fuck.

So much for freedom, liberty, and women's reproductive rights, right?

oh come on

either way, it's bound to be a step down. probably a big one.

You can find my thoughts on this at www.Iopenlydon'tgiveafuck.com

SHOCKING NEWS: ROE v. WADE will never be overturned.

He favors the idea that the executive branch holds exclusive powers (i.e., the president ordering wiretapping), and has said that he opposes abortion (refer to memo he wrote during his time in the Reagan administration).

Again, so much for freedom, liberty, and women's reproductive rights, right?

oh god, i forgot about that stuff. yes, now the foundations of democracy are shaking beneath my feet.

I am having an irrational reaction against the fools who voted for Nader in 2000... a chain of events that has led to our democracy working exactly the way it was designed. I also am thinking about Palestine and the leader of Hamas talking about western homosexuality and corruption and self-determination. I don't know, what the fuck, I guess I too am a sermon-on-the-mount Democrat, although a fearful democrat.

The lifeworld has been captured. The public sphere is incapable, it seems, of complex accounting.[/list][/list]

I suppose you have your reasons for dismissing the importance of this man's nomination to the Supreme Court.

Anyway, here's a link to the New York Times article on Alito's confirmation (you might need to register):

http://nytimes.com/2006/01/31/politics/ ... r=homepage

Bush clearly should have nominated Alan Alda.

Well done, Senator. Final score: 58-42.

I heard he kicks puppies and steals the quarters from the Jerry's Kids placards at the 7-11.

haq, do you flip a coin on these issues daily to decide which side to take?

i just see way too much overreacting to these issues every day. sure, he's an appointment that most of us wouldn't have hoped for, but it's not that big of a deal. it's not like stare decisis really exists anyway.

one more strong conservative on the court could really make things interesting. however - remember that states can pass stronger protections for civil liberties than exist at the federal level - so all is not lost. if roe was overturned, OR would probably pass a statute or add a constitutional amendment protecting a woman's right to choose.

i do think this is going to have big implications, at least in the short term. thomas and scalia might have been a reliable part of the conservative bloc on the court, but reinquist and sandra day broke with that bloc on many occasions, while scalia and thomas almost never do. if alito and roberts are not just conservative, but ultra-conservative (and early indications seem to be that roberts is every bit as conservative as scalia and thomas) we're going to see a court thats much less open to protecting individuals against the state.
i'm not as worried about the complete rollback of rights that we already have (because i think there's still 5 pretty solid votes to maintain roe on the court), but i'm very concerned about new issue that come before the court.
for instance, i think any hope of the court overturning the anti gay marriage amendments that have been sweeping the states just went out the window.

Rob Walton and Pat Robertson are having a great Tuesday.

I AM NOT HAPPY.

but he doesn't know
what the queers
are doing to the soil.

No.
That is why we need The Dead Milkmen on the Supreme Court.

well if you put it that way
i vote for 'stuart'

I'm voting for R.C.'s Mom.

Not knowing everyone's political persuasion, I have to say I'm a little baffled by the lack of interest in this nomination from all but the hardcore lefties. Is Alito going to march into the Supreme Court and start enslaving blacks and forcing women into submissive roles? No. But in a stable democracy there are rarely grand, sweeping events like that. Instead, we have the slow, but steady erosion of policy, laws, and principles. When it comes from the legislature, there's always the opportuinty to vote out the Greedheads and war mongers (tip o' the hat to the Good Doctor). But Court appointments are for life. You can bet that many of the ideals progressives hold dear will be dismantled by a right-leaning Court.

And none of us should be surprised. We elected a guy who said he'd do just that. We RE-elected him, even.

Ain't democracy fun?