Pushing Rope

Swiftboating Sotomayor

2009-07-16T20:44:00.004-04:00

The Committee for Justice released an ad outrageously claiming Sonia Sotomayor aids terrorists. The ad was created by Chris LaCivita, one of the people involved in the Swift Boat Vets for Truth ad campaign against John Kerry.

A female narrator ominously recites bogus claims in the ad.

Remember Barack Obama’s buddy Bill Ayers, the unrepentant terrorist who bombed American buildings in the 70’s? Turns out President Obama’s done it again – picked someone for the Supreme Court – Judge Sonia Sotomayor – who led a group supporting violent Puerto Rican terrorists. Is this radical judge the type of person America needs sitting on our highest court? What was he thinking? What was she thinking? Call your senators. Tell them to stop Sonia Sotomayor. Paid for by the Committee for Justice.

Senator Orrin Hatch has raised $50,000 for CFJ. Hatch is wisely distancing himself from the ad.

The Utah Republican called a spot run by the group Committee for Justice "pretty harsh" and "not the type of ad I would run," in a statement provided by his spokesperson to the Huffington Post.

I could ask if Chris LaCivita has any shame but it would be a rhetorical question.

Health Care Reform On Fasttrack

2009-07-16T19:42:00.002-04:00

The Wonk Room reports the Health Care bill is on the fast track.

Baucus said Thursday that he hopes to have a bipartisan deal on a health care reform bill by the end of the day.

Baucus and Harry Reid have assurances that Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman will not support a filibuster.

Pat Buchanan's Latest Rant

2009-07-16T18:05:00.006-04:00

Pat Buchanan fires off his latest missive against Hispanics. America's national security is threatened by Mexicans. Buchanan is on to Mexico's secret agenda of sending people to America to hang drywall and work as motel maids.

Mexico is the greatest foreign policy crisis I think America faces in the next 20, 30 years. Who is going to care, Andrea, 30 years from now whether a Sunni or a Shia is in Baghdad or who’s ruling in Kabul?

We’re going to have 135 million Hispanics in the United States by 2050, heavily concentrated in the southwest. The question is whether we’re going to survive as a country.

If you still have doubts about Buchanan's xenophobia problem then read this passage from his book "Right from the Beginning" about the Jim Crow era South.

"There were no politics to polarize us then, to magnify every slight. The 'negroes' of Washington had their public schools, restaurants, bars, movie houses, playgrounds and churches; and we had ours."

Buchanan defended former Klu Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke.

"Take a hard look at Duke's portfolio of winning issues and expropriate those not in conflict with GOP principles, [such as] reverse discrimination against white folks."

White people can find better champions than Pat Buchanan and David Duke. "Reverse discrimination" is another code word racists use. To say whites have had less opportunities than other ethnic groups is laughable. That same can be said for Buchanan's racial views. Their laughable and MSNBC should be embarrassed to have Buchanan on-th-air.

Ben Nelson Against Arbitrary Health Care Deadline

2009-07-16T17:30:00.002-04:00

Sen. Ben Nelson issued a statement against President Barack Obama's arbitrary deadline for health care reform. Nelson has gone on the record against the public health care option.

Nelson's problem, he told CQ, is that the public plan would be too attractive and would hurt the private insurance plans. "At the end of the day, the public plan wins the game," Nelson said. Including a public option in a health plan, he said, was a "deal breaker."

Two of Nelson's biggest campaign contributors are the insurance and health care industies.

Eli Lilly & Co.- $27,250

UnitedHealth Group Inc. - $25,000

American Optometric Association - $25,000

Schering-Plough Corp. - $25,000 American Medical Association -$24,500

Amgen Inc. - $24,250

Pfizer Inc. - $22,600

American Dental Association - $22,000

American Physical Therapy Association - $21,500

GlaxoSmithKline - $21,285

American Health Care Association - $21,250

American Hospital Association - $20,000

Blue Cross/Blue Shield has been a major contributor to Nelson. The Senator is doing the bidding of lobbyists. He backed off threatening to filibuster. The netroots campaign against Nelson was successful.

Nelson is giving a lot of sound and fury. He isn't going to lift a finger for or against the Senate bill. One must have principle, in order to have a spine. Nelson has neither.

Charlie 'Adhere to the Letter of the Law' Crist

2009-07-16T16:50:00.004-04:00

Charlie Crist does not want to give the media information on his campaign finances. Crist previously promised to exceed U.S. Senate disclosure rules and provide the media with campaign finance numbers and donors.

"We'd be happy to," Crist said. "We'd be happy to accommodate to the very best of our abilities... We'd be happy to try, sure."

Currently, the public has to wait for quarterly reports. The media is asking Crist for immediate disclosure of contributions. Crist is reneging on his promise.

Q: But all you have to do is attach the data in an email and send it along. Why not?

Crist: "We'll adhere to the letter of the law and look forward to doing so and all the data is available to anybody who wants it."

Q: What about disclosing a list of your bundlers?

Crist: "We'll adhere to the letter of the law and I think that it's imporant to do so."

Q: What changed your mind?

Crist: "Nothing has."

Q: But you did change your mind though.

Crist: "No I said we'd try."

Q: But you're not.

Crist, who was heading out in his SUV, closed the door and left without answering.

Is anyone going to be shocked that Crist is a panderer to lobbyists? Please. Crist's campaign contribution will eventually be disclosed. Crist lacks the political courage to openly stand with his political backers. Crist's lack of spine is not surprising. I wish voters would figure out Crist only cares about his career.

William March reports Miami Herald reporter called Crist on his bluff about not being able to his campaign finance records.

When a Miami Herald reporter said Crist’s campaign already has the data and could easily email it, Crist said: “We’ll adhere to the letter of the law, and look forward to doing so.”

Crist said the same when asked whether he would match the campaign finance standard set last year by presidential candidates, who went beyond legal reporting requirements to disclose lists of “bundlers.”

“We’ll adhere to the letter of the law, and I think it’s important to do so.”

The national media will chew up Crist, if he gets to Washington. This is an embarrassing performance. Crist can't give the Miami Herald a plausible excuse. Some spokesman will have a difficult job explaining Sen. Crist's factually inaccurate statements to the Washington Post and New York Times.

Quote of the Day

2009-07-16T16:04:00.001-04:00

"Senator Leahy and I are talking during these hearings, we're gonna do that crack cocaine thing that you and I have talked about."

Senator Jeff Sessions

On a serious note: Sessions anf Patrick Leary want to reduce penalties for cocaine-related convictions. This is good news.

Glenn Beck's Strange Health care Tirade

2009-07-15T23:26:00.003-04:00

This is absolutely comical. Glenn Beck goes on an insane tirade about health care. The animalistic scream Beck makes at the end is worthy of William Shatner.

Erick Erickson's Bias

2009-07-15T22:54:00.004-04:00

I love how conservative bloggers cry about liberal media bias. RedState.com webmaster Erick Erickson emailed Mark Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer about doing a push back fluff piece.

If he wants something more personal for the blog to push back, I'm happy to help, but I'll get this up now. Obviously he's got more than the usual suspects trying to make hay out of this and we're big fans.

That is serious muchraking on Erickson's part. The "we're big fans" is a sure sign Erickson was planning to ask Sanford tough questions.

Seriously, next time Erickson cries about media bias - ignore him as you would someone crying wolf. Erickson hasn't earned the right to credibility.

The Belles - These Things Will Kill Me

2009-07-15T22:46:00.001-04:00

These Things Will Kill Me - The Belles

I have been listening to the Belles a lot lately. They are the most perfect pop band since Crowded House.

Judge Cindy Lederman Demoted

2009-07-15T21:37:00.005-04:00

Judge David J. Audlin Jr. was the first rule Florida's gay adoption ban was unconstitutional. Judge Cindy Lederman was the second judge. Neither ruling changed Florida's anti gay adoption law. Both rulings only effected the communities the decisions was cast.

Lederman is getting demoted.

The new chief judge, Joel H. Brown, issued a short statement Monday to The Miami Herald through a spokeswoman, saying he had tapped Circuit Judge Orlando Prescott, currently in criminal court, as the new administrative judge in juvenile. Circuit Judge George Sarduy, already in child welfare court, will serve as Prescott's deputy.

''Since being elected chief judge in February, I have carefully assessed the current and future needs of the circuit,'' Brown said.

''Judges Prescott and Sarduy were chosen in an effort to allow for new leadership opportunities and to bring fresh perspectives, as well as their own strong backgrounds, to the leadership of the Juvenile Division,'' Brown said. ``Both are well respected for their passionate commitment to the law and to the community they serve.''

Waymon Hudson recounts his experiences with Lederson.

When we appeared before her to become the foster parents of our son, she was fair, smart, and completely invested in doing what was best for him. She teared up when we gave him a permanent home (as permanent as possible under the ban) and saw how happy we all were in subsequent court appearances. She had been his judge for years, often corresponding with him during tough times, like when the state made horrible decisions that ended up leaving him homeless.

She even hugged him and us after the initial hearing.

My family, and the many other families that Judge Lederman helped form and became part of, will miss her leadership and compassion.

It is hard not to see Brown's decision to demote Lederman as not being about politics. Brown is an elected official and has to run again. Lederman will continue to serve in juvenile court. She will no longer be the head judge.

Equality Florida Protests WFLA

2009-07-15T20:12:00.004-04:00

WFLA-Ch. 8 aired the informercial Silencing the Christians the day the Tampa LGBT community celebrated Gay Pride Day. The informercial was created by the American Family Association. The AFA has come out in opposition of the Matthew Sheperd Hate Crimes bill.

WFLA and it's parent company Media General have a long history of conservatism. Glenn Beck got his big break on WFLA Radio. The Media General company the Tampa Tribune has never endorsed a Democrat for President.

Personally, I think the protest is giving AFA and Silencing the Christians more attention than it deserves. People don't watch informercials. Don't believe me, I dare you to watch this Erik Estrada informercial. Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ and Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9 11 gained greater box office success because of the negative publicity.

I understand why Nadine Smith and Lorna Bracewell are upset. No amount of protests are going to change WFLA. Boycotts never work. The best thing to do is tell people Media General provides shitty news and entertainment. WFLA TV and Radio should be the unhip equivalent of Eric Cantor attending a Britney Spears concert. No human being over the age of 13 years old has an excuse for listening to Miley Cyrus. The same should hold true for WFLA. Their audience should be dwindled down to the Eric Cantors of the world.

Obama Speaks to the American Nurses Association

2009-07-15T19:02:00.001-04:00

President Barack Obama spoke to the the American Nurses Association about health care reform. The America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 will provide grants for nursing training.

Obama stressed the urgency for health care reform.

This is a problem we can no longer wait to fix. Deferring reform is nothing more than defending the status quo - and those who would oppose our efforts should take a hard look at just what it is they're defending. Over the last decade, health insurance premiums have risen three times faster than wages. Deductibles and out-of-pocket costs are skyrocketing. And every single day we wait to act, thousands of Americans lose their insurance, some turning to nurses in the emergency room as their only recourse.

So make no mistake: The status quo on health care is not an option for the United States of America. It is threatening the financial stability of our families, our businesses, and government itself. It is unsustainable.

Video of Obama and the American Nurses Association in the Rose Garden.

Quote of the Day

2009-07-15T18:39:00.004-04:00

"To clarify, Michael Steele just said that the Republican Party, founded in 1854, outlawed slavery by putting the 1954 version of a pledge written in 1892 in the Constitution in 1787, which in turn outlawed slavery in 1865, which was before the British did it in 1833."

Jesse Taylor

I seriously wonder if Michael Steele could pass a community college political science course. Steele was expelled from John Hopkins.

Update: The Young Turks hysterically points out the Republican Party wasn't around when the Bill of Right was created. The Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791. The Republican Party was founded in 1854.

Florida Sotomayor Ad

2009-07-15T17:56:00.003-04:00

Presente Action put out an ad pressuring Rep. John Mica to condemn Rush Limbaugh's comments against Sonia Sotomayor. It is fascinating how Republicans are terrified of a talk radio host and convicted drug addict. Republican elected officials would rather appear weak than stand up to Limbaugh.

The ad presents the problem facing the GOP. America is not a center right country. The Gallup poll trends from 1991 to 2007 are proof. Republicans can continue running the Southern Strategy and lose ethnic voters. Younger voters are turned off by the anti-gay and racial message the GOP is selling. The other choice is show a spine and stand up to Limbaugh.

Hat tip to Liza Sabater.

Specter Defends Sotomayor

2009-07-15T16:41:00.008-04:00

Sen. Arlen Specter surprised me with his passionate defense of Sonia Sotomayor. Conservatives have unsuccessfully attempted to label Sotomayor a racist. Specter told Republicans they were making "a mountain out of a molehill."

"There has been a lot of talk about a 'wise Latina woman' and I think this proceeding has tended to make a mountain out of a molehill," Specter said. "We have had a consistent line of people who are nominees who make references to their own backgrounds. We all have our perspective. Justice O'Connor talked about her life experiences. Justice Alito talked about his family suffering from ethnic slurs. Justice Thomas...talked about putting himself in the shoes of other people. And Justice Scalia talked about being in a racial minority. The expectation would be that a woman would want to say something to assert her competence in a country, which denied the women the right to vote for decades, where the glass ceiling limited people, where there is still disparagement of people on ethnic background. So I can see how someone would take pride in being a Latina woman and assert herself."

In related news: Pat Buchanan offers Republicans horrible advise. The Republican Party toattack Sotomayor because Sarah Palin was not given the respect Buchanan felt she deserved. Buchanan urges the GOP to ignore the Hispanic vote and attempt to attain more white voters.

Had McCain been willing to drape Jeremiah Wright around the neck of Barack Obama, as Lee Atwater draped Willie Horton around the neck of Michael Dukakis, the mainstream media might have howled.

And McCain might be president.

Buchanan ignores the negative attacks McCain used hurt his candidacy.

But the clear perception that the Arizona senator has run a more negative campaign than Obama may hurt the Republican presidential nominee's chances of a comeback as the end of the race draws near.

"In previous elections, both candidates have been viewed as attacking the other unfairly, so the penalty for doing so has tended to cancel out in past years," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "But this year McCain faces that problem all by himself, so any blowback affects only him while Obama seems above the fray."

The Census points to Hispanics being the fastest growing ethnic groups. Hispanic voters shifted toward Democrats in 2006 and 2008. Republicans will continue to have minority status if they continue to bash Hispanics.

Birther Nonsense

2009-07-14T23:26:00.004-04:00

U.S. Army Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook has made the argument he should not have to go to Afghanistan. Cook's reason is he believes Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States. Under the Constitution, presidents must be American born citizens.

Taitz, who has also challenged the legitimacy of Obama’s presidency in other courts, filed the 20-page document on July 8 with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. In it Taitz asks the court to consider granting her client’s request based upon Cook’s belief that Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and is therefore ineligible to serve as commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Cook further states he “would be acting in violation of international law by engaging in military actions outside the United States under this President’s command. ... simultaneously subjecting himself to possible prosecution as a war criminal by the faithful execution of these duties.”

The Army has decided Cook does not have to report to duty at MacDill Air Force Base. Cook has filed in federal court as a conscientious objector. Who knows if he really believes Obama was not born in the United States.

The District Court of Columbia dismissed a case an anti-Obama citizenship case as a "conspiracy theory." Conservative blogger Charles Johnson noted Hawaii verified Obama's birth certificate. That will never be enough for the birthers.

America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009

2009-07-14T21:44:00.005-04:00

The House bill the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 is online. The bill has a public health care option. Tax credits will be given to small busineeses to help for to offer employees health coverage. The House bill will have greater regulation over the health insurance industry.

(3) INSURANCE REFORMS.—This division—

(A) enacts strong insurance market reforms;

(B) creates a new Health Insurance Exchange, with a public health insurance option alongside private plans;

(C) includes sliding scale affordability credits; and

(D) initiates shared responsibility among workers, employers, and the government; so that all Americans have coverage of essential health benefits.

A new executive branch office, the Health Choices Administration, will manage oversight. A commissioner will be appointed by the Obama administration. In making the appointment, President Obama will need the "advice and consent of the Senate." The Commissioner will oversee the health exchange. Private citizens and small businesses can shop for public or private insurance plans. States can offer their own public plans.

Health insurance companies face a greater possibility of fines and criminal prosecution. The House bill intends to cut fraud and overbilling. I say it is long overdue.

‘‘(3) CLARIFICATION.—Repayment of any overpayments (or refunding by withholding of future payments) by a provider of services or supplier does not otherwise limit the provider or supplier’s potential liability for administrative obligations such as applicable interests, fines, and specialties or civil or criminal sanctions involving the same claim if it is determined later that the reason for the overpayment was related to fraud by the provider or supplier or the employees or agents of such provider or supplier.

There is a whistleblower provision for employees that report employers not complying with the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act. The short answer is employees can not be fired for reporting their employers for not providing health insurance. There will be a tax penalty against companies not providing proper health coverage.

(B) EMPLOYMENT TAXES ON EMPLOYERS NOT PROVIDING ACCEPTABLE COVERAGE. — The amounts received in the Treasury under section 3111(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to employers electing to not provide health benefits).

(C) EXCISE TAX ON FAILURES TO MEET CERTAIN HEALTH COVERAGE REQUIREMENTS.—The amounts received in the Treasury under section 4980H(b) (relating to excise tax with respect to failure to meet health coverage participation requirements).

Employers will be taxed $100.00 a day for each violation. The tax ends when employers comply. Taxes will not be imposed if "such failure was due to reason18
able cause and not to willful neglect."

According to Reuters health care reform will be paid for by tax increases on the upper income brackets. I haven't found that portion of the bill yet.

TAXES

* Taxes on wealthy would raise $544 billion over ten years.

* Additional tax of 1 percent on income for couples above $350,000, 1.5 percent above $500,000, 5.4 percent over $1 million.

* Triggers a higher rates in 2013 of 2.0 percent for those above $350,000 income and 3 percent for those above $500,000.

I will try to post more about the bill tomorrow.

Quote of the Day

2009-07-14T17:47:00.003-04:00

"I got the fried chicken and potato salad."

RNC Chairman Michael Steele, on how he plans to bring diverse ethnic and LGBT groups to the Republican Party.

Sotomayor Questioned on Reproductive Rights

2009-07-14T16:52:00.003-04:00

RH Reality Check has a video run down of the Senate Judiciary Committee asking Sonia Sotomayor about legal decisions affecting reproductive rights.

Recession Photo Contest

2009-07-14T16:36:00.002-04:00

The Huffington Post is running a contest for what photo best captures the recession. My vote is for this picture by Mark Smith.

Boss Hog Music Goodies

2009-07-13T22:56:00.002-04:00

Boss Hog performing Get It While You Wait

Boss Hog performing Gerald, Winn Coma, and What the Fuck.

It is a shame this band rarely recorded or toured.

Why I Supported Obama in 2008

2009-07-13T22:15:00.003-04:00

Zo titled is Youtube video "BTW I'm Voting For Mccain / Palin." He proceeds to list reasons he doesn't like Democrats. Zo states conspiracy theories about Democrats wanting to place people on welfare to increase their voting base. Zo tells viewers Democrats run the school system to keep people on "the plantation." The one thing Zo fails to do is articulate why he voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Zo hysterically says no conservative wanted to impeach Bill Clinton for infidelity. Zo claims conservatives wanted Clinton impeached for commiting perjury in court. Clinton never appeared in court in matters relating to Monica Lewinsky. The President gave told Ken Starr, in a deposition, "I have never had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky." It is easy to see why Zo believes conspiracy theories. He doesn't bother to learn the details.

I wanted Barack Obama to be President because we needed competent leadership. I wanted a leader that would America feel good about itself and improve it's standing on the world stage. It is time for America to be a world leader and not a punchline.

I wanted a foreign policy that was based on responsible decision making. Obama appointed experienced professionals. The world is a complicated and dangerous place. Obama appointed strong-minded people that won't be afraid to offer their opinions. Hillary Clinton and George Mitchell aren't there to make the President feel good about himself.

I wanted economic sanity. Obama has taken bold risks with the stimulus package and TARP. We are slowly starting to see banks repay loans and federal projects have been fast tracked.

America needs health care reform. All American should have a basic human right to health care. Too many Americans are uninsured. Emergency room visits increase medical costs. Obama is correct that more prevented care is needed.

We need a President that can articulate his vision and not talk down to the American public. America desperately needed the lofty language Obama supplied. For far too long we heard mindless talking points. The people will listen if inspired and treated with respect.

That is why I supporteed Obama. I know Zo voted against Obama. I have no idea why he supported McCain. I'm not sure if he knows.

Hip to Be Square

2009-07-13T17:55:00.003-04:00

Marlon Brando, James Dean, Keith Richards, Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe are the cultural epitome of cool. Move over icons because Ralph Reed is reinventing cool with Faith and Freedom Coalition.

“This is not going to be your daddy’s Christian Coalition,” Reed said in an interview to describe his new venture, the Faith and Freedom Coalition. “It has to be younger, hipper, less strident, more inclusive and it has to harness the 21st century that will enable us to win in the future.”

Reed's grassroot group is going to win the Hot Topic kids with the revolutionary sales pitch of less government, fighting terrorism, tax cuts, family values, the sanctity of life and supporting Israel. Why didn't the Republican Party use this message in the last two elections cycles? Another bold move is the homepage photo of an entirely blonde family. Reed is hip enough to know conservatives need to do more outreach to Aryan people.

Check out Reed's "off the hook" message.

Thank you for your interest in the Faith and Freedom Coalition. Our nation is truly at a crossroads. The Obama administration and the dominant media are leading us in the direction of bigger government, higher taxes, extreme social policy, liberal judges, and exploding debt. We are standing in the gap to oppose these policies.

We are a grassroots coalition of people of faith, small businessmen and women, and like-minded citizens dedicated to promoting sound public policy at every level of government. We are advocating time-honored values, protecting the dignity of life and marriage, reducing taxes, and insuring fiscal responsibility in Washington.

Now check off the talking points conservatives use ad nauseum.

freedon - check
media - check
bigger government - check
higher taxes - check
extreme - check
faith - check
small business - check
values - check
life - check
marriage - check
reducing taxes - check
fiscal responsibility - check

Reed's message minus mind numbing talking points.

Thank you for your interest in the ~~Faith~~ and ~~Freedom~~ Coalition. Our nation is truly at a crossroads. The Obama administration and the dominant ~~media~~ are leading us in the direction of ~~bigger government~~, ~~higher taxes~~, ~~extreme~~ social policy, ~~liberal judges~~, and exploding debt. We are standing in the gap to oppose these policies.

We are a grassroots coalition of people of ~~faith~~, ~~small business~~men and women, and like-minded citizens dedicated to promoting sound public policy at every level of government. We are advocating time-honored ~~values~~, protecting the dignity of ~~life~~ and ~~marriage~~, ~~reducing taxes~~, and insuring ~~fiscal responsibility~~ in ~~Washington~~.

Take out the usual talking points and Reed's message offers no fresh new ideas. Conservatives repeat the same buzz words to the meaning becomes lost. Reed sees his task much like Steve Jobs rebuilding Apple. Reed cites the iPod and iPhone. Reed suffers from the same problem as other conservatives. They believe technology is going to save the GOP. The Faith and Freedom Coalition can get on Facebook. Reed has less Twitter followers than my account. It is not the message but the lack of original ideas that is killing the conservative movement.

Side note: How unhip is Reed? Check out his encounter with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

Sonia Sotomayor's Opening Statement

2009-07-13T16:42:00.003-04:00

Hat tip to Ray Seaman for the transcript.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also want to thank Senators Schumer and Gillebrand for that kind introduction.

In recent weeks, I have had the privilege and pleasure of meeting eighty-nine gracious Senators, including all the members of this Committee. I thank you for the time you have spent with me. Our meetings have given me an illuminating tour of the fifty states and invaluable insights into the American people.

There are countless family members, friends, mentors, colleagues, and clerks who have done so much over the years to make this day possible. I am deeply appreciative for their love and support. I want to make one special note of thanks to my mom. I am here today because of her aspirations and sacrifices for both my brother Juan and me. Mom, I love that we are sharing this together. I am very grateful to the President and humbled to be here today as a nominee to the United States Supreme Court.

The progression of my life has been uniquely American. My parents left Puerto Rico during World War II. I grew up in modest circumstances in a Bronx housing project. My father, a factory worker with a third grade education, passed away when I was nine years old.

On her own, my mother raised my brother and me. She taught us that the key to success in America is a good education. And she set the example, studying alongside my brother and me at our kitchen table so that she could become a registered nurse. We worked hard. I poured myself into my studies at Cardinal Spellman High School, earning scholarships to Princeton University and then Yale Law School, while my brother went to medical school. Our achievements are due to the values that we learned as children, and they have continued to guide my life’s endeavors. I try to pass on this legacy by serving as a mentor and friend to my many godchildren and students of all backgrounds.

Over the past three decades, I have seen our judicial system from a number of different perspectives – as a big-city prosecutor, a corporate litigator, a trial judge and an appellate judge. My first job after law school was as an assistant District Attorney in New York. There, I saw children exploited and abused. I felt the suffering of victims’ families torn apart by a loved one’s needless death. And I learned the tough job law enforcement has protecting the public safety. In my next legal job, I focused on commercial, instead of criminal, matters. I litigated issues on behalf of national and international businesses and advised them on matters ranging from contracts to trademarks.

My career as an advocate ended—and my career as a judge began—when I was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. As a trial judge, I decided over four hundred and fifty cases, and presided over dozens of trials, with perhaps my best known case involving the Major League Baseball strike in 1995.

After six extraordinary years on the district court, I was appointed by President William Jefferson Clinton to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. On that Court, I have enjoyed the benefit of sharing ideas and perspectives with wonderful colleagues as we have worked together to resolve the issues before us. I have now served as an appellate judge for over a decade, deciding a wide range of Constitutional, statutory, and other legal questions.

Throughout my seventeen years on the bench, I have witnessed the human consequences of my decisions. Those decisions have been made not to serve the interests of any one litigant, but always to serve the larger interest of impartial justice.

In the past month, many Senators have asked me about my judicial philosophy. It is simple: fidelity to the law. The task of a judge is not to make the law – it is to apply the law. And it is clear, I believe, that my record in two courts reflects my rigorous commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its terms; interpreting statutes according to their terms and Congress’s intent; and hewing faithfully to precedents established by the Supreme Court and my Circuit Court. In each case I have heard, I have applied the law to the facts at hand.

The process of judging is enhanced when the arguments and concerns of the parties to the litigation are understood and acknowledged. That is why I generally structure my opinions by setting out what the law requires and then by explaining why a contrary position, sympathetic or not, is accepted or rejected. That is how I seek to strengthen both the rule of law and faith in the impartiality of our justice system. My personal and professional experiences help me listen and understand, with the law always commanding the result in every case.

Since President Obama announced my nomination in May, I have received letters from people all over this country. Many tell a unique story of hope in spite of struggles. Each letter has deeply touched me. Each reflects a belief in the dream that led my parents to come to New York all those years ago. It is our Constitution that makes that Dream possible, and I now seek the honor of upholding the Constitution as a Justice on the Supreme Court.

I look forward in the next few days to answering your questions, to having the American people learn more about me, and to being part of a process that reflects the greatness of our Constitution and of our nation. Thank you.

Wingnut of the Day

2009-07-11T16:31:00.002-04:00

Rep. Steve King is the only member of Congress to vote against a resolution thanking black slaves for building the nation's captial. King's press release explains he opposed to resolutions based on Democrats would not allow a a depiction of the words ""In God We Trust" in the Capitol Visitors Center. Democrats may have resisted King's religious grandstanding because to courts have repeatly declared religious displays in federal buildings unconstitutional. The real hint is how King says "I opposed yet another bill to erect another monument to slavery." I wasn't aware aware there was an overabundance of slavery monuments. I guarantee there aren't as many slave monuments as there is Christian churches in this country.

"This is just the latest example of a several year effort by liberals in Congress to scrub references to America's Christian heritage from our nation's Capitol. Liberals want to amend our country's history to eradicate the role of Christianity in America and chisel references to God or faith from our historical buildings.

"Our Judeo-Christian heritage is an essential foundation stone of our great nation and should not be held hostage to yet another effort to place guilt on future Americans for the sins of some of their ancestors. Christian abolitionists gave their lives by the hundreds of thousands to end slavery. Great American leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worshipped God just as our Founding Fathers did. We must never forget this important aspect of our heritage or use it as a political bargaining chip."

The only member of Congress to vote against the resolution. Remember that.