Rumored Scalia Replacement: Sri Srinivasan

[misterx]

http://news.yahoo.com/sri-srinivasan-meet-dc-circuit-181900528.html


Who's the most likely candidate for the job? The most buzzed-about prospect so far is a U.S. Court of Appeals judge for the Washington, D.C. Circuit, Sri Srinivasan.

When Obama took office, 70% of federal judges were white men, and only 10% were minority. If this rumor is true, that means all three of Obama's nominees will have come from the 30% that are female or minority. The chances of that happening randomly are only 2%. Factor in that the only white nominee was a Jewish lesbian, and you have an even clearer picture that Obama is not colorblind.

[hells_unicorn]

http://news.yahoo.com/sri-srinivasan-meet-dc-circuit-181900528.html


When Obama took office, 70% of federal judges were white men, and only 10% were minority. If this rumor is true, that means all three of Obama's nominees will have come from the 30% that are female or minority. The chances of that happening randomly are only 2%. Factor in that the only white nominee was a Jewish lesbian, and you have an even clearer picture that Obama is not colorblind.

All one need to do in order to understand Obama's view of race is to read the guy's book "Dreams From My Father". The guy has hated white people his entire life, and seeing who his mother was, it's not really that hard to imagine why he'd come to that viewpoint.

[Zippyjuan]

What besides his race do people like or dislike about him? It looks like he could be one of the easier candidates to get approved. He is condsidered moderate and was approved 77-0 for the Washington DC supreme court (where four other Supreme Court justices also served). He was an apprentice under Sandra Day OConner.

[thoughtomator]

What besides his race do people like or dislike about him? It looks like he could be one of the easier candidates to get approved. He is condsidered moderate and was approved 77-0 for the Washington DC supreme court (where four other Supreme Court justices also served). He was an apprentice under Sandra Day OConner.

Personally, I have a serious problem about being subject to law dictated by people from other countries.

If you're not born AND raised here you have no business holding high offices in the government.

The time for tolerance of the domination of foreign interests in our political system is over.

[PaleoPaul]

Some red flags I noticed when researching him:

-He argued against Indiana's Voter ID Law
-He argued in favor of affirmative action
-He was one of the lawyers arguing for Al Gore in Bush v. Gore
-He represented a Spanish-speaking child who pursued a case against Arizona for not providing sufficient English-language instruction to its students
-He helped prevent a legal immigrant from deportation over a minor gun defense
-He submitted an amicus brief to SCOTUS stating that cops should be required to have a warrant before they placed a GPS on a suspect's car (although I find this to be a good thing)

And for those who are more of a "Religious Right" mindset on this site...

-He argued against DOMA when that was being argued 3 years ago.

[ShaneEnochs]

-He was one of the lawyers arguing for Al Gore in Bush v. Gore

Don't most people around here want to get rid of the electoral college? Gore won the popular vote by half a million people.

[PaleoPaul]

What besides his race do people like or dislike about him? It looks like he could be one of the easier candidates to get approved. He is condsidered moderate and was approved 77-0 for the Washington DC supreme court (where four other Supreme Court justices also served). He was an apprentice under Sandra Day OConner.
97-0, actually. Even Cruz, Rand, and Sessions voted for him.

[ShaneEnochs]

He helped prevent a legal immigrant from deportation over a minor gun defense

Why is this bad? Why would you deport a legal immigrant?

[idiom]

He represented a Spanish-speaking child who pursued a case against Arizona for not providing sufficient English-language instruction to its students

Do we want immigrants to learn English or not?!?

Or do we want an under-class as slave labour? make up your fucking mind.


He argued against DOMA when that was being argued 3 years ago.

This is one of the more luddite amendments to ever be brought forth by the American people.


He argued against Indiana's Voter ID Law

Everyone on this site seems to hate mandatory government ID, except when it comes to keeping darkies out of polling booths. Then we definitely want voter ID.

Again WTF.

You are making this guy sound extremely libertarian.

[CPUd]

If he nominates a woman, it will be:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqueline_Nguyen


On December 1, 2009, the United States Senate voted 97-0 to confirm Nguyen

[Dianne]

If you have any doubt regarding the corruption in this Government and who they will kill, or blackmail to get their way; keep in mind that this Supreme Court appointment will be Obama's third. Obama, somehow through "magic", will have been allowed to appoint 1/3 of the Supreme Court. Somehow this mad man has transformed history, while he is transforming the United States. Assassinate, blackmail, whatever it takes for the good of the Saudi control of the United States.

[ShaneEnochs]

If you have any doubt regarding the corruption in this Government and who they will kill, or blackmail to get their way; keep in mind that this Supreme Court appointment will be Obama's third. Obama, somehow through "magic", will have been allowed to appoint 1/3 of the Supreme Court. Somehow this mad man has transformed history, while he is transforming the United States. Assassinate, blackmail, whatever it takes for the good of the Saudi control of the United States.

You're seeing crazy conspiracies where there are none. Justice Souter said that he wanted to leave before Obama ever came into office. Plus the dude was 69, which is plenty old enough to retire. Justice Stevens was 90. Is that not old enough for you?

[Dianne]

You're seeing crazy conspiracies where there are none. Justice Souter said that he wanted to leave before Obama ever came into office. Plus the dude was 69, which is plenty old enough to retire. Justice Stevens was 90. Is that not old enough for you?

I'm sorry, but Judge Scalia was assassinated. Whatever you take away, or go and run forward with. I can tell you right now !!!!! Judge Scalia was murdered.

[ShaneEnochs]

I'm sorry, but Judge Scalia was assassinated. Whatever you take away, or go and run forward with. I can tell you right now !!!!! Judge Scalia was murdered.

Okay, well he was 79 and fat. Dude had a heart attack. Where is your evidence of his assassination?

[Dianne]

Okay, well he was 79 and fat. Dude had a heart attack. Where is your evidence of his assassination?

Can you explain why he had a pillow on his head, and there will be no autopsy?

[CPUd]

If he had an autopsy and it was concluded he died from natural causes or heart attack, the conspiracy people would be on here saying that shit was faked.

[ShaneEnochs]

Can you explain why he had a pillow on his head, and there will be no autopsy?

The "pillow on his head" thing came from exactly one person: John Poindexter. Who knows what his intentions are. Plus, it's not really that weird. Sometimes I wake up with my head under my pillow.

Also, there won't be an autopsy because autopsies aren't performed when there's no evidence of foul play. Old people die. Old, fat people die younger. It's just how it is.

[Dianne]

If he had an autopsy and it was concluded he died from natural causes or heart attack, the conspiracy people would be on here saying that shit was faked.

I'm just telling you, I have a gift. And I know the man was assassinated. You can't take it to the bank, but I am telling you the man was ordered to be murdered by Obama. You have to trust me on this, to see how; now...... the U.S.A. becomes a fragment of what it once was.

[Anti Federalist]

Personally, I have a serious problem about being subject to law dictated by people from other countries.

If you're not born AND raised here you have no business holding high offices in the government.

The time for tolerance of the domination of foreign interests in our political system is over.

That's pretty much where I'm at as well.

Who the hell are these people and by what right do they rule over me?

[Anti Federalist]

What besides his race do people like or dislike about him? It looks like he could be one of the easier candidates to get approved. He is condsidered moderate and was approved 77-0 for the Washington DC supreme court (where four other Supreme Court justices also served). He was an apprentice under Sandra Day OConner.

The fact that he is, or is perceived to be, a "moderate", but will more than likely rule as a progressive.

Brilliant move by Obama, actually.

At the first whiff of whatever weak sauce opposition the GOP puts up, the left will cry "racism" and he'll sail right on through.

[Danke]

The "pillow on his head" thing came from exactly one person: John Poindexter. Who knows what his intentions are. Plus, it's not really that weird. Sometimes I wake up with my head under my pillow.

Also, there won't be an autopsy because autopsies aren't performed when there's no evidence of foul play. Old people die. Old, fat people die younger. It's just how it is.

Anyone In that high position would have an autopsy as routine.

[specsaregood]

Don't most people around here want to get rid of the electoral college? Gore won the popular vote by half a million people.

I dont' know why you would think that. I would think most people around here are glad popular vote doesn't just decide it.

[r3volution 3.0]

Pretty good, but I prefer tikka masala.

Goat is also excellent.

[euphemia]

-He was one of the lawyers arguing for Al Gore in Bush v. Gore


Just pointing out nobody seemed to notice Florida wasn't Gore's problem. It was Tennessee. And Arkansas.

[Ender]

Okay, well he was 79 and fat. Dude had a heart attack. Where is your evidence of his assassination?

Where's you evidence of a heart attack?

[ShaneEnochs]

Where's you evidence of a heart attack?

Age increases your risk of heart attack, as does weight. Usually when people die in their sleep, it's from a heart attack or some other cardiac event. It's the number one cause of natural deaths. So with all of these facts combined, it's a pretty darn good bet that an overweight, 79 year old man who died in his sleep did so because something went wrong with his ticker.

[presence]

UPDATE: 'It wasn't a heart attack'... (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-tv-station-scalia-died-of-a-heart-attack/2016/02/14/938e2170-d332-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html)

[The Gold Standard]

Don't most people around here want to get rid of the electoral college? Gore won the popular vote by half a million people.

I would rather get rid of the popular vote.

[specsaregood]

Where's you evidence of a heart attack?

Where is your evidence that he actually died? Maybe he is under DIA undergoing a skin-suit replacement and readying to come back under a new identity.

[presence]

http://i.imgur.com/PpMm15y.png


http://i.imgur.com/zIwLfgi.png (https://www.google.com/#tbm=nws&q=scalia+foul+play)

http://i.imgur.com/NyGAkXV.png
(https://www.google.com/#q=Sri+Srinivasan&tbm=nws)



Sri Srinivasan, Multinational Corporate Fixer




http://images.rcw.realclearpolitics.com/231627.jpg
*family ties to iraqi bob have not been established at this time

THE TRUTH CAN BE ADJUSTED


Last Friday, Earth Rights International, a human rights and environmental group, sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee (https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/682485-letter-re-nomination-of-sri-srinivasan-4-5-2013.html) urging senators to demand answers on Srinivansan's private-sector work defending oil giant Exxon. In 2011, while working for O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Srinivasan argued that corporations couldn't be held liable for human rights abuses they are complicit in abroad—specifically, in this case, alleged acts of murder and torture (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/08/us-exxonmobil-indonesia-idUSTRE7676I120110708). ERI supported the plaintiffs in that litigation.


In 2010, Srinivasan unsuccessfully tried to convince the Supreme Court (http://www.scotusblog.com/?p=16937) to grant a new trial for Enron president Jeffrey Skilling (http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/skilling-v-united-states/), who was convicted in connection with one of the most significant financial fraud scandals in recent history.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/04/who-sri-srinivasan-supreme-court

that seems pretty fascism slanted as a liberty pick for scotus, but its mother jones, so lets see what else we can find... maybe he's also known for doing something more amicable than defending exxon against murder and torture charges.

his private sector time is with:
https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/home.nsf/Content/VL+-+Judges+-+SS

SRI SRINIVASAN
(202) 216-7080

Judge Srinivasan was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals in May 2013. He graduated from Stanford University in 1989 and Stanford Law School and Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1995. Following graduation, he served as a law clerk to Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, as a Bristow Fellow in the Office of the U.S. Solicitor General, and as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

In 1998, he joined the law firm



O’Melveny & Myers.


I read that... O’Melveny & Myers ...and all kinds of bells and whistles started going off

O’Melveny & Myers
O’Melveny & Myers
O’Melveny & Myers

where have I heard that before? Then it started hitting me... O’Melveny & Myers defended every fucked up case of corporate corruption that I can recall in the past couple decades. They're a powerhouse of international white collar criminal defense.




O’Melveny & Myers LLP is an international law firm founded in Los Angeles, California (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles,_California). The firm is the 48th largest law firm in the world.[citation needed (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)] It employs around 800 lawyers in 16[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%27Melveny_%26_Myers#cite_note-1) offices worldwide. The firm has represented clients, such as Bank of America (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_America), Exxon Mobil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Mobil), Fannie Mae (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Mae), Goldman Sachs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldman_Sachs), the District of Columbia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia), New Line Cinema (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Line_Cinema), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer_Studios), and other law firms. They represented former Enron Corporation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron_Corporation) chief executive Jeffrey K. Skilling (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_K._Skilling) during his four-month fraud and conspiracy trial.[2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%27Melveny_%26_Myers#cite_note-2)


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O'Melveny_%26_Myers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%27Melveny_%26_Myers)




Sri's history is in justifying or limiting the liability of multinational corporate corruption


this is not a liberty/constitutional pick;
its a corporatist/multinational-liability pick for supreme court

let that be a lesson in what the pundits mean when they say "moderate"

O’Melveny & Myers LLP
- represented Exxon for the valdez spill
- represented Enron for fraud and conspiracy
- represented Goldman Sachs before congress during the housing collapse
- represented Viad against mesothelioma claims
- represented Rio Tinto that destroyed ground water during the "Coconut Revolution" (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?464338-The-Coconut-Revolution-Bougainville) in Papua New Guinea


Sri is white collar criminal defense; a corporate "fixer"; a "michael clayton"

http://www.gstatic.com/tv/thumb/movieposters/166244/p166244_p_v8_ab.jpg

http://putlocker.is/watch-michael-clayton-online-free-putlocker.html





Coordinated investigations by various government agencies are increasingly common and routinely result in parallel criminal and regulatory proceedings as well as private civil litigation. We have helped numerous clients defend against such multi-front onslaughts with a global defense strategy that carefully considers how each proceeding impacts the others.

Should cases proceed to trial,

we have a long track record

of success trying criminal and civil cases to judgment or verdict in federal and state courts throughout the United States. Our advocacy skills have also led to victories in proceedings before



arbitration tribunals




https://www.omm.com/antitrust/


arbitration tribunals? wtf are those you might ask:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?462770-DO-YOU-SUPPORT-Investor-State-Dispute-Settlement-%28ISDS%29



Have a peak at this list of their common cases defended:





Our experience covers a broad array of substantive areas, including:




Accounting Fraud
Anti-Money Laundering
Antitrust
Consumer Fraud
Environmental
False Claims Act
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Anti-Bribery
Health Care Fraud
Ponzi Schemes
RICO
Securities Fraud
Insider Trading
Trade Secrets






wait ponzi schemes what? they weren't the ones that defended...


Your multinational company just did some
really fucked up illegal shit
and got busted for corruption?



Have no fear Sri Srinivasan and his team at O’Melveny & Myers will save you!

http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Sri-Srinivasan.jpg



Bernie Maddoff?

Yeah I remember it... my partner at the firm handled it. (https://www.omm.com/professionals/bradley-j-butwin/)
No worries we got that kinda shit covered.


O’Melveny & Myers resume goes on and on... do your own research.

reposted from

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?490283-Sri-Srinivasan-Multinational-Corporate-Fixer

[ShaneEnochs]

UPDATE: 'It wasn't a heart attack'... (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-tv-station-scalia-died-of-a-heart-attack/2016/02/14/938e2170-d332-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html)

A death by natural causes, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, is one that is primarily attributed to an illness or an internal malfunction of the body not directly influenced by external forces.

[puppetmaster]

Do we want immigrants to learn English or not?!?

Or do we want an under-class as slave labour? make up your fucking mind.



This is one of the more luddite amendments to ever be brought forth by the American people.



Everyone on this site seems to hate mandatory government ID, except when it comes to keeping darkies out of polling booths. Then we definitely want voter ID.

Again WTF.

You are making this guy sound extremely libertarian. do we need to vote on the honor system?

[Dianne]

A death by natural causes, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, is one that is primarily attributed to an illness or an internal malfunction of the body not directly influenced by external forces.

Yeah, like a pillow on your head, and in an unfamiliar locations; not your home, but a vacation resort. How convenient.

[Yieu]

Personally, I have a serious problem about being subject to law dictated by people from other countries.

If you're not born AND raised here you have no business holding high offices in the government.

The time for tolerance of the domination of foreign interests in our political system is over.

This could be some level of a problem, although he was born in 1967 and his family immigrated to Kansas in the late 1960's, so he likely lived most of his life in America as an American. So he wasn't born here, but he was raised here, which I am more okay with.

When he was sworn in to federal office, he was sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita. This is an extremely good sign -- it could be an indication that he is a religious man who may be likely to stand up for religious liberty, particularly if he follows the Gita as a Vaishnava but potentially not so much if he is an adherent of Advaita Vedanta.

I do not know much about him at this time, so I will reserve judgement until I hear more. If he is actually moderate, rather than the popular usage of "moderate", which just means slightly less socialist, then that could maybe be a good thing compared to getting someone who is more of a statist, who would likely bring the heavy hand of statism down on the people more and cause more of an imbalance on the ratio of left/right in the court, and that balance is important whether you're on the right or the left.

[angelatc]

Don't most people around here want to get rid of the electoral college? Gore won the popular vote by half a million people.
Uh, no? The Founders never intended us to be a democracy.

[PaleoPaul]

This could be some level of a problem, although he was born in 1967 and his family immigrated to Kansas in the late 1960's, so he likely lived most of his life in America as an American. So he wasn't born here, but he was raised here, which I am more okay with.

When he was sworn in to federal office, he was sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita. This is an extremely good sign -- it could be an indication that he is a religious man who may be likely to stand up for religious liberty, particularly if he follows the Gita as a Vaishnava but potentially not so much if he is an adherent of Advaita Vedanta.

I do not know much about him at this time, so I will reserve judgement until I hear more. If he is actually moderate, rather than the popular usage of "moderate", which just means slightly less socialist, then that could maybe be a good thing compared to getting someone who is more of a statist, who would likely bring the heavy hand of statism down on the people more and cause more of an imbalance on the ratio of left/right in the court, and that balance is important whether you're on the right or the left.
All of the articles I've read about him state that Obama was pushing very hard for him to be confirmed to the DC Circuit. If this guy isn't a progressive ideologue, I don't think Obama would have vouched for Judge Srinivasan so much, and he wouldn't be in Obama's top three list to replace Scalia.

I've noticed that Obama has had a very "F*ck You!" attitude toward Congress during his second term. IMO, he's NOT going to nominate a moderate. He's going to name someone he knows will ruffle the Senate's feathers and will put the swing state Republican Senators who are up for election in a precarious spot where they have to decide whether they want to be "obstructionist" or stick to their principles to win re-election. Remember, the Senators up for re-election this year are from the Tea Party Class of 2010. The Tea Party isn't quite so popular these days, which makes the fate of their seats even more uncertain.

[ShaneEnochs]

Uh, no? The Founders never intended us to be a democracy.

The original intent of the electoral college was because the Founders thought that the population was too stupid to make good decisions. It was difficult back then knowing who the candidates were and what they stood for. That's also the reason why they wouldn't let people vote for Senators, but the 17th Amendment changed that. Now that we have the Internet and know every minutiae of what a candidate has ever said or done, the only thing that they really do is give an inordinate amount of attention to swing states every four years.

[dillo]

That's pretty much where I'm at as well.

Who the hell are these people and by what right do they rule over me?

Was he not born here? I have no problem if hes Natural Born, at least on those grounds

[Yieu]

Was he not born here? I have no problem if hes Natural Born, at least on those grounds

According to Wikipedia, he was born in 1967 in India and his family immigrated legally to Kansas in the late 1960's. So he was raised in America from potentially earlier than he can remember.

[ShaneEnochs]

Was he not born here? I have no problem if hes Natural Born, at least on those grounds

He was born in India, but moved here when he was a toddler and has been here since. He lived in Kansas and went to Standford:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USN11XKdhhw

[Yieu]

The original intent of the electoral college was because the Founders thought that the population was too stupid to make good decisions. It was difficult back then knowing who the candidates were and what they stood for. That's also the reason why they wouldn't let people vote for Senators, but the 17th Amendment changed that. Now that we have the Internet and know every minutiae of what a candidate has ever said or done, the only thing that they really do is give an inordinate amount of attention to swing states every four years.

I think an electoral college can still make sense in this age, especially if there is a grassroots effort for regular people to be delegates like we had in 2008 and 2012, but superdelegates do not so much sense anymore, because at this point their only substantial purpose is to skew the election by voting for the party's chosen candidate.

[Zippyjuan]

UPDATE: 'It wasn't a heart attack'... (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-tv-station-scalia-died-of-a-heart-attack/2016/02/14/938e2170-d332-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html)


Meanwhile, Guevara acknowledged that she pronounced Scalia dead by phone, without seeing his body. Instead, she spoke to law enforcement officials at the scene — who assured her “there were no signs of foul play” — and Scalia’s physician in Washington, who said that the 79-year-old justice suffered from a host of chronic conditions.

“He was having health issues,’’ Guevara said, adding that she is awaiting a statement from Scalia’s doctor that will be added to his death certificate when it is issued later this week.

Guevara also rebutted a report by a Dallas TV station that quoted her as saying that Scalia had died of “myocardial infarction.” In an interview with The Washington Post, she said she meant only that his heart had stopped.

“It wasn’t a heart attack,” Guevara said. “He died of natural causes.”

Ginsburg is in poor health too. Obama may get a shot at one more before he leaves. She is three years older and has been in and out of hospitals.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/27/ruth-bader-ginsburg-hospital_n_6232244.html


WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was released from the hospital Thursday after having a heart stent implanted to clear a blocked artery, a Supreme Court spokeswoman said.

The 81-year-old jurist was sent home and was expected to be at work when the court hears its next round of oral arguments on Monday, spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said.

Ginsburg was rushed to MedStar Washington Hospital Center late Tuesday after experiencing discomfort during exercise with a personal trainer.

She has had a series of health problems, including colorectal cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer in 2009.

The justice, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, has rejected suggestions from some liberals that she should step down and give President Barack Obama a chance to name her successor.

Her hospitalization just three weeks after elections handed Republicans control of the Senate raised anew the question whether Obama would be able to appoint a like-minded replacement.

Ginsburg's procedure came after a blockage was discovered in her right coronary artery, Arberg said.

Ginsburg, who leads the court's liberal wing, has for years been fending off questions about whether she should retire and give a Democratic president a chance to name her successor. In addition to two cancer operations, she was hospitalized after a bad reaction to medicine in 2009 and suffered broken ribs in a fall two years ago.

But the court's oldest justice has not missed any time on the job since joining the high court.

For several years, liberal academics have been calling on Ginsburg and, to a lesser extent, 76-year-old justice Stephen Breyer, to step down to ensure that Obama could nominate a younger justice with similar views.
more at link from November, 2014.

[CPUd]

The Senate GOP are going to put on a show by opposing whatever nominee gets put up before eventually voting for confirmation. If they do any actual opposition, the Democrats will start pumping all kinds of money into this year's Senate races to try to pick up a few seats. This is in addition to losing to Hillary, which is going to happen anyway.

[UWDude]

Please motherfuckers.

Haven't you learned yet?

It will be some establishment dude, regardless.

Please stop acting as if any of this, or who it will be, is relevant.

[ShaneEnochs]

I'm not sure judges can be "establishment" in the same way that other politicians can. Once judges get in, they're there for life. There's no political wheeling and dealing for what they may get when they get out.

[UWDude]

I'm not sure judges can be "establishment" in the same way that other politicians can. Once judges get in, they're there for life. There's no political wheeling and dealing for what they may get when they get out.

They are establishment way before they are appointed. It's not about wheeling and dealing, its about being part and parcel of a corrupt system built to continue to amass power to itself.

Even if they never took a bribe or did a favor for anyone (whatever fantasyland judge that would be), doesn't mean they still do not 100% believe in the government they ascended in, and the righteousness of its powers.

[phill4paul]

How about we let the justices die off and replace them with...no one.

[Mike4Freedom]

The timing of this works really well for the ruling elite. It will be a reason to bring people to vote for the lesser of the two evils. Never let a crisis go to waste. Dems will be afraid of a Republicans nomination and vice versa.

You watch. This will be a huge talking point.

I predict obama will nominate someone and that it will get blocked in congress. So it will be the number issue in the bullshit election of the lesser of the two evils in november.

[Anti Federalist]

How about we let the justices die off and replace them with...no one.

/thread

[Peace&Freedom]

Ginsburg is in poor health too. Obama may get a shot at one more before he leaves. She is three years older and has been in and out of hospitals.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/27/ruth-bader-ginsburg-hospital_n_6232244.html


more at link from November, 2014.

Scalia was not known to be in bad health, so it is odd that a loss of this political importance is not receiving an autopsy (the Justice of the Peace did not even look at the body before declaring the death to be from "natural causes"). The big rumor is Ginsburg has already informed the White House of her intent to retire at the end of the 2016 term in July. In response, they had Scalia bumped off (e.g., induced a heart attack using a variation of the "poison frozen dart" gun demonstrated at the Church hearings, or pumped CO2 into his hotel room), so Obarry could pack the court with not one but two more liberals in his final year.

That could have played into McConnell's decision to immediately declare there will be no hearings to confirm anymore justices in the lame duck year of this President. Whereas, if he had green lighted a hearing for Scalia's replacement, he would not have been able to credibly raise the lame duck issue later in the year when Ginsburg retired. Whether the Senate will have the backbone to hang tough on this, has now become the big question of this election.

[angelatc]

What besides his race.... Really? You started out the conversation with an assertion that we are all a bunch of racists. What's wrong with you????

[angelatc]

The original intent of the electoral college was because the Founders thought that the population was too stupid to make good decisions. It was difficult back then knowing who the candidates were and what they stood for. That's also the reason why they wouldn't let people vote for Senators, but the 17th Amendment changed that. Now that we have the Internet and know every minutiae of what a candidate has ever said or done, the only thing that they really do is give an inordinate amount of attention to swing states every four years.

That condescending paragraph is just propaganda - a blatant attempt to rewrite history in order to pretend the speaker is smarter than the Founders. Here's some actual evidence, which certainly will not change your mind, but will hopefully convince drie-by readers that you're just making crap up


James Madison, Federalist Paper No. 10: In a pure democracy, "there is nothing to check the inducement to sacrifice the weaker party or the obnoxious individual."


Edmund Randolph, 1787 Constitutional Convention,: "that in tracing these evils to their origin every man had found it in the turbulence and follies of democracy."


John Adams:, "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."


James Madison gave a comprehensive dissertation on how a Republic would guard against such losses of freedom, in an effort to get our proposed Constitution ratified by the people and their states. The following are excerpts from Madison's paper:


... When a majority is included in the faction, the form of popular government ... enables it to sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens. ...


... Hence it is that such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security and the rights of property, and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. ...


A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect, and promises the cure for which we are seeking.
Yale University has made available to the public the entire Federalist Papers at http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed.htm


Nowhere in there do I see him calling the citizens stupid and uninformed. That's all you.

The founders never intended the nation to be a democracy - the representative republic was brilliant until the 17th amendment. Nobody here, except you, wants the largest 5 states to make the rest of us irrelevant.

I can't believe I'm reading this crap on RPF. Abolishing the electoral college in favor of a direct democracy? Like I said - Uh, no,most of us around here don't support it. Because we actually aren't stupid, which is what you implied with your first sentence.

[angelatc]

They are establishment way before they are appointed. It's not about wheeling and dealing, its about being part and parcel of a corrupt system built to continue to amass power to itself.

Even if they never took a bribe or did a favor for anyone (whatever fantasyland judge that would be), doesn't mean they still do not 100% believe in the government they ascended in, and the righteousness of its powers.


100% right. They're politically connected judges who have wheeled and dealed all the way up the food chain.

[ShaneEnochs]

I can't believe I'm reading this crap on RPF. Abolishing the electoral college in favor of a direct democracy? Like I said - Uh, no,most of us around here don't support it. Because we actually aren't stupid, which is what you implied with your first sentence.

What you're saying doesn't even make sense. The electoral college has nothing to do with democracy, direct or otherwise. It's like me saying "Hey, instead of buying cars from the middle man car lot, why not just buy directly from the manufacturer?" and you saying "omg I can't believe you want to fly a plane."

A direct democracy would be voting on laws ourselves as ballot initiatives, which we do do by the way. No one is talking about getting rid of representation (our republic) except for you. I'm talking about instead of a stupidly convoluted process of us voting for someone, and then people chosen by what basically amounts to political club members, then go on to (you hope) represent your vote and actually choose who your state voted for, how about we just vote in our representatives? For those following along, that's still a republic. It's just a streamlining of how we get there since we cut out the middlemen.

[thoughtomator]

I'm talking about instead of a stupidly convoluted process of us voting for someone, and then people chosen by what basically amounts to political club members, then go on to (you hope) represent your vote and actually choose who your state voted for, how about we just vote in our representatives? For those following along, that's still a republic. It's just a streamlining of how we get there since we cut out the middlemen.

The "stupidly convoluted process" that you describe is the very definition of a republic.

[The Gold Standard]

The original intent of the electoral college was because the Founders thought that the population was too stupid to make good decisions.

If that's true then they were obviously pretty smart folks.

[ShaneEnochs]

If that's true then they were obviously pretty smart folks.

And now it's a different world. Our average fourth grader has a better education than 90% of the population back then. Being beholden to a system put in place two hundred years ago because the folks at the time thought it was a good idea for their population isn't a terribly great argument.

[The Gold Standard]

And now it's a different world. Our average fourth grader has a better education than 90% of the population back then.

This is true. The average fourth grader 200 years ago was smarter than 90% of the population today, even with all of that "education".

[ShaneEnochs]

This is true. The average fourth grader 200 years ago was smarter than 90% of the population today, even with all of that "education".

:rolleyes:

[RonPaulIsGreat]

You guys realize all this was set in place by Jeri Ryan, Seven of Nine, married to a politician that lost to Obama for the Senate because she accused him of being a pervert. Obamacare, our future enslavement, all due to the Seven of Nine. Tragic. It's True! look it up.

[presence]

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Winston Churchill

[ShaneEnochs]

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Winston Churchill

Churchill never actually said that, but he did say this about voters:


At the bottom of all the tributes paid to democracy is the little man, walking into the little booth, with a little pencil, making a little cross on a little bit of paper—no amount of rhetoric or voluminous discussion can possibly diminish the overwhelming importance of that point.

[Makes Interesting Points]

What you're saying doesn't even make sense. The electoral college has nothing to do with democracy, direct or otherwise. It's like me saying "Hey, instead of buying cars from the middle man car lot, why not just buy directly from the manufacturer?" and you saying "omg I can't believe you want to fly a plane."

A direct democracy would be voting on laws ourselves as ballot initiatives, which we do do by the way. No one is talking about getting rid of representation (our republic) except for you. I'm talking about instead of a stupidly convoluted process of us voting for someone, and then people chosen by what basically amounts to political club members, then go on to (you hope) represent your vote and actually choose who your state voted for, how about we just vote in our representatives? For those following along, that's still a republic. It's just a streamlining of how we get there since we cut out the middlemen.

Yeah, good point. Giving actual power to the individual to elect officials makes it more of a republic, not less. Right now, we have a system where your vote only matters in the general election if you live in one of like 7 swing states. I'm all for power to the states, but the states shouldn't be a middle man in the Presidential vote. We aren't electing state officials, we're electing someone at a federal position. My only motivation for voting in the general election when I know my state will destroy the power of my vote is: my vote increases the odds that we'll have another occurrence of a candidate getting the popular vote but losing in the electoral college, which will prove the system to be flawed and inspire that it be changed.

Anyways, about the rumored Supreme Court Justice, the OP made a pretty scary point about how Obama has a race driven agenda. He's really in his own world.

[UWDude]

The timing of this works really well for the ruling elite. It will be a reason to bring people to vote for the lesser of the two evils. Never let a crisis go to waste. Dems will be afraid of a Republicans nomination and vice versa.

You watch. This will be a huge talking point.

I predict obama will nominate someone and that it will get blocked in congress. So it will be the number issue in the bullshit election of the lesser of the two evils in november.

This is probably true. Right now, in the debates foreign policy is starting to get talked about, and we can't have that. Better to get the people talking about gay marriage and abortion again. We gotta get WW III started soon.

[angelatc]

You guys realize all this was set in place by Jeri Ryan, Seven of Nine, married to a politician that lost to Obama for the Senate because she accused him of being a pervert. Obamacare, our future enslavement, all due to the Seven of Nine. Tragic. It's True! look it up.

She did not accuse her ex of anything publicly. Team Obama illegally opened and released the sealed divorce records during the Illinois Senate race.

[misterx]

Personally, I have a serious problem about being subject to law dictated by people from other countries.

If you're not born AND raised here you have no business holding high offices in the government.

The time for tolerance of the domination of foreign interests in our political system is over.

This. I have friends from India, and they're great, but their loyalties are with India. Every one of them would sell out America in a heartbeat to help their homeland.

[angelatc]

What you're saying doesn't even make sense. The electoral college has nothing to do with democracy, direct or otherwise. .

Of course it does.

[angelatc]

Yeah, good point. Giving actual power to the individual to elect officials makes it more of a republic, not less. Right now, we have a system where your vote only matters in the general election if you live in one of like 7 swing states.



You have it backwards. If we go to a direct democracy, the only votes that will matter will be the votes from the people in the 5 most populated states. The Electoral college balances the rights of the states with the rights of the citizens.

The 17th Amendment is what screwed up the system. That, and the fact that the House of Representatives didn't grow in relation to the population. Originally the system was structured to be a balance between the states and the people. The people directly elected their representatives in Washington - the House. The State governments were represented in the Senate - being appointed by the governor and/or the legislators.

The Electoral College was intended specifically to create a balance, to keep the states with larger populations being able to elect the president without the support of the smaller states. Mathematically, it's freaking genius.

But the Central Planners hate liberty.

[misterx]

The original intent of the electoral college was because the Founders thought that the population was too stupid to make good decisions. It was difficult back then knowing who the candidates were and what they stood for. That's also the reason why they wouldn't let people vote for Senators, but the 17th Amendment changed that. Now that we have the Internet and know every minutiae of what a candidate has ever said or done, the only thing that they really do is give an inordinate amount of attention to swing states every four years.

I hate to break it to you, but people are dumber today than they were in 1776. The electoral college was created so that the large states would not be able to decide the election and, in essence, rule over the smaller states. Without the electoral college, they understood that presidential candidates would not pay attention to the desires and needs of those in smaller states because their votes would not be required to win the election. As long as they could please the people of Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC, they would win. That concern is just as relevant today as it was then. It's remarkable the level of foresight that our founding fathers had. Their brilliance was head and shoulders above our current leaders. It's a shame we have been conned into thinking that their wisdom is no longer relevant. It will always be relevant.

The 17th amendment was instrumental in undoing the 10th amendment, and allowing the federal government to grow beyond its powers. The House is called "The People's House", because it's where the people have their say. The Senate is supposed to represent the states. It's one of the important distinctions between a republic and the abomination that we call democracy(aka two wolves and a sheep fighting over what's for dinner).

[UWDude]

That concern is just as relevant today as it was then.

Not really. Media was different back then, and the cultural distinctions between the states was far more distinct than it is now. Now, everybody consumes the same media, and therefore everybody thinks the same way. there is very little difference between a Spokane voter and a Cour D'Alene voter. The bigger difference now is rural vs urban, (which has always been the case, throughout agricultural human history).

[misterx]

Not really. Media was different back then, and the cultural distinctions between the states was far more distinct than it is now. Now, everybody consumes the same media, and therefore everybody thinks the same way. there is very little difference between a Spokane voter and a Cour D'Alene voter. The bigger difference now is rural vs urban, (which has always been the case, throughout agricultural human history).

You're missing the point. Different states have different industries. For example, people in NY, CA, and FL don't care if the government passes laws that hurt the shale companies in North Dakota, and they don't care about the problems faced by ranchers in Montana. And if you think people all over the country think the same way, you haven't lived in many places. If everyone thought the same way, then Bernie Sanders would not have won 60% of the vote in NH. I guarantee you he doesn't come close to that in South Carolina.