As Republicans mull their response to the naming of a Latino woman to the Supreme Court, they have the benefit of legal scholarship from John Yoo, who suggests that Sonia Sotomayor would be "voting her emotions and politics rather than the law." George W. Bush's torture expert is troubled by the nominee's lack of legal "firepower." He points out, "There are no opinions that … [Read more...] about Sotomayor Doesn’t Suit Yoo
Sotomayor
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. UPDATE: An exaggeration? Perhaps...perhaps not... … [Read more...] about Sotomayor
Barack Obama is the LeBron James of the Democratic Party
Guest post by Frankie Sturm Frankie Sturm is communications director at the Truman National Security Project and a free-lance journalist. This piece originally appeared at The Huffington Post. Barack Obama is the LeBron James of the Democratic Party. At least when it comes to national security. Republicans have dominated Democrats on the security question for decades, but … [Read more...] about Barack Obama is the LeBron James of the Democratic Party
Topsy: Search Ranking Based on Twitter Linking
Michael Arrington summarizes the evolution of search: Before Google, search engines like AltaVista determined relevance based on how well a web page matched the query. Then came Google, which views the web as a network of documents. Today, all search engines analyze linking behavior around the web. When a web page is linked to a lot, it’s given more influence than other pages … [Read more...] about Topsy: Search Ranking Based on Twitter Linking
Sonia Sotomayor & Ethnic Identification
By SHAUN MULLEN GUEST VOICE Sonia Sotomayor (say so-toe-my-YORE) would not be the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court. To take nothing away from the justifiable pride that Hispanics feel in the nomination of the child of Puerto Rican immigrant parents who grew up in a South Bronx housing project and was a summa cum laude graduate of Princeton, that distinction … [Read more...] about Sonia Sotomayor & Ethnic Identification
LEFT, RIGHT AND IN-FIELD COMMENTS
It’s late May and the Baseball season is fully underway. (I can't believe professional basketball and hockey are still being played.) School is soon to be in summer recess if not already as here in Arizona. Springtime is moving towards summer (In Arizona that means daily temperatures formerly in the 80s’s and 90’s to daily temperatures between 105 and 115 through the end of … [Read more...] about LEFT, RIGHT AND IN-FIELD COMMENTS
California Supreme Court Upholds Proposition 8
BUMPED AND UPDATED For what it's worth I've had the chance to review the decision and I have posted my thoughts and opinions under the fold. Also, Bush v Gore rivals Ted Olson and David Boies will file suit in Federal Court to seek an injunction on Proposition 8 so the courts can review if the measure violates federal law. I am not sure if the court will take the case and … [Read more...] about California Supreme Court Upholds Proposition 8
History Lesson
North Korea fired two more short-range missiles today. These are in addition to the three short-range missiles it fired yesterday, after its underground explosion of a nuclear bomb: … [Read more...] about History Lesson
Court May ‘Dissolve’ Scientology in France: Liberation, France
Is the church founded by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard a unique way to obtain spiritual guidance in a troubled world, or is it a fraud designed to part the gullible from their hard earned money? It is a debate that's been going on since the Church of Scientology was founded in 1954. According to this article by Angélique Négroni of France's Liberation, … [Read more...] about Court May ‘Dissolve’ Scientology in France: Liberation, France
Glimmers of Economic Hope Amid Some Momentous Developments
On a day filled with the news of President Obama's selection of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be his Supreme Court nominee, California's Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, and of North Korea's launch of two more short-range missiles even after conducting an underground nuclear test on Monday, the U.S. economy received relatively little notice. Yet it should have. For … [Read more...] about Glimmers of Economic Hope Amid Some Momentous Developments
THE MODERATE VOICE GIVES A DAMN ABOUT A LOT OF IMPORTANT ISSUES
Despite the jocular admonition from “Jazz” who commented on my last post that I might be listed as a subversive under Federal terrorism laws; I am still here in sunny Phoenix at my computer. I joined TMV only a few months ago after enough positive reinforcement from TMV’s Editor in Chief, Joe Gandelman and a few other long-time contributors and editors. (I don’t want to set … [Read more...] about THE MODERATE VOICE GIVES A DAMN ABOUT A LOT OF IMPORTANT ISSUES
Judging Judge Sonia Sotomayor
A round up here. … [Read more...] about Judging Judge Sonia Sotomayor
World’s Hopes Dashed By ‘George W. Obama’: Financial Times Deutschland
Is President Obama - after actual contact with the day to day realities of the the White House - making pragmatic decisions with regard to the issues of terrorism and torture? Or as his critics charge, is he just a political opportunist, flip-flopping on some of the most central promises of his election campaign and becoming what one might call 'Bush Light'? Fidelius Schmid … [Read more...] about World’s Hopes Dashed By ‘George W. Obama’: Financial Times Deutschland
Obama Says We’re Out Of Money
President Obama said over the weekend that we're out of money and points to health care costs as a contributing factor. Glenn Reynolds wonders: what came first ... the chicken or the egg? (Which should mean an interesting back in forth in TMV's comments section.) … [Read more...] about Obama Says We’re Out Of Money
The Market’s New Perpetual Motion Machine
I think present optimism about an improving economy is far, far too optimistic. But that's me. Let's look at what the experts have to say, the ones in Washington and on Wall Street. Experts who seem strangely in tune about a lot of things these days when it comes to prospects for better times. None of these experts is saying things are actually improving in the overall … [Read more...] about The Market’s New Perpetual Motion Machine
We’ll Learn More About Her Than Our Mothers
Consider yourself in the shoes of Sonia Sotomayor whose life over the past 54 years will be scrutinized, analyzed, demonized and idolized. I hope President Obama's nominee to the United States Supreme Court is as tough as nails as she is purported to be. Think about it. In the span of four months we will know more about the current appellate court justice than we do about … [Read more...] about We’ll Learn More About Her Than Our Mothers
Mixed Feelings on the California Ruling
I have some mixed feelings on the ruling by the California Supreme Court to uphold the voter approved ban on gay marriage. It would have been nice to see the law overturned- I think it is a bad law and bigoted. Be that as it may, I didn't feel comfortable with the idea of invalidating a vote of the people even if it is bigoted and went against my wishes as a gay man. The … [Read more...] about Mixed Feelings on the California Ruling
Things We Can’t Seem to Lose
From Gitmo terrorists to belly fat, there are many things we Americans can't seem to lose. But that doesn't stop us from trying the next fad diet. (Click cartoon for a full size image.) For more, visit Small World Cartoons. … [Read more...] about Things We Can’t Seem to Lose
Politics Can’t Be Removed From Justice
Whenever there is a Supreme Court nominee, many people come out and say that the judgment should be based on qualifications of the nominee, not ideology or "politics." A sampling from the comments: DaGoat: "Partisan opposition to appointees on political grounds under the cover of "advise and consent" was wrong when the Democrats did it, and it's still wrong. … [Read more...] about Politics Can’t Be Removed From Justice
California Justices Split the Baby
In a decision which will draw fire from all sides, the California Supreme Court has chosen to split the baby. Unlike King Solomon's challenge to the two prostitutes [1 Kings 3:16-28], this choice is not courageous and may not even be wise. msnbc.com BREAKING NEWS: Calif. high court upholds gay marriage ban but allows existing marriages to stand See earlier post by Joe … [Read more...] about California Justices Split the Baby