gary350 0 #1 January 17, 2004 http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3980469/ WASHINGTON - President Bush on Friday installed Mississippi Judge Charles Pickering on a federal appeals court in an election-year slap at Democrats who had bottled up his nomination for more than two years out of concerns over his civil rights record. . . Un-Fucking-Believable. More uniting, not dividing! More to make the Republican party proud! And only one day after getting booed and jeered by hundreds while having the audacity to show his pathetic, smirking face at the tomb of Martin Luther King - http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3966413/ More on Pickering: http://www.newsfrombabylon.com/article.php?sid=3214 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,404 #2 January 17, 2004 >And only one day after getting booed and jeered by hundreds while > having the audacity to show his pathetic, smirking face at the tomb > of Martin Luther King - Hmm. I don't get mad when _anyone_ shows respect for one of the greatest civil rights leaders in US history, even when I disagree with their politics. Bush has done some good things and some bad things, but it's odd to condemn him for paying tribute to such a leader. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stuffit 0 #3 January 17, 2004 QuoteHmm. I don't get mad when _anyone_ shows respect for one of the greatest civil rights leaders in US history, even when I disagree with their politics. Bush has done some good things and some bad things, but it's odd to condemn him for paying tribute to such a leader. the only one he was paying tribute to was himself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gary350 0 #4 January 17, 2004 Charles Pickering: Just the Facts Throughout his career, Judge Charles Pickering has demonstrated a record of hostility to key principles that protect civil and constitutional rights. His nomination continues to draw opposition from his home state of Mississippi and organizations around the nation. As a federal judge, Charles Pickering: criticized the “one-person, one-vote” principle recognized by the Supreme Court. suggested that large deviations from equality in drawing legislative district lines, which the Supreme Court has held presumptively unconstitutional, were “relatively minor” and “de minimis.” criticized or sought to limit important remedies provided by the Voting Rights Act. repeatedly inserted into his rulings, in cases involving claims of employment discrimination, severe criticisms of civil rights plaintiffs and the use of civil rights laws to address alleged discrimination. demonstrated a propensity to make it harder for some people to obtain access to justice, especially less powerful litigants, such as people raising civil rights or liberties claims. has been reversed 15 times by the 5th Circuit for ignoring or violating “well-settled principles of law” – 11 of those 15 in cases involving constitutional, civil rights, criminal procedure, or labor issues; in contrast, another Bush nominee who was confirmed to the 5th Circuit, Edith Brown Clement, was reversed only once during a slightly shorter tenure as a district court judge. engaged in unethical conduct in an effort to reduce the sentence for a defendant convicted for burning a cross on the lawn of an interracial family and by soliciting letters of support for his confirmation from attorneys who practiced before him. As a state senator, Charles Pickering: co-sponsored a Mississippi Senate resolution calling on Congress to repeal Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (providing federal oversight over jurisdictions with a history of discrimination in voting) or to apply it to all states regardless of their discrimination history, widely seen as an effort to gut the Act. supported “open primary” legislation that was blocked by the Justice Department over concerns about discrimination against black voters. supported a resolution calling for a constitutional convention to propose an amendment to ban abortion. Hundreds of organizations, individuals and elected officials have announced their opposition to Pickering’s nomination: African-American organizations and leaders in Mississippi, including every local chapter and the state chapter of the NAACP, the Legislative Black Caucus, the Magnolia Bar Association, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Mississippi Worker’s Center for Human Rights, and more. National legal and civil rights organizations, including the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Alliance for Justice, the Human Rights Campaign, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the National Bar Association and more. Local and national women’s rights groups, including the American Association of University Women, the National Women’s Law Center, the National Partnership for Women and Families, NARAL Pro-Choice America and the National Womens Political Caucus, and more. Labor organizations, including the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of School Administrators, AFSME, UNITE!, the United Steelworkers of America, and more. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gary350 0 #5 January 17, 2004 >paying tribute to such a leader If I had any thought that the tribute was genuine, I would agree. But OMG - you can't seriously believe that someone can work so tirelessly AGAINST the principles of a man and then be taken seriously when supposedly paying a "tribute" to that man, can you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beerlight 0 #6 January 17, 2004 Nope dude, you got your facts all wrong....what, you must have cut/paste off of yahoo or something.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,404 #7 January 17, 2004 >But OMG - you can't seriously believe that someone can work so > tirelessly AGAINST the principles of a man and then be taken > seriously when supposedly paying a "tribute" to that man, can you? I can believe that Bush honestly thinks he's working for civil rights. In a recent interview, Bush said "no President has ever done more for human rights than I have." I disagree with his self-evaluation, but I am glad that he sees MLK as someone to respect. Perhaps after his visit he will try harder to live up to King's principles, and that would surely be a good thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gary350 0 #8 January 17, 2004 QuoteNope dude, you got your facts all wrong....what, you must have cut/paste off of yahoo or something.... Yeah - I cut and paste - no shit. You're welcome to cut and paste your version or refute these facts one by one. . . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gary350 0 #9 January 17, 2004 >I can believe that Bush honestly thinks he's working for civil rights. Heavy sigh. As hard as it is for me to accept, I think you are right. But it doesn't make me any less disgusted with the man and his party - cluelessness is not a good excuse. . . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beerlight 0 #10 January 17, 2004 Man, just bustin on ya....sorry............. I was just drinking a very cold Shiner and thought, what the hell, let's have some fun! As for Pickering, I don't know him but have met his son, Chip who is extremely nice and capable. Maybe he fell further from the tree..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #11 January 17, 2004 Hey, gary. Rather than just cutting and pasting, how about a link to the site from which you pulled those facts. I'd settle for that instead of footnotes or endnotes. Thanks. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gary350 0 #12 January 17, 2004 QuoteHey, gary. Rather than just cutting and pasting, how about a link to the site from which you pulled those facts. I'd settle for that instead of footnotes or endnotes. Thanks. No prob - thanks for not putting the word "facts" in quotes. . . I know not everything you read is true, especially from a biased source, but there seems to be a remarkable body of evidence in this case - at least enough in my mind to seriously question his fitness to serve. People For The American Way http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=12676 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #13 January 17, 2004 Cheers for the link. Too often, things like that are put up. It's what we lawyers call "puffing." A car salesman can tell you that a certain car is the "best on the lot." Well, it cannot be objectively proven or disproven. I'll check out the site. Thanks for the link. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gary350 0 #14 January 17, 2004 QuoteCheers for the link. Too often, things like that are put up. It's what we lawyers call "puffing." A car salesman can tell you that a certain car is the "best on the lot." Well, it cannot be objectively proven or disproven. I'll check out the site. Thanks for the link. Cool - Being the shameless progressive that I am, I think they are a wonderful organization with a very good track record of fairness and accuracy. Many other opinions of them no doubt. . . FYI: You can often find the source of quotes by grabbing a chunk of text and googling it. Below are some more "facts" about Pickering and his support from Repuplican leaders. (satire - as an example of "puffing") Frist Backs Racist "Enthusiastically" By WISEN HEIMER The Assassinated Press WASHINGTON (Jan. 12) - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday he supports President Bush's renomination to a federal appeals court of a racist Mississippi judge whom Democrats rejected last year when they controlled the Senate. "I enthusiastically support this racist pervert!" exclaimed a flushed Frist. One of U.S. District Judge Charles Pickering's patrons is Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., who lost his job as Senate GOP leader after making what critics said were racially insensitive remarks. Frist, Lott's successor, said Democrats who are threatening to filibuster Pickering's nomination are ``playing politics'' with racial issues. "Of course, in nominating a racist, we are not "playing politics, we're playing for keeps." Frist said. ``So what if Judge Pickering is not a well-qualified judge. The American Bar Association, whom I despise, used those words, `is not well qualified,''' Frist, R-Tenn., told Fox News Sunday. "So fuck them. I support Trent Lott -- we in the south do wish that things were like they were before. It's great having slaves wipe your ass for you." ``There are many rednecks out there who think he did not get a fair hearing before. So I receive his nomination gladly. ... I plan on supporting Pickering, and any other racist like myself who crawls out of wherever. I'll kiss his ass on TV if I have to.'' Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., renewed Democrats' pledge to try to block Pickering's nomination. ``I think this really lays bare the administration's real position on civil rights. This exposes the Southern strategy clearly,'' Daschle said on ABC's ``This Week.'' ``We're going to do everything we can, everything we can, to stop that nomination, on the floor and in the committee. Even for Republicans, this is bullshit. We may as well bring back overt lynchings! Why rely on long drawn-out trials?'' Pickering was defeated 10-9 in the Senate Judiciary Committee last March, when Democrats held a Senate majority. Civil rights groups said he supported segregation as a young man in Mississippi. Pickering's opponents also pointed to his conservative voting record as a Mississippi state lawmaker and decisions as a judge. They also point to the fact that he has sired a number of negro children. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,634 #15 January 17, 2004 Quote>But OMG - you can't seriously believe that someone can work so > tirelessly AGAINST the principles of a man and then be taken > seriously when supposedly paying a "tribute" to that man, can you? I can believe that Bush honestly thinks he's working for civil rights. In a recent interview, Bush said "no President has ever done more for human rights than I have." I disagree with his self-evaluation, but I am glad that he sees MLK as someone to respect. Perhaps after his visit he will try harder to live up to King's principles, and that would surely be a good thing. GWB has as much understanding of the problems of the poor as I have of the problems of being a billionaire. He was born into a privileged life, and had everything handed to him on a plate.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #16 January 17, 2004 Well, there wasn't much change. I've notice that the terminology on the page is vague. "Key civil rights principles" and "troubling anti-civil rights" appear without referring to exactly "what" the civil right is. For all I know he could oppose the Second Amendment. I have an inherent mistrust of this type of stuff from both sides. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyhi 24 #17 January 17, 2004 QuoteMore to make the Republican party proud! I bet Robert Byrd, the Democratic senior Senator from West Virginia didn't have a problem with it.Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gravitymaster 0 #18 January 17, 2004 You mean this Robert Byrd? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
winsor 186 #19 January 17, 2004 If you criticized the racist agenda of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson with equal enthusiasm I might pay attention. As it is, I get the impression that "Progressives" are unable to distinguish between an underdog and a loser. Blue skies, Winsor Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflydrew 0 #20 January 17, 2004 Dirty President... Dirty Administration... Not even surprised anymore... Every Friday (The day the least people pay attention to the news), The White House makes announcements like this that quickly go unnoticed, camouflaged by stupid news like Jackson dancing on the top of a truck. Dirty, disgusting, and globally embarrassing. I can't even fathom how people who call themselves Republican don't acknowledge the things this administration does as wrong. It's not a leftie, democrat, liberal, or left wing kind of thing. This is about practical right and wrong and how many behind our backs types of things these guys can do before even the righties, republicans, and conservatives stand up and say what the fuck is this crap! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,634 #21 January 17, 2004 QuoteYou mean this Robert Byrd? How does the fact that Byrd was a racist in any way excuse the actions of Pickering and Bush? Did you use that kind of excuse ("he did it first") with your mother? PS nice Photoshop job.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydyvr 0 #22 January 17, 2004 QuoteHmm. I don't get mad when _anyone_ shows respect for one of the greatest civil rights leaders in US history, even when I disagree with their politics. Bill, you are therefore waaayyyy out of step with the new political embodiment of hate, intolerance, divisiveness, and small mindedness -- the far left! . . =(_8^(1) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gemini 0 #23 January 17, 2004 Are you talking about Kennedy? Blue skies, Jim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiverRick 0 #24 January 17, 2004 QuoteAre you talking about Kennedy? Yeah, I wonder how many democrats on capitol hill are poor? never pull low......unless you are Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,634 #25 January 17, 2004 QuoteQuoteAre you talking about Kennedy? Yeah, I wonder how many democrats on capitol hill are poor? Few of them are poor - perks of government. Many came from poor backgrounds. However, none of them argued AGAINST affirmative action after taking advantage of their privileged status to gain admission to an ivy league college with inferior grades.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
