Dems' new Senate leader criticizes Justice Thomas
 

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/...ist/index.html

Frist vows GOP to pursue options to overcome filibusters
Sunday, December 5, 2004 Posted: 4:09 PM EST (2109 GMT)



Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada is the incoming Senate minority leader.


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Sunday had harsh words for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

When asked to comment on Thomas as a possible replacement for Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Reid told NBC's "Meet the Press": "I think that he has been an embarrassment to the Supreme Court.

"I think that his opinions are poorly written. I just don't think that he's done a good job as a Supreme Court justice."

Rehnquist announced he had thyroid cancer earlier this year, and there has been speculation about a possible replacement should he retire.

Kathy Arberg, a spokeswoman for the Supreme Court, said Thomas' policy is not to comment on such matters.

But the Nevada Democrat said that he could support Thomas' fellow conservative, Justice Antonin Scalia, if he were nominated.

"I cannot dispute the fact, as I have said, that this is one smart guy," Reid said of Scalia. "And I disagree with many of the results that he arrives at, but his reasons for arriving at those results are very hard to dispute."

Citing a hunting trip Scalia took with Dick Cheney before hearing a case involving the commission the vice president set up to work on an energy bill, Reid said the justice has some ethics problems.

"So we have to get over this," he said.

Reid also dismissed Republican criticism of Democrats' use of filibusters to prevent some of President Bush's judicial nominations from reaching a floor vote.

"We have a situation where, during the four years that President Bush has been president, we have approved 207 federal judges and turned down 10," he said. "We have an obligation under the Constitution to give advice and consent to the nominations of the president of the United States."

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, on ABC's "This Week," said it was "sad" that the president's nominees, even with the support of the Republican majority in the Senate, could not get a vote.

Frist shied away from early threats to use the "nuclear option" of changing Senate rules to allow a simple majority to break a filibuster -- which requires the votes of 60 senators. He said he would go to Reid "and basically say, 'Just give us an up-or-down vote.' "

"I will pursue every option that I have," he said. "And there are several options that we have."

Liberal or conservative, you can't deny that Coke Can Man is inarticulate and that he has done a very poor job in his current position.

But the fact that Reid would support Scalia in any way only makes me more disgusted over his appointment.

He is an embarrassment to the Court and, IMO, the Bar.

As for Scalia, I think his point was at least Scalia has intelligence and can write well. Scalia is and can, even though I disagree with Scalia. I do not think any D would support Scalia. I think it will be O'Conner - that would gove W the whole "first woman to be CJ" thing and all :shrug: Plus, she would be a SHOE IN :nod:

But, only time will tell :cool:

Scalia thinks that orgies should be promoted and that Jews should be glad American Christians are presiding over them. :laugh: While he may be able to construct a sentence with the best of 'em, the sanity of his many, many statements leaves something to be desired. ;)

I'm just waiting for Miss Sandra to say that we should be promoting cunnilingus as a way to release stress. :woohoo:

:laugh: :laugh: I think Scalia was being sarcastic when he made the remark about the orgies :shrug: Lighten Up - young man - I can be patriarchal now that I have seen your pic. sans the lips - which I take it did not read because they were moving :cool: :laugh: Seriously, I think Scalia is an ass, in many ways a fraud, and 100% undeserving of any rank on the USSC. But, I think he is intelligent.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

You saw it and oyur mointor didn't crack? Miracle! At the rate my mouth moves, I'll have Baba Wawa's jowels within five years and no amount of Serious Skin Care will help. :wavey:

I don't think he was being sarcastic, though, I think he was serious. If you went back and read the full quote, he's pretty lengthy about it. And the thought of Scalia partaking in orgy is enough to send me back into the fetal position. :laugh:

Hell, that thought would send me back to a reversal of my isemmination (sp.?) :laugh: :eek:

Darling, it would make every sane penis drop it's head in disgust. ;)

and no amount of Viagra
Changes its mind
no amount of pleading
makes it hard inside
you say that Scalia is a freak
and you always will
I just sit and wait for him to resign
my little Italian weasel

:eek: I made a SA parody for Scalia :eek: I need medical attention :laugh:

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Might I suggest contacting your insurance provider and getting the name of a local mental health professional. :laugh:

Actually, one of my best friends is a psychologist and lives in NYC. We have therapy over Cosmos in some dive probably in The Village. I mean if your lay it all out there - ya might as well get loaded and here some tunes :laugh: :eek:

No kidding. It's like over night, someone came along and sucked all the blood out of the Dem party's neck.

I hope you're right about O'Connor. I can live with that.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Another fine moment in ledgie history...