One notable difference from last year’s confirmation hearings is Democrats’ aggressiveness today is putting forth their own (different) view of the role of a judge.
After the Sotomayor hearings, many progressive-oriented legal groups were angry that Democrats failed to use the hearing to criticize conservative legal principles and explain to Americans the real-world impact of the Court’s decisions. Read More
Next time you’re arguing with someone over who’s responsible for the deficit, pull out this chart. (Click the image to see full-size chart.)
Elana Kagan is scheduled to begin her opening statement at 3:45. But these schedules are made to be broken. So figure she’ll be up within the next half hour. For the latest updates see our live updating TPM Kagan Confirmation Wire.
As many of you know, I’ve become a degenerate Mac junkie. Here Jason Chen, the guy who got that brief advance look at that lost demo version, reviews the iPhone 4.
Elena Kagan finally got her chance to speak. As is traditional, her statement was short and nonsubstantive: thanks to her family, students, and colleagues; a discussion of her life experiences, focusing particularly on her work with Justice Marshall and her teaching; and a tribute to Justices O’Connor and Ginsburg for blazing the trial for women in the law.
We’ll be back at 9 am tomorrow, when the questioning starts and things get interesting.
Did Senate Republicans really just spend the whole day trashing Thurgood Marshall? Really?
The Tea Party Nation unity convention was all set for July 15th-17th in Las Vegas with Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle as keynote speaker. But it’s been cancelled. Because the organizers have decided it will be too hot.
Me neither.
TPM Reader RW on Feingold and the Lucys …
Coincidence that [Collins] plays Lucy hours after Feingold declares he won’t vote for financial reform? I think not. We can only hold their feet to the fire when we are united. A very selfish act from Russ, who totally misread the situation and what would happen? What are the odds that we will have the tougher bill Feingold wants in the next Congress? Exactly zero. This is real politics, not third-grade Model U.N. Feingold’s decision makes it more likely we will face another meltdown because we won’t have this majority next time around.
Not sure what else to say beside this House candidate down in Arizona is running an ad with a mix of politics as gunfight metaphors and a bunch of footage of her firing machine guns and other weapons. Good times.