Michael Steele, Super Genius

Filed in National by on May 9, 2009

Michael Steele stepped in it again. This one is just incomprehensible, but he seems to be saying he doesn’t like empathy (we can tell by the rest of your party, thanks):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFXO0cPENVY[/youtube]

Transcript:

STEELE: Good morning y’all, we’re back in the house. We’re talking a little bit of Constitution and a little bit Supreme Court. And a whole lot of saving America’s judicial system and saving our rights as citizens and not having empathetic judges decide cases, but rather judges who are actually understanding the rule of law and what the Constitution and those laws are all about. And how to apply the facts to the law and the law to the facts. And adjudicate my case. I don’t need some judge sitting up there feeling bad for my opponent because of their life circumstances or their condition. And short changing me and my opportunity to get fair treatment under the law. Crazy nonsense empathetic. I’ll give you empathy. Empathize right on your behind. Craziness.

Empathize right on your behind – what does that even mean? My advice to Michael Steele: please stop trying to be hip.

For more fun, Think Progress has a compilation of Steele’s greatest hits.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K08k3maGGVM&feature=channel[/youtube]

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Opinionated chemist, troublemaker, blogger on national and Delaware politics.

Comments (4)

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  1. nemski says:
    May 9, 2009 at 11:05 am

    Love the 21%ers and their recent empathy meme.

    Here’s President Obama’s full quote:

    Now, the process of selecting someone to replace Justice Souter is among my most serious responsibilities as President. So I will seek somebody with a sharp and independent mind and a record of excellence and integrity. I will seek someone who understands that justice isn’t about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a case book. It is also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people’s lives — whether they can make a living and care for their families; whether they feel safe in their homes and welcome in their own nation.

    I view that quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people’s hopes and struggles as an essential ingredient for arriving as just decisions and outcomes. I will seek somebody who is dedicated to the rule of law, who honors our constitutional traditions, who respects the integrity of the judicial process and the appropriate limits of the judicial role. I will seek somebody who shares my respect for constitutional values on which this nation was founded, and who brings a thoughtful understanding of how to apply them in our time.

  2. David says:
    May 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

    I don’t see how you can possibly think that this is a winning issue for you. Steele is perfect in both substance and tone on this. I hope that you keep it up guys.

  3. Unstable Isotope says:
    May 9, 2009 at 2:01 pm

    Republicans only want to put psychopaths on the Supreme Court.

  4. Delaware Republican says:
    May 9, 2009 at 6:28 pm

    Pres Obama is setting the stage to nominate someone with little track record and empathy is an esasy way to get past some without the usual qualifications.

    A legal record of some consequence is importance and glowing personal qualities are not part of the qualifications to be a Supreme Court Justice.

    The only great thing is former Sen Biden will not be asking so many silly long winded and inconsequential questions.

    Mike Protack

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