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I said organizations, Justice Stevens is not an organization. Those organizations have no authority or credibility anywhere. Democrats care about what they sa

by jki275 8y ago

I said organizations, Justice Stevens is not an organization. Those organizations have no authority or credibility anywhere. Democrats care about what they say this week because they align with their political ideology -- which as I said should not be a factor in this discussion. Read carefully what I actually wrote. Many people who want justices on the court who follow the Constitution disagree with Justice Stevens. That's just the way it is, and Justice Stevens was never a Constitutionalist Justice. You misunderstand him, believing him to be a "republican judge" when the concept of such a thing should not exist. Those who hate Kavanaugh's "politics" are likely to get what they asked for if they are successful in keeping him off the court. Judge Barrett is so far to the right of him she makes him look like a communist -- and the knives are already out for her because she's a Catholic. Judge Kavanaugh is actually somewhat of a moderate, if you read his decisions. He's simply unlikely to vote to keep Roe v Wade, and he's replacing the swing vote on that issue that has kept it in place for the last 20 years or so, and thus the knives have to come out -- Gorsuch wasn't quite so controversial (although they tried with him as well), because he was replacing an already conservative justice. In fact, Gorsuch is probably a bit less so than Scalia was. Scalia was a consensus builder, but he was famous for his absolute dedication to the doctrine that the Constitution is a dead document and it means exactly what it says and nothing further.

scrollaway 8y ago
> Democrats care about what they say this week because they align with their political ideology What Brett Kavanaugh's former classmates, or a bunch of law professors, have to say on the matter is indeed irrelevant for most things. But it is relevant here. Just like you would want to listen to computer security experts when talking about computer security laws. I mean, I see what you're saying, and yes I agree with you that either way there's no free PR for those with "opposed political values" these days. But it's still relevant. > You misunderstand him, believing him to be a "republican judge" when the concept of such a thing should not exist. I want to clarify my earlier statements, and this goes for Stevens as well as Kavanaugh. When I say "Republican judge", I mean "Judge appointed by republicans, with an implicit political calculation that they will uphold pro-republican decisions". This is what has become of the court and there's no pretense around it anymore, and why I was saying in my initial post that I find it sad. But if we agree that nonpartisanship is important, then I do not understand how you defend the actions of a man who, instead of addressing allegations in a calm and composed way, cried, yelled, and blamed "the democrats" for "a revenge for the clintons". How the fuck is that nonpartisan?
- jki275 8y ago
  The ABA actually endorsed him, and that carries a great deal more weight than what a bunch of law professors say. Again, partisans being partisan. Maybe you've never been accused of something like what Judge Kavanaugh was accused of. In general, his defense was relatively rational and composed for what it was. And the comments about the democrats and the Clintons was probably correct -- he knows where all the bodies are buried on that front having been in the Bush White House. The whole thing has been a democrat hatchet job from the day he was nominated. I'm not a democrat or a republican by the way -- I think in general most of the people in the government from both parties tend to be power hungry narcissists.
  - scrollaway 8y ago
    > The ABA actually endorsed him All I can find on the ABA's position on Kavanaugh is that they called for an investigation, and that they're reevaluating their position on him given his temperament. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/5/american-bar-association-reopen-kavanaughs-evaluat/ https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/5/american-bar... And also this from before: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/american-bar-association-brett-kavanaugh-ratings-aba-2006-temperament-honesty-sexual-misconduct-a8566071.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/american-b... > I'm not a democrat or a republican by the way I got that, and neither am I. But that's neither here nor there. What matters is what type of media you allow in your day to day life. You seem to have allowed some pretty wonky stuff in, if you're calling this "a democrat hatchet job from the day he was nominated". There was little pushback on him until the allegations came up, other than the usual political card "hey, midterms soon, we should wait". It's .. the way you talk. It's unsettling. Cultish. I don't know how to phrase this without sounding condescending, sorry... just imagine the way you feel when someone tells you about how great their cult is, and how everyone else has it wrong. Think like, Multi Level Marketing sort of unsettling.
    - jki275 8y ago
      The ABA repudiated that letter, which was written in his personal capacity by the president of the ABA. There was a great deal of pushback on him even before he was nominated. The knives were out for whoever it was going to be -- it wouldn't have mattered who it was, they already had their strategies for all of the ones on the list. And I'm not sure what "cult" you think I'm representing. I like the Constitution and I prefer that Justices appointed to the Supreme Court actually follow it. That's my ideology.

by jki275 8y ago

scrollaway 8y ago

> Democrats care about what they say this week because they align with their political ideology What Brett Kavanaugh's former classmates, or a bunch of law professors, have to say on the matter is indeed irrelevant for most things. But it is relevant here. Just like you would want to listen to computer security experts when talking about computer security laws. I mean, I see what you're saying, and yes I agree with you that either way there's no free PR for those with "opposed political values" these days. But it's still relevant. > You misunderstand him, believing him to be a "republican judge" when the concept of such a thing should not exist. I want to clarify my earlier statements, and this goes for Stevens as well as Kavanaugh. When I say "Republican judge", I mean "Judge appointed by republicans, with an implicit political calculation that they will uphold pro-republican decisions". This is what has become of the court and there's no pretense around it anymore, and why I was saying in my initial post that I find it sad. But if we agree that nonpartisanship is important, then I do not understand how you defend the actions of a man who, instead of addressing allegations in a calm and composed way, cried, yelled, and blamed "the democrats" for "a revenge for the clintons". How the fuck is that nonpartisan?

jki275 8y ago
The ABA actually endorsed him, and that carries a great deal more weight than what a bunch of law professors say. Again, partisans being partisan. Maybe you've never been accused of something like what Judge Kavanaugh was accused of. In general, his defense was relatively rational and composed for what it was. And the comments about the democrats and the Clintons was probably correct -- he knows where all the bodies are buried on that front having been in the Bush White House. The whole thing has been a democrat hatchet job from the day he was nominated. I'm not a democrat or a republican by the way -- I think in general most of the people in the government from both parties tend to be power hungry narcissists.
- scrollaway 8y ago
  > The ABA actually endorsed him All I can find on the ABA's position on Kavanaugh is that they called for an investigation, and that they're reevaluating their position on him given his temperament. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/5/american-bar-association-reopen-kavanaughs-evaluat/ https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/5/american-bar... And also this from before: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/american-bar-association-brett-kavanaugh-ratings-aba-2006-temperament-honesty-sexual-misconduct-a8566071.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/american-b... > I'm not a democrat or a republican by the way I got that, and neither am I. But that's neither here nor there. What matters is what type of media you allow in your day to day life. You seem to have allowed some pretty wonky stuff in, if you're calling this "a democrat hatchet job from the day he was nominated". There was little pushback on him until the allegations came up, other than the usual political card "hey, midterms soon, we should wait". It's .. the way you talk. It's unsettling. Cultish. I don't know how to phrase this without sounding condescending, sorry... just imagine the way you feel when someone tells you about how great their cult is, and how everyone else has it wrong. Think like, Multi Level Marketing sort of unsettling.
  - jki275 8y ago
    The ABA repudiated that letter, which was written in his personal capacity by the president of the ABA. There was a great deal of pushback on him even before he was nominated. The knives were out for whoever it was going to be -- it wouldn't have mattered who it was, they already had their strategies for all of the ones on the list. And I'm not sure what "cult" you think I'm representing. I like the Constitution and I prefer that Justices appointed to the Supreme Court actually follow it. That's my ideology.