Hartmann expounding on yesterday's Sotomayor commentary

[Doctor_J]

Thinks she's a good nominee, bu that Obama should use his political capital (now at its peak) to try for another Marshall. Nomination is disappointing in that way.

By the way, since many of you misinterpreted yesterday's post,

I agree with him

www.thomhartmann.com

[Maat]

1. Me, too.

I agree with him, also.

We could have had another Marshall or Brennan.

In the future, we simply won't be able to count on the high court to guarantee fundamental rights. The recent decision, written by Scalia, to modify 5th-Amendment rights as to questioning shows that.

[Doctor_J]

2. Especially since the Repukes would oppose any nomination

Time to take the offensive against these bullies

[dflprincess]

7. Or a William O. Douglas (eom)

[Liberal In Texas]

3. Whatever, let's give it a rest and listen to Thom...

http://www.thomhartmann.com/hartmanvideo.html

[Sebastian Doyle]

4. well... now he's talking to former Senator Macaca's wife about gay penguins

That should be entertaining.

[Doctor_J]

5. Yes, Mrs. George Felix Allen Jr. is lying about her objections to

a book about gay penguins that's infested our schools.

[dflprincess]

8. Not just gay penguins - but gay penguins who have adopted

an orphaned penguin chick. (The book is "And Tango Makes Three").

[vaberella]

6. Gosh...President O can't catch a break.

He chose someone superbly qualified and had years and years on the bench. And he liked her background and felt her views were in line with his. So I don't see what the problem is. He chose well based on what he was looking for and that's unarguable. To demand he chose someone more liberal because it would benefit your own ideological pull is something else than choosing someone good for the job. O is looking at the job not the ideological brand. Depending on the case she could flip either way even if they are on the so called "liberal" end.

[Doctor_J]

11. But as has been shown in frightening detail over the last 8 years

the US Constitution can be contorted to deny civil rights, promote torture, and relieve corporations of culpability for all manner of crime. Thom and others were hoping for a new justice who would be ardent, unapologetic advocate for little people, gays, women, workers, and others whom the Scalia cabal has placed under assault with their activism. Many are are afraid that such a person might be confirmable now and never again.

[vaberella]

15. True...but we're not dealing with the same President from the last 8 years.

I think O is addressing the demands of the people as best he can't and so far I haven't seen him twisting the US constitution to meet his needs.

[MadBadger]

9. Misinterpreted yesterday's post? It said "Hartmann Bashing Sotomayor"

"Says she is pro-corporate by a mile."

None of that would lead any of us to believe he thinks she's a good nominee.

[Uzybone]

10. how do we know his political capital is at its peak?

Maybe the President thinks Sotomayor was the best person for the job, and isn't playing the old games.

[Cha]

17. Yeah, a lot of suppositions.

And, yeah, I betting he thinks she's the best one for the job.

[zalinda]

12. If he was really playing "the game"

he would have nominated such a lefty that the repubs heads would spin. Then nominate someone not so left, and then nominate his real choice. But, I'm afraid that this was his true nomination.

zalinda

[onenote]

13. has hartmann given any specific examples of a Marshall ruling that

he thinks Sotomayor would have decided differently? There was an indication that he thinks Sotomayor is too much of a "corporatist", but I'd be curious to see examples of "anti-corporatist" decisions (or dissents) by Marshall that Hartmann thinks Sotomayor would not follow.

[Doctor_J]

18. I don't think that's the point

When Marshall was a member of SCOTUS, we weren't fighting to prevent huge multi-national corporations from deciding what we see, hear, eat, drink, buy, and sell, the way we are now. We were fighting for equal rights for an oppressed people. So the battle then was different than it is now.

Edit: I think what Hartmann is saying is that he was hoping for a nomination of a judge who at some point decided pointedly and unconditionally that wiretaps of US citizens without probable cause and a warrant are illegal. This MIGHT be a 21st century analog to the civil rights decisions of the 50's and 60's

[onenote]

23. and what basis does he have for concluding that Sotomayor would not agree?

Has she ruled on a wiretap case? (I'm asking because I don't know the answer and would like to know what she has written on this subject, if anything).

[MarjorieG]

14. Replacing for Souter, but more importantly, someone who could influence Kennedy.

Have heard that a few places.

Robert's court is anti individual. Soni's sense of real life consequence, and her force of personality, intellect, background in corporate law, in some ways conservative, is perfect for that role. Just having a more liberal Souter won't help the balance as much.

[jefferson_dem]

16. "...since many of you misinterpreted yesterday's post..."

Thanks for clarifying.

<insert eyeroll smiley here>

[omega minimo]

19. It's shocking how many were attacking Hartmann and attacking DUers for being his Dittoheads.

This might not be the right board, of 190,000 posters open to Democrats and the world, to hoist some pretentious petard of intellectual and educational litmus.

[Doctor_J]

20. Well, it started with my hastily condensed post and poorly worded Subject

We can disagree respectfully about whether the nomination should have been more aggressive. I am sorry I started a fight among alot of people who all want this president to fix 8 years of willful sabotage, which will be a monumental task.

[omega minimo]

22. You can't be blamed for it turning into an attack on Hartmann and those who value his work

The detractors were intent on that.

[jefferson_dem]

24. Hey, no probs.

Honestly, I've taken some time to reconsider this "dust up" and must say I probably overreacted (EDIT: including in my post above). Hartmann generally offers intelligent insight and principled perspective that serves our side well.

[Peregrine Took]

21. Me,too. n/t

[Cleita]

25. I also liked the fact that he said, "I'm not going to be the

Sean Hannity of the left." He went on to say that, if needed, he would criticize politicians on the left including the President if he felt they were going in the wrong direction. He reads DU so I think he saw your original OP. He incidentally wasn't dissing Sotomayer. He was just saying he wished Obama would have picked someone not so middle of the road but more progressive like Thurmond Marshall.

[asphalt.jungle]

26. Who is Thurmond Marshall?

so you don't know who Thurgood Marshall is, just that he's suppose to be some progressive guy that Hartmann likes.

[Cleita]

27. He was the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court.

http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/BHS/academics/junior/krider/danielleg09512/home.html Scroll down to last paragraph.

[asphalt.jungle]

28. don't rely on the poorly edited paper of a high school junior ...

for historical facts. his name was THURGOOD. come on you should know that, especially if you are going to tout his progressive bonafides.

[Thrill]

30. He doesn't know if she is going to be progressive or not.

[Thrill]

29. Laurence Tribe advised Obama on the selection and he likes and supports her

Thats all I need to hear.

Laurence Tribe or Thom Hartmann? Not even close. Tribe

[tnlefty]

31. I couldn't beleive the stuff being hurled at Mr. Hartmann here

yesterday. Ugliness that should have been reserved for the repubs, IMNSHO. I checked in briefly yesterday, saw that ugly thread and went back outside to dig in the yard, etc.

[cooolandrew]

32. I think President Obama is shaping the court as it should be moderate. Not left or right but >

balanced. As much as it's great to see progressives wherever they maybe the supreme court should have justices that have balanced views than favoring right or left. The congress is more the palce for the challenge of left or right. I am happy to see him replace all justices that may reach the end of tenure with justices similar to Sotomayor. But genuine moderate than corporate moderate.