid of every politician in your state that called a Black man a n****r; see, it can't be done.

Whether you agree with Kennedy or not, he was the only Senator that actually tried to make Alito answer tough questions. Alito dodged every question, IMO, and that alone should preclude him from a seat on the SCOTUS.

It seem to be the way of the ruling party, that whenever anyone questions a choice that they make, they attack the messenger, rather than the message. It happened to McCain in Carolina, it happened to Gore, it happened to Kerry, and now Murtha is being attacked, never mind Kennedy, he's an easy target.

I would hope, in my country, that an elected representative would attempt to bring the voice and concerns of his constituents into the record, regardless of their personal belief or background. This is what Kennedy did. If you wish to attack the man, attack him on his blocking of windmills off Cape Cod, not for asking tough questions of a potential Supreme Court Judge, who will shape our laws for generations.

I stand by my statement that different rules should apply between elected officials and appointed for life judges.

In the end, Alito will be confirmed, and Executive powers will increase. Heaven help us if Hillary gets elected!

BTW---Try and file a FOIA request to see if you've been spied on illegally by the present administration. I think you'l find the results interesting.

As for standards and qualifying and such I'll just say this. The entire Washington establishment and yes you could about say the same for my State gov't and your's likely also that it is hypoctical from top to bottom.
Instead of sticking to the facts and issues, we have a process that's more about "I gotcha" with National Enquirer headlines than about whether this person is one qualified and then what is that person's thinking and based on what reasoning. Most hearings are more about face time and grandstanding for the politician (both sides) than anything else.

It's ironic sometimes to watch some committee that is having hearings on some issue that neither the public is interested in or the media isn't hyping for ratings and driving a story with it instead of reporting the story. Both sides are generally civil, they stick very much to the facts and try and pull from the process what is needed to make an informed decision in order to make the right vote. With a SCOTUS nominee is all about the party and any person nominated by the republicans will get the "Swiftboat" treatment or you could call it being "Borked" and if it were a democrat you get the same with the roles reversed.

You made mention of Alito as a justice being held to a higher standard and on one point that has merit. However, the same standard should apply for someone who holds themselves as in the position to make law and set public policy by their position of power. I see this whole thing like a KKK member calling out a member of the Aryan nation as being a racist. Remember it's on thing to have said or believed something in the past and then remove yourself completely from those associations, and yes Byrd is no longer in the KKK and to my knowledge has shown no expression of that thinking, however Kennedy was still a member by his own admission of his need to move fast to get out.

Personally, I love situations like this as the more we out these guys the more people may begin the realize the level of hypocrisy of lack of true morals and character all these guys really have.

As to FOIA, let's just say I'm extremely familar with it much to the dislike of the IRS and their parting of over $20K to me back in the mid-90's thanks to info discovered using FOIA.

As to Hillary? She could get elected and ironic as it may be I think nothing bars her from naming her husband as VP but don't look for that. If I were Hillary I'd get Sen. Obama from Illinois on board. This guy is very dynamic and well spoken. I believe the 2 of them would be a force and could very well get elected in the current climate and lack of any really dynamic leader out of the republican side. That's JMO.

Lastly, I don't think you are Susan either but it is possible you are someone else who hasn't been around in a while and a couple of your comments were done and phrased in such a way you reminded me very much of this person. If I'm right, I won't tell because I think it's funny! Sure has Tie all worked up.

Be cool!
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
For those interested in reading the Federalist Papers as it pertains to the judical branch, you can at the link below. At left, click on the individual numbers #78 through #83 for them. These give a window into the original intent of the various aspects of the organic Constitution from some of the men involved in the process of creating that document. Whether you believe we should abide by that original intent or not is up to you obviously but this is what the law was intended for and nothing in the applicible sections have ever been amended or changed in the constitution. That being the case you judge whether what we see is right or wrong. Enjoy!

http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/federalist/

Hey Tie, don't bother reading this because it's disturbing too!:tongue_sm
 

tieguy

Banned
Personally I think the fear of Roe vs Wade being overturned is unfounded. I personally despise the concept of abortion. But at the same time I recognize the insanity of trying to tell a female what she can or cannot do with her body. I can hope to talk someone facing this situation into bringing the child to full term and offering that child up to eager parents who would be willing to adopt it. But I don't believe I have the right to legislate this belief into law. Thus on the abortion issue I find myself in a very uncomfortable postion where I despise the concept of abortion but I don't feel I have the right to stop it from happening if a woman chooses to do so. To be honest It violates my principles of standing firmly on one side or the other of an issue but in this case I don't know any other way.
 
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