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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



The Supreme Court and change

Posted: Thursday, September 03, 2009 1:20 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: ,

From NBC's Pete Williams
In interviews with C-SPAN, several U.S. Supreme Court justices say whenever a new member comes on the court, its entire chemistry is altered. 

C-SPAN did the interviews earlier this year and made the tape available today to coincide with the arrival next week of Sonia Sotomayor.

Both Chief Justice John Roberts and Clarence Thomas say getting a new justice is like living through a change in a family. "You quickly get to view the court as composed of these members, and it becomes kind of hard to think of it as involving anyone else," Roberts says.

Justice Anthony Kennedy says changes are "stressful for us, because we so admire our colleagues. We wonder, oh, will it ever be the same?"

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor say one difference for a woman is finding a suitable judicial robe. Most are made for men, designed with a v-neck to show a little shirt and tie. Women struggle to find robes with collars, they both said.

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What is Obama going to say that he hasn't already said? In 245 days in office, Obama has given 111 speeches, press conferences, town halls and addresses to the subject of health care. He must have 50 hours of public speaking dedicated to his vision of health care. What's is one more hour of his babbling going to do to add to the debate?

This is nothing more then an act of a very desperate man.
Pam Miller, Virginia Beach, VA (Sent Thursday, September 03, 2009
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Pam,

The fact is that we NOW have a President that can actually communicate with the country is obviously something you’re not used to!

It probably ‘stings’ a bit!  

Try listening… who knows?  You just might learn something for a change!

Closed ears = closed mind
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From earlier (sorry I was in a meeting)

Thanks to Tim Stockton for the shout out earlier and to Ron Indiana for your kind thoughts & prayers for me & my Mom!

To Rick, KY not to worry… I have PLENTY of popcorn handy and some awesome champagne on ice for when OUR President gets HRC enacted!

Hey Clara – thanks for the link!  I saw it after I had already posted.  Can you believe these are supposedly grown adults behaving in this fashion?

I can’t help but wonder if that NASTY ‘socialized’ medicare will pay to reattach it?  Ain’t KARMA a b*itch???
Too bad those 4 neonut justices don't go fishing together and get lost at sea.
Seriously?  The only quotable thing the women justices had to say was about fashion?  Seriously?
Not much of change till 20 Jan 2013 when the next Republican president gets sworn in to go along with the Republican congress and senate majority.
Whose gonna be the first citizen to file multiple
unethical charges against Charlie Rangel, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barack Obama?
COnsider it.
Moon Maid
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I do consider as National Petition against the RNC, and its members that conducted town halls meetings during the month of August 2009 where Representatives and Senators were enablers of racism and domestic terrorist urging of their constituents.

Why there’s even video tapings that can be used as evidence. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

I really do like you comic paper characters and cartoon characters, speaks volumes of the multiple personalities.
Anita, Birmingham, Alabama

Moon Maid you posted:

The Blue Dogs are running the health care debate. Obama has not shown the necessary leadership on health care and now we will all suffer. Also, where are all the jobs he promised? We should have elected Clinton.
Anita, Birmingham, Alabama
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Moon Maid, I see that since I called your little ass  out on the last posting calling for a National Petition against the Republican Party and the lawmakers that have been enablers of their racist and domestic constituents, you've decided to start the childish imposter BS again. Am I surprised? Hell no! Knock yourself out. You people are known for not having originality anyway! Lollollollol
To Rick, KY not to worry… I have PLENTY of popcorn handy and some awesome champagne on ice for when OUR President gets HRC enacted!
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL (Sent Thursday, September 03, 2009 1:33 PM)
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When Obama gets "HRC enacted"? HRC?

You keep your hands off my wife!
You bet the Supreme Court produces change.  Just like its infamous and immoral 1973 decisions on abortion in Roe v Wade and Doe v Bolton which legalized abortion on demand at any term in the pregnancy.  THe change?  Abortion rates went up the approximate 100,000 per year to 1.3 million per year....in other words, the destruction of human life became a commonplace contraceptive tool....just as Planned Parenthood and other pro-abort groups wanted it to and knew it would.  Here we are in 2009 and the US has surpassed 50 million dead babies.  Oh,  you bet the Supreme Court brings changes....tragic ones!
Too bad those 4 neonut justices don't go fishing together and get lost at sea.
Justice Roberts is a t goober
I hope clarence thomas is one of then, he is a nasty old man that need to just go away.
But remember, folks- if it's a leftie judge, he "legislates from the bench', but a rightie judge 'just does his job'.
 
OK now, in your best Gomer Pyle voice, repeat after me;
"Legislatin' from the bay-ench!  Legislatin' from the bay-ench"  (to the tume of 'Citizen's a-rey-est')
Change is often difficult for any group of people. Look at how the cons take the fact that they lost in '08 and elections have consequences. Eventually some will warm their cold, cold hearts and the haters will hate because that is what they do. As difficult as it is change is good. I know conservatives don't like change by their very nature. If they liked change they'd be progressives. Instead of progress, however they like status quo or even a few steps backward. We experienced 8 years of that and now are beginning to move forward again with changes of all sorts. Like in the past, those bucking change will embrace it once it is implemented and has become the norm.

Were it not for change we'd still be digging roots with pointed sticks and wearing animal skins while trying to survive out of the elements in a cave. Fire would still be a novel new thing that we can't make but if we find it we can use it to our advantage.

So either progress or regress but the fact is we will go one way or the other. I prefer progress.
Stressful?  Well, it's probably like the new kid in class and everybody else wonders if they'll lose their best friend to the new guy/girl.

How funny, Ginsberg and O'Connor talking about finding robes and the men are afraid their old boys club will be upset.


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