Judge Dread

I haven’t written about Sandra Day O’Connor’s resignation, because I too am resigned.

This is the moment the troglodytes have been waiting for — the opportunity to roll back at least forty years of gains for individual citizens in the realm of civil liberties, fairness, and privacy. And they’re going to have their moment. One way or another, the Prostident will manage to seat whatever Supreme Court nominee he wants.

I once asked a friend of mine who professes to be a moderate *why* he was voting for Bush. His answer basically boiled down to “defense.” When I asked how he felt about the potential for reversing Roe v. Wade or whether he was comfortable with a government in the grip of the Christian right, he pooh-poohed my concerns. “All the rhetoric is just for their base,” he said.

Horseshit.

My defense-minded friend is about to find out that our Prostident is a *member* of his goddamn base.

We’re about to kiss off four decades of progress toward a marginally more equitable, more rational, more humane civilization in favor of the law of the jungle (for poor people, that is; the rich will still get to *be* the jungle) and a culture of native superstition.

11 Responses to “Judge Dread”

  1. anangbhai Says:

    Ein Volk! Ein Reich! Und Ein Fuhrer!

    For a safer, more prosperous republic…

  2. Bart Lidofsky Says:

    Al Gonzalez is a good friend of George Bush, and favors Roe vs. Wade. The far right is already campaigning against him.

  3. Brian Spence Says:

    I watched a Tom Brokaw special last night called “The Long War”. He showed a Pakistani professor who was fighting religion from taking over his country. I’d also read Persepolis, where she mentioned some Iranians that spoke out against religion taking over their government (and who failed).

    I think about those two examples when I think about Bush and the religious portion of our country. We can clearly see how other religions in other governments is bad. It’s the right’s hubris that makes them feel that Christianity in our government is ok. I don’t think we’re as bad as Pakistan or Iran, but we’re on our way.

    Can we come up with a better system than giving seven people lifetime appointments to screw up this country?

    Bush will bring in Gonzales for this round, with a wink to his base that when Rehnquist retires, he’ll appoint a major asshole conservative to the bench.

    It’s so depressing that we’re hoping for the guy who thinks torture is a good idea to get nominated, isn’t it?

  4. Gary Says:

    Steve, have you ever thought of running for office? For the amount of concern and interest you have with government I think you should become involved directly.

  5. Forrest Says:

    ”As a campaign slogan, “Commit Thoughtcrime” does have a certain appeal; nonetheless…”

  6. Bart Lidofsky Says:

    When did Gonzales EVER say that he thought torture was a good idea?

  7. Frankie Says:

    Bart –

    As White House Counsel, he wrote the brief advising the President that the Abu Ghraib torture was legal.

  8. Bart Lidofsky Says:

    There is a MAJOR difference between a lawyer stating that something is legal, and stating that it’s a good idea.

  9. Forrest Says:

    For example, resigning.

  10. Frankie Says:

    Bart – does it matter that it WASN’T legal?

  11. Bart Lidofsky Says:

    Before I answer that, are you a lawyer, Frankie?