Is Kelly Ayotte With Sarah Palin On Choice? You Betcha!

by: PaulHodes

Mon May 17, 2010 at 15:45:09 PM EDT

You betcha.

The Souter to Kagan Media Yardstick, Part II

by: Dean Barker

Fri May 14, 2010 at 18:08:31 PM EDT

(The Souter to Kagan Media Yardstick, Part I.)

Poor Salmon Chase Wouldn't Stand a Chance

by: Dean Barker

Mon May 10, 2010 at 18:51:34 PM EDT

Guess that leaves out poor Salmon Chase too.  Sorry, Cornish; you'll have to make do with J.D. and Maxwell as your leading lights!

(Of course, we all know that Bender's and Lamontagne's opposition to Kagan has nothing whatsoever to do with Kagan herself or anything principled, and everything to do with trying to paint Ayotte into a corner over her previous support for The Wise and Overly Empathetic Latina.)

(h/t Kathy)

"Free Speech"

by: Zandra Rice Hawkins

Mon Jan 25, 2010 at 22:38:57 PM EST

* Note the discrepancy between how much was spent by unions collectively - whose members largely have health care benefits and have been working tirelessly to ensure others have adequate coverage, too - and the Chamber of Commerce's attempts to kill health care reform, clean energy legislation, the right to organize, etc. It's amazing to think how far we've come on issues in the face of this - that real people with boots on the ground have held ground against the bottomless corporate coffers. But the recent ruling opens the door to even greater inequalities.

The Doors to Hell are Now Open

by: GreyMike

Thu Jan 21, 2010 at 11:17:34 AM EST

Actually, it probably just helps to bring what's been going on anyway out into the open.

Update by Mike H:
Lessig: Fix campaign funding and do not worry so much about limiting speech.

Hodes:

I strongly disagree with the Supreme Court's decision to give corporations additional influence in our political process. This decision will only give corporations and outside special interests expanded power to shout down the concerns of regular people

Shaheen Statement on Sotomayor

by: Dean Barker

Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 10:34:04 AM EDT

This week we have the opportunity to make history by confirming the first Hispanic and only the third woman to the United States Supreme Court.  I come to the floor today to speak in support of Sonia Sotomayor's nomination, however, not because of the historic nature of that nomination, but because she is more than qualified to sit on the Supreme Court and I am perplexed by why the vote on her nomination will not be unanimous.

As a side note, I am going to be especially interested to compare the number of Dems who voted no on Souter compared to the total of today's GOPers who vote no on Sotomayor.  And as an aside to an aside, I actually think Gregg will vote yea.

Souter the 'Last New Englander'?

by: elwood

Sat May 02, 2009 at 17:22:36 PM EDT

That's just a hook: Although he's a Dartmouth alum, Shribman wouldn't know the last New Englander if that Yankee impaled him on a maple syrup tap. He suggests Yaz and San Mateo's Tom Brady (!?!) as quintessential New Englanders. Now, class, if you want to list a Sox player of recent decades in that role, who is it? (Hint: he's from Charlestown or Bellows Falls, they argue about it.)

But he dishes some good gossip:  

NPR: Justice Souter to Resign

by: CMGately

Thu Apr 30, 2009 at 22:08:14 PM EDT

NPR has learned that Supreme Court Justice David Souter is planning to retire at the end of the court's current term.

NH's contribution to SCOTUS was appointed almost 19 years ago.  

Thoughts?

Adding (Dean): Click here for a recent, rare public appearance from Justice Souter.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's... an Actual Check and Balance!

by: Dean Barker

Sun Jun 15, 2008 at 20:23:03 PM EDT

The several answers to the charge of triumphalism might start with a basic fact of Anglo-American constitutional history: that the power, first of the Crown and now of the Executive Branch of the United States, is necessarily limited by habeas corpus jurisdiction to enquire into the legality of executive detention. And one could explain that in this Court's exercise of responsibility to preserve habeas corpus something much more significant is involved than pulling and hauling between the judicial and political branches. Instead, though, it is enough to repeat that some of these petitioners have spent six years behind bars.

But John McCain, accustomed to the presidency having near dictatorial powers (so long as its a Republican presidency, that is), disagrees:

"The United States Supreme Court yesterday rendered a decision which I think is one of the worst decisions in the history of this country,"

Naive and Inexperienced

by: Tim C.

Fri Jun 13, 2008 at 14:10:03 PM EDT

The United States Supreme Court yesterday rendered a decision which I think is one of the worst decisions in the history of this country. ... We are now going to have the courts flooded with so-called, quote, Habeas Corpus suits against the government, whether it be about the diet, whether it be about the reading material.

John McCain does not have a clue what Habeas Corpus is.

Repeat: Not. A. Clue.

Yet that does not stop him from ranting about it in a tone of affronted morality.  Who does that remind you of?

And this?!??

so-called, quote, Habeas Corpus suits