November 04, 2004

• Fox "news" story here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,137610,00.html
• Perhaps he is going to become a lounge singer.
• He would never make it through confirmation.
• We're all fucked. Bush is just getting started: "I earned capital in this election, and I'm going to spend it. "And when I told the people on the campaign trail that I'll pick somebody who knows the difference between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law - you might have heard that several times - I meant what I said. "I've sent up a lot of judges... who represent a judicial temperament that I agree with" It will be an ugly situation for civil rights. I don't think the American public really understood this part of the bargain.
• Since when do lounge singers need a confirmation? (bah-da-BING!)
• I don't think the American public really understood this part of the bargain. I guarantee you the Americans that were part of the GOTV movement of the churches understood it.
• Fox news? The Command Post?
• I guarantee you the Americans that were part of the GOTV movement of the churches understood it. No, I think they heard the anti-choice and death-to-fags arguments and tuned out the parts about jackboots and being dragged away in the middle of the night. Can't have nuance. Gotta keep those soundbites palatable.
• Alex, I don't know how to say this without getting all mushy, but I like you.
• I'm guessing that the Republican's are looking upon this as a once in a lifetime (or two) opportunity. They can be as radically right as they want, install as many judges and justices as possible (that will affect the course of the country for a couple generations), turn the clock back to at least 1963, and STILL have a good shot at capturing the White House again in 2008 by nominating a more moderate ticket (McCain/Powell ?) Why? 'cause now they have a "mandate".
• Bernockle: *blush* Mecurious: What amazes me is this attitude from the Right that they somehow won by a landslide, when it was a 51-49 split. It was an incredibly close election, again, so these folks saying they now have a mandate is frankly too incredible for words.
• No Alex, when they say "mandate" they're talking about getting together for consensual gay sex. (it's republican code)
• What amazes me is this attitude from the Right that they somehow won by a landslide, when it was a 51-49 split. Alex: Didn't you see that big red map Tuesday night? </sarcasm> This is much better representation of the 51/49 split you were talking about. (via MeFi)
• mecurious - That map still doesn't depict the data that well. It needs another dimension to indicate the population of each county. Perhaps an intensity scale would be good.
• I think obsessing over the SC appointments is a bit premature. We can all commit seppuku *after* he is appointed. If Arlen Specter shows any amount of spine in his new role as Senate Judiciary Committee chair, he'll never let Ashcroft through. I urge everyone, and especially everyone in PA, to write to Specter about this.
• Yeah, I think that Ashcroft's departure is a good thing; getting him out of Justice is the first step to keeping him out of guv'ment. I don't think he'll make it through Congress.
• Also, argh's comment is much more fun if you read it in the voice of Triumph the Comic Insult Dog.
• Looks like he's already speaking up: Specter urges caution for Bush Discourages nominating anti-abortion judges Note this quote however: "the Republican expected to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee" Something tells me he might want to wait to be the chair before opening up on this, unless there is no way to stop him (don't know much about how chairmanships of committees is determined).
• Something tells me he might want to wait to be the chair before opening up on this, unless there is no way to stop him (don't know much about how chairmanships of committees is determined). Seniority, which Specter has in spades (four terms now? five?). I voted for Hoeffel and don't regret it: Specter knows his "mandate" is slim.
• Any Supreme Court nominee needs 60 votes in the senate, so will require both moderate Republican and at least some Democratic support. Bush can't just put anyone he wants in there, remember what happened to Bork and Ginsberg. He will offer up the most conservative judges he thinks he can get past the Senate, but it won't be anyone a far to the right as Ashcroft. He will probably be able to slip someone a little more conservative through if that person is a woman or minority.
• I'd love to see Ashcroft on the Court ASAP. Hopefully they can get Roe v Wade overturned by 2006 (along with Lawrence v Texas and hopefully Griswold, although it's hard to imagine a test case). I want Americans to have a very clear idea of who they have elected before they get a chance to vote again. Maybe they'll like it. Maybe they won't. But I just want to be sure they actually _know_.
• Here's a prediction: He'll nominate Ashcroft and/or perhaps another one or two of the leading members of the Taliban wing of the Republican party, and then slam Congress constantly when they turn them down. Then he'll propose some arch-but-not-ultra-right-wing yahoos who'll slip through easily. In the meantime, we've got to revitalize the Democratic party to turn it into something that can win by running honest liberals. We've got four years. *dusts off hands, picks up soapbox, exits, stage left*
• I want Americans to have a very clear idea of who they have elected before they get a chance to vote again. Assuming optimistically that we get to vote again in two or four years. Bush has political capital and he wants to spend it, after allm and regular Americans will foot the bill in more ways than one. Roe v. Wade and gay marriage are just icing. Get ready for the neocon fascists to strap on the jackboots. Whatever happens, Americans can't say they weren't warned. Repeatedly.
• Thank you all for joining us today. I'd like to take this opportunity to announce that the nomination and confirmation of John Asscroft to the Untitle States Subpreme Cunt will be celebrated in unprecedented fasion. Each and every American will turn out in the streets for unfettered, joyous ass-sex. That's right people, drop those drawers! Start with the butt love! Let's go! Let's go! Hup! Hup! Hup! Democrats! On the one! And . . go! Republicans - no biting! Keep the rhythm people! mel gibson, I'm goin' fuckin nuts
• Here's a map that shows the shades of purple plus pupulation density of the area. By far the best map of its type I have see thus far.
• Agreed, killthiskid. What are the predominantly Democrat-voting cities in Texas?
• See that blue blotch right smack dab in the middle of Arkansas? That's where I live, the rational little center of the state.
• Quoting my earlier comment: Note this quote however: "the Republican expected to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee" Something tells me he might want to wait to be the chair before opening up on this, unless there is no way to stop him (don't know much about how chairmanships of committees is determined). Ruh-roh. What did I tell you: Moderate Senator Fights for Top Judiciary Post