Progressive Minds

Blogging live, from somewhere in the reality-based community. Speaking truth to power. You've entered the real "no spin zone." Republicans beware!

2006/1/13

Time For Arlen Specter To Listen To His Own Words

@ 08:39 PM (89 months, 11 days ago)

After watching Samuel Alito evade answer after answer during his confirmation hearings, Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter announced today that he would vote to confirm Alito for the nation's highest court (as if there were ever any doubt how Specter would vote).

Alito refused to answer how he would have voted in Bush v. Gore (even though the case has already come before the court and been resolved).  He refused to say whether he thought Roe v. Wade was the settled law of the land (a question that Chief Justice John G. Roberts had no problem answering during his confirmation hearings).

In his book Passion For Truth (released in 2000), Arlen Specter said that the Senate should refuse to confirm nominees who would not answer questions on fundamental issues.

From Passion For Truth, by Senator Arlen Spector:

“The Senate should resist, if not refuse to confirm Supreme Court nominees who refuse to answer questions on fundamental issues. In voting on whether or not to confirm a nominee, senators should not have to gamble or guess about a candidate’s philosophy, but should be able to judge on the basis of the candidate’s expressed views.”

http://vote-smart.org/speech_detail.php?speech_id=109335&keyword=&phrase=&contain=?q=print

Laura Bush Says She Told Martha To "Hang in There"

@ 12:39 PM (89 months, 11 days ago)
Seems like Laura Bush is now jumping on the Martha Alito staged meltdown bandwagon.
 
She told CNN today that she called Mrs. Alito to tell her to "hang in there" and that she hoped the Senate would be more civil and respectful of all nominees.
 
So let me see if I've got this straight.  Laura Bush, who has never received any criticism in the media, is telling the Senate to be more civil and respectful?
 
I wonder if she encouraged John McCain to be more respectful, when he said the reason Chelsea Clinton was so ugly was because Janet Reno was her father.
 
I wonder if she thought Rush Limbaugh should be more respectful, when he said the new White House occupants had a dog, and then showed a picture of Chelsea Clinton.
 
I wonder if she called Ann Coulter's civility and respectfulness into question, when Coulter was suspended from MSNBC for calling the Clinton's "white trash."
 
Oh, and Laura, did you think Michael Savage was very civil and respectful, when he said that the reason President Clinton survived his quadruple bypass surgery was because "hell was full."
 
Laura, if you're so concerned with civility and respect in Washington, it seems that members of your own party surely didn't get the memo. 
 
And maybe we weren't watching the same hearings, Laura.  Because the hearings I saw were very respectful to Samuel Alito.  So respectful, in fact, that he was continously allowed to evade answering certain questions.
 
 

Bushie: You Can't Fool Some Of The People

@ 06:08 AM (89 months, 12 days ago)
"President Bush can't fool the people who've been living in tents since September."
 
- Ben Smilowitz, a former Red Cross worker, speaking on Idiot Son's first visit to the Gulf Region in 3 months, on yesterday.
 
HURRICANE AFTERMATH