September 04, 2005

• That he'll appoint a closet lib'ral? Hell I dunno. Maybe the best case scenario is that I move to Canada.
• Ha ha ha! The US is truly fucked. /black mood
• oh crap .
• I keep hearing a lot of people saying that, Chyren, but I don't quite buy it. Considering Rehnquist's record, who is going to be MORE conservative? I think the "worst case scenario" is another justice pretty much just like Rehnquist. And that doesn't really change the balance of power between constructionists and revisionists. It would be a far worse thing if, for example, Stevens died. Or Ginsburg. Also, it's worth remembering that Rehnquist was on the right side of the New London decision. Though a good case can be made that the extension of the status quo is in itself a bad thing, I'm failing to see how this is going to make things worse.
• I hope that Bush sees this as an opportunity to redeem himself. But, I won't hold my breath.
• I don't care if we have a conservative CJ. Rehnquist was conservative, that was never my issue with him. My issue with him is that a CJ by definition needs to lead the Court. A CJ should be able to build coalitions and opinions. Rehnquist couldn't even build a reasonable 5 to 4 split most of the time -- there were subopinions and crap the like of which had never been seen. Precedent has become insanely complicated, far more than with any previous generation of justices. Why? Because a CJ needs to be an expert at herding cats, but Rehnquist seemed content to let them chase after tinfoil balls. I'm sorry he's dead, and my thoughts are with his family, but I'm not sorry he's off the court. Maybe we can get someone who is a consensus builder of some variety in there next time.
• I actually see that issue differently. The fact that there have been more concurring and variously split dissenting opinions in the court in the last decade or so isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think that more opinions have provided outsiders like us a better eye into the debate that the justices themselve partake in. Clearly, I think most decisions ultimately are more nuanced when Opinions, Concurrences and one or more Dissents are all published, rather than an enforcement of some imposed duality. I can't say whether Rehnquist was a good or bad chief justice, but as far as I can tell, he hasn't gone as far down the path of other chiefs by assigning all the dull opinions to disfavored justices and assigning all of the more interesting and/or compelling opinions to his pals. And aside from speaking order and assignment of opinions, the chief justice doesn't really have much influence in the day-to-day work of the court. Mainly, the chief justice has to perform inaugurations and preside over impeachments.
• Uh-oh!
• "Considering Rehnquist's record, who is going to be MORE conservative?" Are you telling me you *don't* think Bush can put someone in there worse than him? /looks at Bush's record Bush can fuck anything up worse than it has already been up-fucked. That's his thing.
• What Chy says.
• I hope that Bush sees this as an opportunity to redeem himself. Every tragedy that happens is a chance at redeeming himself. He's had more opportunities than the last four presidents combined. He passes up the chance every fucking time, because he's totally incapable of not making things worse.
• One word: Ashcroft.
• Man, when it rains, it pours.
• Let the mighty eagle soar
• My least favorite thing about idiots like Pat Robertson is that they make some rather easily fulfilled predictions. Like, "God told me Bush will win the next election," or "Please, Lord, grant us additional vacancies on the Supreme Court." Rehnquist was very old and very ill for a while. I wish I could ignore all of the the political theater and just feel sympathy for him and his family. Meanwhile, Pat Robertson continues to look like a fucking prophet. /apologies for the rant
• Pat Robertson continues to look like a pocky muppet.
• I still can't believe that the fucker put those stripes on his robe. For those of you who do not know, there are no stripes that come with the robe of the person who is the Chief Justice. No one had done it before. He decided that he needed something visible to set him apart from from the other mere Justices who were not Chief Justices. It was a ridiculously egomaniacal thing to do. Imagine if Bush started wearing stripes on his damn suits.
• Hey, if it's Ashcroft of "Torture Is OK By Me" Gonzales, I concede the possibility. But, perhaps it's the irrepresible optimist in me (don't ask me where I got one 'cause I don't know) that feels like the Democrats might, y'know, make a stand on this one instead of toady to Bush and PatrioticJingoist agenda. They've been complicit enough the last 4 years.
• OH PLEASE! Bernockle, EVERYBODY wants to see Bush in these stripes!
• "the Democrats might, y'know, make a stand on this one" Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
• chimaera: your statement that it can't get a whole lot worse makes me feel a bit better. I hope you're right!
• I nominate Monkeybashi.
• It can't get worse than this! *piano falls on my head*
• Roberts: The Before and The After
• Bush names Roberts to succeed Rehnquist
• Bush nominates Roberts as entire Supreme Court, also Department of Labor and Rhode Island Sanitation Department "Only John Roberts has the strong values and conservative know-how to handle these three challengating posts", said President Bush, Monday. "He'll be the Supreme Court, he'll hunt down illegal Mexican immigrants and he'll be Rhode Island's chief garbagator". Bush added that if Roberts did his job well, he would also be appointed Vice-President, Head of NASA and host of CNN's "Larry King Live". "I'm just sick of making all these fucking appointmations," the President added. "From now on, if there's a job needs doing, just give it to John".
• Now the only question is who Bush is going to select to replace O'Connor.... or might O'Connor just rescind her resignation? I think the nomination of Roberts for CJ is probably the best of the likely results, considering that Roberts is well known and well liked on both sides of the aisle (a definite plus for a CJ), and as far as is known, is no "worse" than a Rehnquist clone... and a far sight better than Theocrat Ashcroft or Alberto "Cattle Prod" Gonzales.
• I can't see O'Connor rescinding. Her husband is ill and maybe not long for this world.
• Bush picks Roberts as O'Connor's new husband The vacancy in the post of Justice O'Connor's husband will be filled by John Roberts, the President annouced today. "Chief Justice Roberts is the perfectating man for the job", the Commander-in-Chief stated in a press conference. "I know that every Amoricon will be enviating at the thought of the long romantic walks they'll take together and the sweet nights of passion that they'll share." The President would not be drawn on rumours that Roberts had also been nominated as one of his daughters, completing a powerful neoconservative triumvirate with Jenna and that other one.
• Roberts to fill vacant quidnunc kid role, says Bush After the accidental assassination of MoFi's quidnunc kid by Homeland Security ninjas, the President announced today that Chief Justice John Roberts would take the role of the popular website's most annoying attention-seeker. "John has been collectating bookmarks and has conservative spelling skills", the President noted, "I look forwardly to him making sense and remaining vaguely on topic, and not filling up the wiki with his underpants." The President asked that tracicle pass Roberts the gavel she uses to run the site with and a horsehair wig for Chy. Thanks.
• Bush is losing the confidence of the Religious Right. I think that's the group he's going to make points with. He could care less about anyone who didn't fund his campaign. Abortion, that's where the Republican Party makes money. Abortion and corporations and you got yourself a Party! In other news, John Roberts nominated for messiah. Oh I'm sorry, Chief Messiah. WJWS? (Would Jesus Wear Stripes?)
• I'm all for the stripes on Bush's suits. Plus some epaulets, a sash, and a pair of aviator sunglasses.
• Ha ha ha! You guys are so fucked!
• A CJ who's in charge of a court he's never sat on, a CJ who's fifty, a CJ who dresses his kids in J.P. Morgan's hand-me-downs! Good luck with that! That Amtrak train to oblivion has just gone express! Ha!
• Oh, wait -- if you guys are fucked, then we're probably more fucked. Aw, fuck...
• I heard Rehnquist actually died four days ago, and it took FEMA this long to find him. ... too soon?
• I never knew this was how the CJ was chosen.... I naively assumed that the CJ was either voted upon by the other justices or was the person with the most seniority on the court. Why is this not the case?
• "Why is this not the case?" Because you live in America, Land of the Retards.
• The US CJ also is the first one to speak when drafting decisions, which is intended to create unanimity, but may actually stiffle dissent. ("Allright, this is what I, as Chief Justice and Your Boss thinks, now let's go around the table in order of seniority...") In Canada, the CJ goes last, which is intended to give the nOOb the biggest voice, but may actually encourage judicial laziness. ("Allright, this is what I, the guy who has most recently actually practiced law thinks, now let's go around the table and see how far you're removed from reality...")
• about justice if true justice be a thing men seek let Rehnquast, unembalmed, but warm go drifting in Louisiana sewer water for at least a week
• Chief Justice Rehnquist's Drug Habit
• "if justice be a thing men seek"... many bananas, bees!
• Because you live in America, Land of the Retards. I would *so* kick your ass if I could figure out where Australia is located on the map.
• Plenty of retards in Australia. Trust me on this one.
• /points at Canberra
• I'm from Canberra.
• Q.E.D.
• :(
• It's okay, Chyren probably doesn't even know which direction Canberra is.
• probably doesn't even know which direction Canberra is Considering the amount of time they spend in the West moaning about the East, I'd say that's highly unlikely.
• The FBI's file on former Chief Justice William Rehnquist -- made public more than a year after his death -- offers insight into hallucinations and other symptoms of withdrawal that Rehnquist suffered when he was taken off a prescription painkiller in 1981. A doctor was cited as saying that Rehnquist, an associate justice of the Supreme Court at the time, tried to escape the hospital in his pajamas and imagined that the CIA was plotting against him. Kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it?