Senator Al Franken Calls Out the Rot that is the Conservative Judiciary
This is an extraordinary address that Senator Franken made to the American Constitution Society this week. Choice bits:
Tonight, we celebrate the rise of a new generation of progressive legal scholars and jurists.
Look to your left. Look to your right.
Odds are, at least one of the three of you will someday be filibustered by Senate Republicans.
Speaking of which, I’d like to give a special shout-out to all the filibustered nominees we have here with us tonight.
The Republican obstruction that is standing between you and the work you’ve agreed to do for your country is unacceptable. And we will continue to fight it.
I don’t think you need to be a lawyer to recognize that the Roberts Court has, consistently and intentionally, protected and promoted the interests of the powerful over those of individual Americans.
And you certainly don’t need to be a lawyer to understand what that means for the working people who are losing their rights, one 5-4 decision at a time.
There’s alot here (pdf transcript). You can see the video of the speech here (it can’t be embedded). It is worth every minute.
Senator Franken has been a real progressive surprise. For all of his admiration of the Clinton era, he hasn’t been given to triangulating measures either in words or in action. This is a fantastic rundown of How We Got Here — conservative judicial nonsense edition — and a fantastic place the draw a line in the sand from. If only. It is too bad this won’t get the circulation it deserves.
“Senator Franken has been a real progressive surprise”
Yeah, real surprise there, a comedian from Saturday Night Live who turned out to be a liberal.
just like Victoria Jackson…. oh wait. moron.
Also FBH’s definition of liberal … same as his Puppet masters over at Faux news.. “anyone who disagrees with you slightly see also “person who has lived in an urban area” see also “non christian”
As a fan of his books, I’d say that it isn’t at all surprising that Franken is regarded as a brilliant, determined, no-nonsense progressive Senator.
“The Republican obstruction that is standing between you and the work you’ve agreed to do for your country is unacceptable.”
I’d say that the Republicans are playing with fire, but that would suggest that we had Democratic Party that was as willing as Franken to call them out on the political grandstanding.
Great piece Cassandra. Thanks for highlighting it. For some reason, the media ignores these judicial issues which are really harmful. Al Franken is a gift!
“just like Victoria Jackson…. oh wait. moron”
I would call Victoria Jackson a fluke, but Franken, no surprise there.
What would you call Dennis Miller?
I guess Dennis Miller is another fluke.
tap, tap…is this thing on?
This post is not about Saturday Night Live. Why are you allowing the thread topic to be dictated by a known retard? Don’t feed the troll.
I like the way Franken turned Republican filibusters into a personal issue for the audience.
Franken for President!
Jason330 is right. Why have opposing viewpoints, when you can just sit around in your own little circle jerk. Have fun with that guys.
Dumbass, It is hardly an “opposing viewpoint” to hijack threads with shallow and pointless wingnutiana. AND THAT, sir, is the last reply I will ever make to your wingnut spamhackery.
Good day.
FBH: All people tend to self-segregate by interests and viewpoints. Good luck fighting human nature.
geezer, I’d actually be thrilled to read a comment by a smart conservative here. Conservatives that can contribute to an adult conversation by thinking beyond the spoon fed talking points and shallow wingnut trivia/word games are more rare than lithium.
FBH: Jason has a point. Dismissing Al Franken without considering what he said isn’t an “opposing viewpoint,” it’s just opposition.
Christ, I’d be thrilled to read something by a smart conservative here too. At least we could talk about real policy and real issues and not just the usual (and boring) deconstruction of today’s talking points. I suspect that smart conservatives don’t have much place in their current teajadi universe.
Colin Quinn, another fluke. And by far the worst news host SNL has ever had.