Tuesday Open Thread
Welcome to your Tuesday open thread. It’s another hot day today so keep in the shade if you can. Remember, the end of the quarter is coming up so federal candidates are looking for last minute donations. If you’re feeling generous right now John Carney, Chris Coons and Joe Sestak need your help!
The hearings for the confirmation of Elena Kagan for Supreme Court started yesterday. Remember how I linked to an article about how the Republicans didn’t have a plan? I was wrong – Republicans did have a plan, it was to go after Thurgood Marshall.
Looks like Senate Judiciary Republicans have at least one unified talking point today: Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American to ever serve on the Supreme Court, was an “activist judge.” As Elena Kagan kept on her listening face, multiple senators slammed both Marshall’s judicial philosophy and her service as his clerk in the late 1980s.
Ranking member Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) criticized Kagan for having “associated herself with well-known activist judges who have used their power to redefine the meaning of our constitution and have the result of advancing that judge’s preferred social policies,” citing Marshall as his son, Thurgood Marshall Jr., sat in the audience of the Judiciary Committee hearings.
I’m sure this is all a part of their minority outreach plan. After all, Republican David explained to us yesterday that Strom Thurmond was only a racist until he became a Republican and it all magically disappeared after that. Why, he even hired a black person! At least the trashing of Thurgood Marshall will introduce him to a whole new generation of people. Personally I think it’s a great idea for the Republicans to trash the guy who won the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka case.
SLED [South Carolina Law Enforcement Division] and the 5th Circuit solicitor’s office are investigating the finances of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alvin Greene to see whether any laws have been broken in the way he has been representing his financial situation to the state court system.
SLED will use a new state law that allows the agency to issue an administrative subpoena to financial institutions, agency director Reggie Lloyd confirmed Sunday.
Gov. Mark Sanford signed the new law last Thursday. The law requires banks to turn over to SLED basic information about account holders in cases of suspected financial wrongdoing.
…
Lloyd said his agency’s inquiry was triggered by inconsistencies between Greene’s assertion to the court that he had no money and needed a taxpayer-supported lawyer, and his unexplained acquisition of $10,400 to pay the filing fee.
“We want to see how he came up with the money,” Lloyd said.
Greene has told reporters that the $10,400 was money he had saved. But he declined to produce records to show where the money came from.
People in South Carolina must be cringing right now about the state of their politics.
Tags: Open Thread
I’m sure you’re shocked to learn that Republicans who were bashing Marshall yesterday can’t or won’t name a decision they specifically oppose.
I thought it was just generally accepted that Marshall was the worst human being to ever live.
Republicans who were bashing Marshall yesterday can’t or won’t name a decision they specifically oppose.
Somebody please, please, please call Rand Paul.
Whoa, Daily Kos:
Soccer killed Twitter again.
Why did the chicken cross the road?
According to FIFA, it didn’t cross the road.
http://twitter.com/ross_owen/status/17314583265
I read today that FIFA felt bad for England and was going to look into replays.
BTW, I’ve decided to like soccer. How could I not like something that makes wingnuts so angry?
So, soccer fan – who’s going to win the World Cup this year?
Reward: $100,000 for Full ‘JournoList’ Archive; Source Fully Protected
BigJournalism.com | June 29, 2010 | Andrew Breitbart
I’ve had $100,000 burning in my pocket for the last three months and I’d really like to spend it on a worthy cause. So how about this: in the interests of journalistic transparency, and to offer the American public a unique insight in the workings of the Democrat-Media Complex, I’m offering $100,000 for the full “JournoList” archive, source fully protected. Now there’s an offer somebody can’t refuse.
there is no honor among libs… data will hit the fan.
Brazil and Spain were my picks to make it to the final. I picked Spain, but watching Brazil the other day, I just don’t see Spain getting their crap together enough to make a serious run.
My heart is with Argentina!
Andrew Breitbart has something burning and it’s not 100 grand.
FYI, the Spanish and Portuguese failed to bring down Twitter. What a bunch of continentals. However, when Brazil plays, Twitter crawls. Lesson to be learned, “Don’t fuck with a Brazilian football nut.”
Isn’t it nice to know that Obama nominated another gun-rights-over-human-lives person to the Supreme Court?
1. Joe Biden keynotes fundraiser for Coons. I was wondering if Joe would work against Castle. Let’s see if Joe rolls up his sleeves in October and does some real campaigning though.
2. Who knew Delmarva Power was on strike?
well, the gulf gusher is getting ready to start climbing the food chain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXlC7gvvJZw
Big story at Daily Kos: He’s suing his now ex-pollster, Research 2000, for fraud.
Obama Sidesteps a Diplomatic Fuss (Obama grovels in private)
nytimes.com ^ | June 29, 2010 | PETER BAKER
One way to get around the whole bowing problem? Don’t let in the reporters until you’re already sitting down.
President Obama played host to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at the White House on Tuesday but avoided the diplomatic trapdoor he fell through a year ago by greeting the monarch without cameras around to record whether he bowed first.
The president raised eyebrows and stirred criticism in April 2009 when he encountered King Abdullah at a summit meeting of the Group of 20 nations in London. As Mr. Obama approached, he appeared to bow before the king. The White House later said he was simply taller than the king and leaning over to shake with both hands, but on the video, the bow looked deeper.
This time, the president and king were already in the familiar wingback chairs in the Oval Office when reporters and photographers were ushered in to record the event. The two leaders then spoke for a minute or two, giving the standard testimonial to Saudi-American friendship and reaffirmation of their joint interest in combating violent extremism, stopping Iran from building a nuclear weapon and advancing peace in the Middle East.