Wednesday Open Thread [7.3.13]

I think Kavips is right. We have a libertarian Supereme Court.

There appears to be a solid libertarian bias that leans through this court. If progressive, they are libertarian progressives, if conservative they are libertarian conservatives, and if split, then the most libertarian of them all, Justice Kennedy, is the decider.

Let me first touch on those decision made last week. a) Voting Rights Act… If there is no firm reason not to leave it to the states, then leave it to the states… Libertarianism. b) Repeal of Clause 3 of DOMA… If the government is picking favorites of one custom over another, that is not the government’s business… Government needs to butt out… Pure Libertarianism. Those inured in thinking only in terms of “left” and “right” are by their blinders.. baffled. However there is a very clear aim through out this court and that aim clearly states that the government should not be interfering with people’s rights to decide things for themselves.

Furthermore, although this court is very pro business, to call it an business court would still be an error. The human gene concept, that actual genes were not to be patented, was decided in part because doing so would benefit the company that acquired the patent, but hurt those who didn’t. There was no prevailing clause of ownership offered by the plaintiff, since the gene existed long before the company did, so therefore, everyone has a right to it. The decision was business neutral. Though one company lost, all others gained thereby making the decision a neutral one. Very Libertarian. Favorites should not be picked by the government. However if Monsanto in another landmark case, actually did invent the gene, then for a farmer to replant some of the soybeans as farmers have since civilization began, should not happen. Those beans were not his intellectual property, because they were created legally under license by Monsanto. No different than buying a CD and burning copies for one’s friends and acquaintances. Again, very Libertarian. The government should not interfere with either picking or hurting a company in its effort to make money by playing with existing rules.

Benjy Sarlin on the growing thought among GOP Elites that they don’t need immigration to save their future after all. They just need to become MORE racist.

“If the 2012 election was a wakeup call for Republicans to address their relationship to Latino voters, the 2013 immigration debate is starting to resemble a chloroform-soaked rag.”

“After November’s stunning loss, an array of influential Republicans argued that immigration reform was the party’s best chance to claim Latino voters before they become permanent Democrats. But in a mere eight months, a counter-narrative has taken hold in conservative circles, nurtured by a shrewd group of anti-immigration lobbyists and Tea Party enthusiasts. The new argument sees immigration reform at best as a divisive distraction from the GOP’s real problem of countering ‘white flight’ from the polls. At worst, they view it as an electoral apocalypse, a seventh seal behind which lies an unbroken line of future Democratic presidents.”

Some polling goodness:

NATIONAL–MARRIAGE EQUALITY–USA Today: 55% of respondents nationwide say marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by law as valid, with the same rights of traditional marriage. 40% said they should not be recognized.

“The only major demographic groups in which a majority oppose same-sex marriage are Republicans (68%) and seniors 65 and older (51%). Even in the South, which continues to be the only region that doesn’t show majority support for gay marriage, opposition has slipped below 50%.”

HAWAII–US SENATE–DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY–Clarity Campaigns: Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D) 46%, Sen. Brian Schatz (D) 36%. An earlier poll this week had Schatz ahead by a narrow margin.

NORTH CAROLINA–GOVERNOR–APPROVAL–Civitas: Gov. Pat McCrory (R)’s approval rating has dropped 7 points in the last three months as he pursued a radical far right agenda in the legislature. McCrory is now favored by 49% of voters, whereas in March is was viewed favorably by 56%.

TEXAS–GOVERNOR–Public Policy Polling: Gov. Rick Perry (R) 53%, State Sen. Wendy Davis (D) 39%; Perry (R) 50%; San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro (D) 43%; Perry (R) 50%; former Houston Mayor Bill White (D) 40.
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