Posts Tagged ‘Supreme Court’
It is customary for the media to scrutinize new nominees to the Supreme Court. But little did Elena Kagan realize when she accepted President Obama’s invitation to join the august body of intellect that her softball batting stance would be the center of a national media frenzy. This came after a 17-year-old picture of Kagan playing softball was posted on the cover of The Wall Street Journal last week.
In the above clip, which aggregates the media response to the photo, includes quotes like:
- “She plays a mean game of softball.”
- “She likes to play softball. She likes to play poker.”
- “A softball bat symbolizes a certain lifestyle.”
- “It is clearly an allusion to her being gay.”
- “Please tell us if your nominee is or not. It’s a legitimate question.” …read more.
We here at USDemocrazy feel this is an accurate representation of the internet telling you about Elena Kagan. Are you listening? Image Courtesy of Serge Ouachée.
If you haven’t heard of Elana Kagan, chances are you will not be able to miss her in the weeks ahead.
Elana Kagan is the new Supreme Court nominee to replace retiring Justice Stevens.
We here at USDemocrazy are being turned around in circles by the mountain of info being churned out about Kagan! If you want to check some of it out, we suggest SCOTUS Blog to help you on your way! They’ve got a comprehensive rundown of who is saying what and where.
And that is all well and good…but…we wanted to talk about something else.
How about TERM LIMITS for Supreme Court Justices? That’s right … how about we drop this lifetime appointment nonsense?…
Courtesy Associated Press
Elena Kagan! News just broke that Obama’s next Supreme Court nominee would be Kagan, the former dean of Harvard Law School and currently the first female Solicitor General. As the NBC newsbreak described:
“If confirmed, Kagan would will the vacancy left by retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. Stevens, 90, announced his decision to retire on April 9 after nearly 35 years of service on the high court. Kagan would also be the third sitting woman on the court, joining Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor, and the fourth woman in history to be a Supreme Court Justice.”
While she is not expected to be very controversial, she could still face questioning on some of her views. Liberals find her assertions on executive power too conservative, while some conservatives do not agree with her stance on gay rights, for example.
What are your thoughts… is Kagan a good choice? Could she drastically change the Court? Will she be an adequate substitute for Stevens? Shoot us a comment and start the discussion.
I see you! Courtesy of WikiCommons.
Just about every cellphone these days contains a camera. Add these millions of fickle lenses to the growing number of security, surveillance, computer and video cameras, and you’ve got no where to hide.
Unless you are in court.
Today, America’s top courts do not allow cameras in to their proceedings…But maybe not for much longer…
The legal team here at USDemocrazy has been watching this subject. But some internet buzz is focusing on the Cameras in the Big Kahuna – the Supreme Court. We’ve got your rundown:
I can see the fallout from here! Image Courtesy of WikiCommons
Oh boy, now this one is sure to raise some eyebrows.
This week, the Supreme Court heard a case about actions of the Christian Legal Society at the University of California Hastings College of Law. Their crime? Disallowing gays and lesbians to hold office or vote in their club. UC Hastings was none too pleased about this policy, and pulled the school’s recognition of group. Now law students are doing what they do best…suing.
So we’ve got your Rundown and you’ve got an opinion. We know you do. Come on, let us hear it…
Thanks to Wikicommons!
With all that’s happening due to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Steven’s retirement we at US Democrazy thought we’d give you some suggested sites about the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States).
First off, what is the history of the court and its cases? Well, our friends at PBS has got you covered there. They have a wonderful website on the subject (including videos, games, and an AWESOME timeline). …read more.
Hmm, so who's on your list? Image Courtesy of Wikicommons
It’s Court Craziness, and we here at USDemocrazy are loving every second of it! Everybody has their own list of names for who will replace the good Justice Stevens on the Supreme Court (We have our own… suggest a name here). Few times does everybody get to be excited about the Supreme Court, so we’re living it up while we can.
Here’s your rundown:
With Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens retiring, USDemocrazy is taking nominations for his replacement. Suggest a name (we’ll add our favorites) and cast your vote here! …read more.
Courtesy of Wiki Commons
We here at USDemocrazy can smell a good story a mile away. And it smells good. Right now… we’ve picked up a real strong scent…
A little while ago, oh say about a month, we reported on the impending retirement of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. We felt the tremors in the force then, and we can feel them again now. Washington is once again buzzing over Justice Stevens. We’ve got your rundown…
We here at USDemocrazy know that all good things must come to an end.
When a big wig like a Supreme Court justice knows it’s the end… it is a big deal.
The word around Washington is that Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens will be deciding very soon whether to retire from his position on the Court.
All Court-Nerds stand with bated breath, as a retired justice means the nomination of a NEW justice. And oh boy, you don’t want to get Court-Nerds fired up. Let’s get the rundown…
There’s a rule of thumb that says the most volatile subjects for any discussion are politics and religion. We’ like to add two more: Leonard Nimoy (don’t mess with Trekkies), and… military funerals.
Military funerals are sad enough affairs as is… A loved one, serving the nation, lost in the line of duty.
Imagine then, uninvited guests to the same funeral, picketing, protesting shouting “God hates you” and “You’re going to hell” displaying signs “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” and “God Blew Up the Troops.” …read more.
Tee Shirt Available at BustedTees.com
Why would you want “bear arms.” Their hairy and in short supply! It just seems like a big waste of time to us…Oh, not “bear” arms. Ah, we get it. …read more.
It’s a wacky day for news… Probably due to all the cabin fever Mid-Atlantic residents are suffering from… (Snowpocalpyse 2.0!)
We’ve all heard the Sarah Palin 2012 rumors, so now see how they might be materializing!
More rumors coming out of New York state, where Governor Paterson is under fire due to claims in a New York Times article that hasn’t come out yet!
The only way I’m not going to be governor next year is at the ballot box, and the only way I’m leaving before that is in a box,” Paterson said.
Could we see a Justice Clinton on the Supreme Court? The Daily Beast thinks stranger things have happened…
Bing.com
Aren’t puzzles puzzling?
Out of the box their pieces are tiny, oddly shaped and maddeningly indistinguishable (like a pea, a marble and our editor’s brain). But when you look at the cover of the box, the pieces are mysteriously assembled to paint a clear picture.
A clear picture is being painted right now in Washington DC. As these pieces come together, this political picture is not looking good… for the Democrats.
Here are some of the pieces…
Fund Raising: A new Supreme Court ruling, Citizens United v Federal Election Commission, frees corporations to write unlimited blank checks to political campaigns (Open the Floodgates!).
Web Surfing: The Republicans are getting more savvy as to how to use The Internet for political gain. The recent election of Massachusetts Senator Senator Scott Brown has been attributed to a rigorous use of the internet. Elsewhere, California conservative Carly Fiorina have taken to running attack adds through the web. Seen below is the “Demon Sheep” add run against her primary challenger Tom Campbell.
flickr.com
We here at USDemocrazy are constantly surprised by how little actions can have big results (like leaving a whoopee cushion on the boss’s chair).
Earlier this week we highlighted a controversial Supreme Court ruling that says corporations (or anybody) can spend ALL THE MONEY THEY WANT on political campaigns. (And spend they will!)
What’s the big deal?
Conservatives are cheering because they claim this is a victory for freedom of expression.
The Left argues that spending money isn’t free speech, and that individuals have constitutional rights, not corporations.
As is the norm in politics today, this is a very polarizing issue. But there is a larger consequence.
With the Court’s ruling, foreign corporations will now be entitled to join the orgy of US political spending. …read more.
