Obama "reaches out"? He can reach out all he wants. The odds are long that he'll pick anything but a very liberal activist judge.

And yet they'll claim he is not reaching out!  Zeig heil limpbag

Is Sen Sessions a DISGRACE to HIS RACE ???


The the Guardian of London:

'...But Sessions stopped up the works. The young lawyer became only the second man in 50 years to be rejected by the Senate judiciary committee.

The reasons for his rejection, as I explained in this 2002 New Republic story had to do with a soupy mix of dubious and arguably racist moves, comments and motivations on the part of the Alabama native that led senator Ted Kennedy to announce it was "inconceivable … that a person of this attitude is qualified to be a US attorney, let alone a United States federal judge."

Later Kennedy would say the hearings created a ''clear and convincing case to gross insensitivity to the questions of race'' on the part of Sessions. His Democratic colleague, senator Howard Metzenbaum of Ohio, called Sessions a man of ''marginal qualifications who lacks judicial temperament. … A nominee who is hostile, hostile to civil rights organisations and their causes."

The tip of the problem was a 1984 case that came to be known as the "Marion 3" – Sessions's prosecution of three civil rights workers over what he perceived as voting fraud. As Lani Guinier lays out in her book Lift Every Voice, before 1965 there were "virtually no blacks registered to vote in the 10 western Black Belt counties of Albama".

But by the 1980s that had started to change. Through the massive get-out-the-vote efforts of three leaders – including a former aid to Martin Luther King – black voter turnout began to creep toward 80%, and a handful of black legislators were elected. That's where Sessions stepped in, charging three voting rights organisers with voter fraud. All three were quickly acquitted. Sessions's choice to focus on their efforts looked a lot less like good governance and a lot more like voter intimidation.

As the Senate judiciary committee mulled this over, several other worrisome notes about the nominee came to light. As I wrote in 2002:

Senate Democrats tracked down a career justice department employee named J Gerald Hebert, who testified, albeit reluctantly, that in a conversation between the two men Sessions had labelled the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) "un-American" and "communist-inspired". Hebert said Sessions had claimed these groups "forced civil rights down the throats of people."

In his confirmation hearings, Sessions sealed his own fate by saying such groups could be construed as "un-American" when "they involve themselves in promoting un-American positions" in foreign policy. Hebert testified that the young lawyer tended to "pop off" on such topics regularly, noting that Sessions had called a white civil rights lawyer a "disgrace to his race" for litigating voting rights cases.

If that weren't enough, a black former assistant US attorney, Thomas Figures, testified that Sessions had called him "boy", and that he had joked about the Ku Klux Klan in ways that implied he wasn't particularly appalled by their appalling tactics. UPI reported during the hearings on Figures's testimony.

''Mr Sessions ... stated that he believed the NAACP, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Operation PUSH and the National Council of Churches were all un-American organisations teaching anti-American values,'' Figures testified. ''The statement clearly was not intended as a joke.'' Figures also said he was present when Sessions said he believed the Ku Klux Klan was OK until he learned its members smoked marijuana – a statement Sessions has said was clearly made in jest. ''I certainly took it as a serious statement,'' Figures said.

Sessions fought the charges. As I wrote in 2002: "[He] denied the accusations but … admitted to frequently joking in an off-colour sort of way. In his defence, he said he was not a racist, pointing out that his children went to integrated schools and that he had shared a hotel room with a black attorney several times."

He did, however, also admit that he had called the Voting Rights Act of 1965 a "piece of intrusive legislation", a phrase he stood behind even in his confirmation hearings. To this day, he argues that Section five – a protective measure that concerns a handful of (mostly southern) states with appalling race histories – of the Voting Rights Act should be struck down....'

Instead of telling us when the President calls on someone, why doesn't First Read or some other news agency post the names of all the Senators and Congressmen who will not support the President's plan to close the loopholes the corporations are using by creating tax havens overseas?

I would think most Americans would like to know who is not supporting that.  I would.

John Cornyn= worthless shill

FR: "No word on when he'll reach out to Lindsey Graham, Jon Kyl, and John Cornyn specifically on the court vacancy."

The Repubs don't want any empathy. They'd prefer someone like that woman judge  Bush nominated for another court position who had ruled that Ford didn't owe any money to the family of a poor black kid who'd been paralyzed in an accident due to defects in the cars they made and he could only breathe with a respirator. The kid's family couldn't afford a new respirator after they lost their lawsuit. The old respirator he was using finally failed, and the kid suffocated to death. That's the kind of "impartiality" that the Repubs want.  

Jon Stewart said Monday night, what they seem to really want on the Supreme Court is a reptile. Bush appointed plenty of them to lower courts for President Obama to choose from. None of that "empathy" stuff, except for big corporations like Ford.

This is not a suck up, I repeat, this is not a suck up, it is professional diplomacy and respect for the position and not the person. I am certinally glad that the president is commucating by phone with this scum bag. Otherwise he could have caught a nasty virus.

None of these folks are worthy of an opinion...we do not want the type of justices that clowns like sessions or kyl would approve of...nough said

President Obama can not possibly seriously consider anything Sen. Sessions has to offer. He has a history of making racist comments about NAACP, ACLU and other institutions engaged in civil rights activities. Even addressing a Black attorney as "boy" and suggesting he watch his tone when reprimanding a white subordinate.

Mr. President, we don't care what Sen. Sessions has to say regarding your prospective nominee because to be sure it will not meet with his approval unless they are a member of the Aryan Nation or some other extremist group.

Of course he will reach out to Sessions, who is the ranking minority member of Judiciary. Of more interest is what Sessions response might me.

What with all this reaching out and touching of the GOP, I'm beginning to wonder if Barack Obama isn't a stealth Republican.  

Sessions is a white supremist and everyone knows it.  Making him the ranking repub on the Judiciary Commitee is just wrong.  It's a kin to letting the fox guard the hen house.  His idea of a "joke" is a disgrace to the people of Alabama and the USofA.

Heaven forbid we, as the wealthiest nation ever, spend a fraction of our wealth on actually helping the global poor.  Heaven forbid we actually reach out to the billions of people without any health care and offer them some basic services.  

The selfish, egocentric policies of the past eight years are finally being addressed.
Terry, Kansas City

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A fraction? Well, I guess 60% is a fraction. 60% as the amount of goverment money spent on entitlement programs every year. Let me guess Terry, you're a taker, not a giver.

While listening to more right-wing psycho babble here in Dallas, the neo-con radio host was stating that a lot of  neo-con whack jobs are thinking about moving to Costa Rica, Mexico (of all places), etc. because they don't like what's happening to our country... WELL, DON'T LET THE BACK DOOR HIT YOU, WHERE THE GOOD LORD SPLIT YOU!!!  GET THE H*LL OUTTA DODGE, THE SOONER, THE BETTER! YOU'RE WORTHLESS TO THE COUNTRY, ANYWAY!!!!!!!!

Maybe Obama should have a phone session regarding unemployment. Another half million people hit the streets last month because of Obamanomics.

How would you like to been a fly on the wall for that call.The president phoning a known racist,someone with ties to the hoodies.Someone who has shown dislike for colored folks,and whites that defended them in court,calling them un-american.My hope is he called the coward out,sheet and all.As america moves forward,as our youth learn to live with each other,as race is becoming less important ,and  todays children seem to not hold the feelings of generations past.Sessions is a example of where our country was 30 years ago.He is a sorry excuse for a human,a sorry excuse for a senator,and his ilk   will continue to become  closer to extinction..

Have they all agreed that the first question in the vetting process will be "Do you owe back taxes?".

This is very communicative President, and he is going to get all views before he makes a decision.  President Obama is playing it politically smart by keeping the GOP/RNC in the political loop. President Obama is proving again to be, politically smart, listening more than talking, and not taking anything for granted politically. President Obama is clever taking his time picking the next judge to the Supreme Court. The GOP would be wise not to "spew" at the President yet on this issue. The GOP/RNC may not want to use their old political tactics of deny-lie, use-confuse, and abort-distort on this issue. Just sit back and watch America. They will!! How will the party of no take this?? Only time will tell America! Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! The party of no has got to go!!

 The criticism of Sessions as a racist is priceless.  Dems, you have a former member of the KKK in your OWN PARTY.  So why no criticism of Byrd?  

Is Sen Sessions a DISGRACE to HIS RACE ???
MSierra, SF
Great article, I know Mr. figures personally and his appointment to this seat is disgraceful. I am so glad that the London Guardian ran this story. It speaks volumes of GOP and their policies. Sessions is a no go low hanging S>O>B> that doesn't deserve a seat in the Senate. He is a disgrace to the State of Alabama.

President Obama will be doing due dilligence to reach out to those involved since he represents the American People and personally will take that responsibility to its logical result.   Is Grahm the jerk turd who called us a nation of whiners?  Yeah whatever.  He needs to go.

Have sessions, kyl, cornyn, coburn and/or grassley had any contributions lately that would merit any level of consideration?  It doesn't seem so.  President Obama did extend a professional courtesy - lets' see if the republicans react with the same level of grace and appropriateness.  My guess is no...I'm expecting a delusional snarky and juvenile response like the one from LT Betters.  

He is doing his usual reaching out to the other side, but I'm sure it will have no effect because the party of "No" has already decided to oppose whoever he nominates.  The repugs should realize that he is not going to nominate a conservative, nor should he.  The court is currently composed of four hard-core conservatives (Roberts, Alito, Scalia, and Thomas) and four liberals, leaving most every decision to the one somewhat centrist member, Anthony Kennedy.  I say somewhat centrist because he is even right of center but occasionally  votes with the liberals.  Thus our court's decisions are essentially made by one person.  For the foreseeable future the makeup will remain this way only if Obama chooses liberal judges to counter the four whose decisions are predetermined.  It's too bad that the whole court couldn't be scrapped and replaced with non-political people (if such creatures exist)...

Let me guess:

No you don't understand.  Robert Byrd was a compassionate caring Klansman.  He uses the n word in every day conversation while describing African Americans, but he does it with sensitivity.

The hypocrisy of these libs is hilarious.  On his worse day, Jeff Sessions was never the caliber of racist that Robert Byrd was and is.  

Maybe Obama should have a phone session regarding unemployment. Another half million people hit the streets last month because of Obamanomics.
Save My Job (Sent Wednesday, May 06, 2009 1:57 PM)


Another clueless hack who knows nothing about nothing.
If he did he would realize that job losses and gains are a lagging indicators of our economy. Job losses are a result of what happened 6 mo. to year ago and unfortunately after the economy picks back up, it will be another 6mo. to a year before jobs start returning. Hopefully though, it appears the market might be on the uptick. Amazing die hard republicans just can't admit their party politicians really let them down,can they? I guess you should keep misstating facts. I'm sure there is enough of you clueless ones to believe it.

Hey Save My Job: Youre an ill-advised, talking points zombie, Fox News-Dredge Report moron who insists these job loses are due to his economics alone? You dont have a clue. The impact of Bush's inability to understand the economy and sit on his hands for the last 4 months of his presidency has a lot to do with it. If he had been pro-active and started very day from November 5th to January 19th, with sleeves rolled up and started heavily into stemming job losses and Wall Street BS, maybe this wouldnt be happening now. And take off your assinine Tea-Bag shirt while youre at it. Youre an unpatriotic shill for laughable pundits and news people who only care about control, not governance.

"The odds are long that he'll pick anything but a very liberal activist judge. "
Well I like those odds better than a neo-con picking a very conservative activist judge.
At least maybe this nominee won't be owned lock stock and barrell by the corporate empire, insurance industry, banking industry, or oil companies.

FR: "No word on when he'll reach out to Lindsey Graham, Jon Kyl, and John Cornyn specifically on the court vacancy."
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Nothing says he HAS to talk to any of these people. The fact that he is talking to any Republicans or Democrats for that matter shows a willingness to unite people and to get honest dialog going. I, for one, applaud President Obama for consulting with members of Congress to get a feel for the kind of person they will approve or reject. That streamlines the process. If not confirmed because of the Republicans saying NO it will be a surprise. He wants them to play in the game too. If they choose not to they look all the sillier and the worse for it.

lets see if Kyle and the rest of the Republicans would advocate for the philosophical agrument concerning SCOTUS below:

"I am certainly not an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and constitutions. I think moderate imperfections had better be borne with; because, when once known, we accommodate ourselves to them, and find practical means of correcting their ill effects. But I know also, that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the same coat which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

If such is the case, then they would be on the same side of the asile as most Democrats and THOMAS JEFFERSON. NOT

I trust President Obama to pick a qualified candidate.  I, too, would like to have been a fly on the wall for that call to Sessions.  The difference between Robert Byrd and Sessions is years apart for their activities; Sessions was still fighting civil rights in 1984.  
 
So what if Pres Obama picks a very liberal, activist judge?  Bush picked Alito who is a very conservative, activist judge.  Like the word liberal, socialist, communist, terrorist--activist has become the latest GOP Word of the Day.  As republicans pointed out repeatedly when Bush made his selections, the President has the right to choose justices and cabinet staff, and the filibuster shouldn't be used against the person; it should be an up or down vote.  I agree with that regardless of which party is in power.  Let's hold them to their own words.  An up or down vote and that goes for the Obama staff nominees the GOP is holding back, too.  

George, SC (Sent Wednesday, May 06, 2009 2:19 PM)
Phill Gramm called us a nation of whiners.

You probably wouldn't recognize by a photo of Lindsey Graham, but he was McCain's 'right' hand guy through the campaign.  His head was planted up McCain's butt, so there aren't that many photos of him.

Either way - they both walk and quack like a duck - so all we can do is DUCK!

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