It’s 5:26 Eastern Standard Time and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is still dead.
Justice Scalia apparently passed away in his sleep, at the age of 79, while on a “hunting” trip in Texas. As deaths go this is pretty much a conservative Republican’s wet dream. So good for him. Incidentally I put hunting in quotes up there because my understanding was that this was one of those quail hunts, where the quail are all but domestic pets who are suddenly taken out one day, stuffed in thickets and then wait, too terrified to move, until a dog, (or on really tough days a guide), flushes them out of the thicket, whereupon, assuming no attorneys are in the way, a fat-ass elderly Republican like Dick Cheney blasts them out of the sky with a shotgun.
C’est l’vie bird.
Justice Scalia was the first Italian-America appointed to the bench. He was approved unanimously and served for nearly 30 years. Scalia was an “originalist”, (alternatively called the “Old man yells at cloud” theory of Constitutional interpretation) , and on many occasions seems determined to bring the United States back to the peak of his greatness, which he seemed to believe was right around 1826, when Jefferson and Adams died within hours of each other. He could be, and more often than not was, scathing in his dissents, or even when in the majority and addressing the arguments of dissenting Justices.
Scalia’s legacy will be a complicated one. There’s no doubt he was a brilliant jurist and well deserving of his position on the Supreme Court. There’s also no doubt that, if he had his way, gays would remain very much second class citizens, denied not just the right to marry but the right to have sex with another consenting adult should a state decide that was a good idea. Scalia wasn’t much for racial quotas, actually voted to overrule Miranda v. Arizona, (with apparently no consideration given to how that would effect the writers of detective procedurals), and LOVED the death penalty. He was, in my opinion justifiably, criticized for allowing religious views, both his own and what he perceived as the religious beliefs of the majority of Americans, to affect the way he looked at cases, particularly regarding teh gays.
For every criticism us liberal types come up with however there’s a conservative who will praise Scalia for leading the charge to protect American exceptionalism and all the traditional values that made us the greatest country in the world. The traditional values that made us so great, by the way, are having a great Navy and being located between Canada and Mexico and in the middle of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans while Europe and Asia teed off on each other, (with our help), in WWII, leaving us as the only intact industrial nation in a world that needed lots of stuff that only we could make. It’s been downhill since.
But I digress.
The point is Constitutional Law is not black and white. For every position I have there’s an alternate position(s) and for every position Scalia had there’s an alternate one or more. I don’t have a lot of respect for the way he argued those positions, particularly towards the end of his career, but he had the right and the ability to make them, and make them as well as he could. I’m not going to celebrate Antonin Scalia dying, (karma only goes so far and I’m saving that party for Dick Cheney), but I am going to celebrate that there is now an opening on the Supreme Court, caused by an arch-conservative leaving this mortal coil and finding out the answers to many mysteries, such as whether or not the Devil is real, and President Obama gets to at least try to fill it as one of his last acts as President.
That appointment promises to be a clusterfuck of epic proportions. It may even be enough to save Twitter’s stock price!
Now back to dick jokes, football and Sill’s rugby world tour.
http://41.media.tumblr.com/08b92ebd80635f139725b2d0b50c1c75/tumblr_o2f41o4pWl1s1vn29o4_250.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/eae23bb2bc39b18e458aa8137fd6d4c1/tumblr_o2f41o4pWl1s1vn29o5_400.jpg
You can print this if you have not got a card yet.
I said this on Facebook, but I hope Scalia is getting thoroughly roasted by God in defense of a lifetime of doing harm to the world in His name.
Republican Catholic is an oxymoron.
It’s like Verdun on the Ireland 5-meter line here.
So, is anyone else watching the Sprint Cup Unlimited?
/crickets…
http://memesvault.com/wp-content/uploads/Hahaha-No-Meme-11.png
Brian France can die of gonorrhea and rot in hell.
Gary Bettman would like a word.
I flipped by it real fast, does that count?
Richard Posner as a compromise/temporary pick.
Is this our open thread? I posted my gratuitous self-shilling (oh baby) in the morning footy thread and I don’t want to post it again. But yeah, you’re all more than welcome to listen to it.
Post it again.
Sure thing Sill. This is the not-Valentine’s concert from last year.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl0kPx2XyetcO5kRbk88embZktjfjIBf8
Yeah, re-post!
France may lose this thing but they are beating the bejeezus out of Ireland physically.
Is Rubio running for President in 2004?
http://rule34-data-000.paheal.net/_images/8fc451d2fc848fce003406c172ecf617/1265603%20-%20Birdgirl%20Harvey_Birdman%20Harvey_Birdman_Attorney_at_Law.PNG
.png used to work. FAIL.
http://49.media.tumblr.com/a79bb5c56c8bd4f34c1e705d69a9bca4/tumblr_nl7pj5D1nC1u1vwpho1_540.gif
.png, .jpg and .gif are the only ones that work.
If it’s ALL CAPS it won’t work.
Yep.
Come to find out you can usually just retype the address extension to get it to work.
It’s the ALL CAPS that fucks it up.
I’m sure no one cares, but the file type are the same. After looking around a bit; It’s not the html that is case sensitive, it’s the server’s OS. Windows’s filing system is not case sensitive, so .jpg and .JPG are the same. Modern operating systems are case sensitive, so the two are different. My guess is that your server is running on a Linux host.
So yelling the file extension DOES fuck it up.
Check out the big brain on Moose!
You a smart motherfucker.
That’s right. The Linux system.
I didn’t know before. I’m sure you did, but others may not. WTF?
Considering “Rule 34” is in the URL, I feel like I should be glad it didn’t work.
Now that’s two things learned in five minutes on Google; the Linux host thing AND Rule #34 – If it exists there IS porn of it. Thank you Senor.
*I knew the rule, just didn’t know it was #34.
http://rule34-data-000.paheal.net/_images/8fc451d2fc848fce003406c172ecf617/1265603%20-%20Birdgirl%20Harvey_Birdman%20Harvey_Birdman_Attorney_at_Law.png
For anyone who cares, Baylor getting shitcanned at home by TTech.
Tubby needs a big win. I believe that would qualify.
Working dat bubble.
I guess Cruz, Pubio, and especially McConnell have given us our answer as the whether it’s too soon to politicize this
“Pubio” was a Freudian typo
Outstanding.
Clarence Thomas needs a Coke after that typo.
BTW Triumphs 2016 election special on HULU is fantastic. Hell he made Huckabee actually likable for a few minutes.
I thought at first it was a typo. Thanks for the alert.
France are just too slow.
This whole thing has taught me that I need to re-watch Harvey Birdman.
http://31.media.tumblr.com/b79f92160084a3791ae1945fb14ff23e/tumblr_mi3nahaz2M1r5c43bo1_r1_500.gif
France just changed out both of their props.
Pretty sure I’ve never seen that.
OK, I’m going back to my binge-watching of The West Wing, where an idealistic President was able to work with Congress to solve imaginary problems.
Much more fulfilling than reality, where an idealistic President was stonewalled by a Congress that avoided solving real problems.
The Republicans are just acting like the evil team from “Water Boy” where they are just happy taking a knee.
Where is K. Hippo?
http://rule34-data-003.paheal.net/_images/1d414ea7f64e2b7925d2ee1190d7d0ca/794405%20-%20Harvey_Birdman_Attorney_at_Law%20Lady_Justice%20Peter_Potamus%20Phillipthe2.png
College visit with his kid.
Well that ruins the “Instant Hippo Thoughts” joke and/or post.
Pretty much!
Guess he’ll have to fill in later.
Indeed. Auditions ran late.
In the 23rd minute of the DVR replay of Everton/WBA (I managed to avoid spoilers) whilst I cook my dinner.
Sadly, nothing like that ever happens on MY messy law-talking-guy desk.
You don’t screw Justice?
Also did you get that thing I sent?
/sorry
Spoiler: Sunderland won.
Here’s my stupid thought. The senate drags its feet until the election. A new president and democratic senate then nominate and confirm Obama as the next justice. Fox News and Rush ignite spontaneously like drummers from Spinal Tap.
This came up a few weeks back and the press secretary vehemently denied that Obama wanted anything to do with the SCOTUS.
Give him a few years on the lecture circuit to make some coin, then when Breyer retires, maybe he’ll change his mind.
Then maybe Bill can take the first open spot. But would he give up being First Man?
He had to give up his law license, I thought, because of the perjury. So I think that sort of disqualifies him. Not by the Constitution, but by general consensus.
Plus he’s way too old.
Plus it would be a conflict of interest and it would turn a lot of voters off Hillary.
Your responses are more reasoned than my brain farts deserve. Maybe we should just call Saul.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OK18w2XYTqs/TpVo8xmfjtI/AAAAAAAADV8/Bgen06oZPQY/s1600/birdman9_1113871769.jpg
http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7g23nkXuf1rofxqqo1_400.gif
IDK wouldn’t he want to be Chief Justice like Taft was?
Fun Fact: Taft was the last President with facial hair
But he DID manscape a lot.
Holy carp. Three of the people potentially on Obama’s short list would stir up so much shit that the Senate would eat itself.
Sri Srinivasan, 48-year-old D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judge (Indian-American, obvs)
Paul Watford, 48-year-old African-American Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge
Loretta Lynch, AG. (would be 1st African-American woman)
Dang.
Srinivasan would be FANTASTIC
THEY MOOSLIMS BE TAKIN OVAR WIT THEY SHARONA LAW
He was born in India, too, so Cruz might actually go for him to get some of that “born in another country, but can serve in high office” mojo.
He was approved 97-0 for a seat on the DC Circuit, arguably the most important of the lower courts, so the Republicans would have a hell of a lot of explaining to do if they suddenly refused to consider him for the Supreme Court.
That is, they’d have a hell of a lot of explaining to do if they had consciences, but they don’t, so they’ll stall the fuck out of him.
Lynch has no chance.
Funny thing is I just realized Rubio isn’t seeking re-election for his Senate seat. He is either really done with this shit or going all in with a 2-7 off suit.
I’m not positive but I don’t think Florida lets you run for both at the same time.
No, Duchess is right. He’s not running for re-election.
He’s all-in on the Pres gig. He’s hoping for a spot on the ticket, and likely a lucrative career on the speaking circuit (he has debts to pay back) if that fails.
It’s amazing how most losing-VP nominees see their political careers tank, btw. Paul Ryan is doing about the best of any losing VP nominee in recent history.
he could, but he doesn’t like the Senate and not running for re-election.
OH BOO FUCKING HOO
Woe is me! I have the world’s easiest job as a member of the world’s most powerful non-Illuminati club!
PLAY THIS FUCKER OFF WSV
France lookin’ like merde.
Obama fires one across the Senate’s bow:
“I plan to fulfill my constitutional responsibility (to nominate a replacement)…. there will be plenty of time for the Senate to fulfill its obligations.”
That is the perfect measured response. A polite fuck you.
Carson is saying that because he met Scalia once when they both got honorary degrees, he can say a bunch of shit about how great Scalia was at making friends with people he disagreed with. Carson says that Scalia didn’t care if you disagreed with him, he liked you anyway.
I’m sure Scalia had plenty of gay friends, then.
Of all the justices on the Supreme Court, Scalia probably had the worst farts, right?
http://www.madman.com.au/images/screenshots/screenshot_3_969.jpg
Partially digested sauerkraut and undigested hate.
Love how Cruz is calling Scalia an “American hero.” How many gooks did Scalia kill in ‘Nam?
Get ’em Hillz!!!
“The Republicans in the Senate and on the campaign trail who are calling for Justice Scalia’s seat to remain vacant dishonor our Constitution. The Senate has a constitutional responsibility here that it cannot abdicate for partisan political reasons.”
http://politicalillusionsexposed.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/harvey-birdman.gif
These British commentators are like good cassette tapes:
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/mz0AAOSw~FNUYyoo/s-l300.jpg
Also a rejected Boston Globe headline for the June 20, 1986 edition.
Ouch.
Damn son.
I went right passed that before; THAT IS FUCKING EXCELLENT!
So, while my ideal would be Obama–being all out of fucks to give–nominating a dyed-in-the-wool librul (or, at the very least, a reliable lefty) who would stand little chance of being confirmed by a Republican Senate even if it was RBG retiring/dying, I’m thinking the best-case scenario is he nominates a left-of-center pragmatist… the left-ish version of Sandra Day O’Connor. Someone that should/would be an easy confirmation under other circumstances.
Then when the Senate does its horse imitation (“neigh! neigh!”), it highlights just how obstructionist the GOP has become. Meanwhile, when the House is voting to repeal the ACA for the 61st, 62nd, and 63rd times, maybe enough independents jump ship from the GOP to actually get the country moving again.
I wonder who is on his current list.
To be fair, I think there’s less politics at play than people think. Some of the most liberal/moderate judges were nominated by Republicans:
Stevens (Ford)
O’Connor (Reagan)
Souter (Bush Sr.)
Even Bush II’s nominee Harriet Miers leaned left.
The House’s 60 votes to repeal the ACA would beg to disagree about the politics at play.
The one that Dubya-nominee Justice Roberts put into law?
Roberts has surprised me several times by doing the right thing; he seems to be with the rule of law more than his nominator would have wished.
Yeah, who’d imagine that a corporate whore like Roberts would uphold a law that transfers trillions of dollars of taxpayer money to insurance companies.
With some exceptions with Reagan, those guys would be considered moderate to left in today’s GOP. Also there was a time when jurists were selected with more emphasis on qualifications.
Lets not forget that Souter was a crypto-left/centrist. Bush thought he was nominating a conservative, but Souter surprised everyone once he was on the bench. The GOP cry since then has been “NO MORE SU-SU-SOUTERS!”
Yep.
I think the question we’re all asking ourselves is: Was Scalia a elite justis?
He is kinda the anti-Joe Flacco of Supreme Court Justices.
Anyone else hitting refresh on reddit waiting for the tinfoil conspiracy theories to pop up?
“79 Year Old Fat Man Dies”
ITS VINCE FOSTER ALL OAVR AGIN
WHERE WAS HILLARY WHEN SCALIA DIED?
WHERE WAS THE OREGON STATE POLICE WHO SHOT LAVOY?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3160/2576036052_546c7b7312.jpg
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8nazko9pT1qzlozwo1_500.gif
How will this affect the [*Redacted] s draft?
http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Harvey-Birdman-harvey-birdman-3A-attorney-at-law-153655_1600_1200.jpg
Démarrer! Allez les Bleus!
La Marseillaise is the best anthem ever.
Political Circus Time!
http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/2/13/10987236/antonin-scalia-replace
Thanks for the link.
Exact quote from Bitch McConnell
“The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President,”
Wait, WHAT??? The American people made that decision, TWICE, you ignorant lackwit. The American people’s voices rang out quite clearly that we want a Socialist Kenyan Supreme Court.
What a fucking cunt. Damn, thanks for the quote, but that is just depressing in its idiocy.
I couldn’t believe it when I read it. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face – they’re handing the Dems so much ammo, showing that they’re just obstructionist turds and not serious governmental agents, working for the will of the people and the good of the country.
They’re firing up their bases.
Look how fast both Rubio and Cruz jumped on it. They want to get tons of free press and camera time stopping the Socialist Muslim Kenyan from rigging the court, in order to whip up votes.
This is perfect timing for the Senators.
Yup.
More red meat than they ever dreamed possible.
I agree with you totally….. HOWEVER “obstructionist turds” made me think of a cheese joke right in the middle of your post.
I never matured past calling people turds. AND NEVER SHALL
Matured? I believe the term is apt in any circle, my good man.
So basically Obama needs to figure out what the equivalent of prune juice and bran is to flush out the governmental constipation? I’m digging this obstructionist turd metaphor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsS4cStgojs
He definitely needs to steer clear of the government cheese.
Please do not confuse us with your “facts” sir.
re: “We should wait until someone white picks a replacement.”
I looked and looked for the picture of Steve Martin from Roxanne doing the “On the Nose” and I couldn’t find it.
Dogwhistle is loud and clear!
http://www.redbarninc.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/anigif_mobile_0a41285ed7993e590da1208ca544009b-17.gif
http://41.media.tumblr.com/17ea26517536205f14554f05eddb977a/tumblr_o2h08kEskd1qg2n7mo1_500.jpg
It was for Scalia..
http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/3/34588/1027607-harvey_birdman_wii.jpg
Obama should nominate Ted Cruz just to fuck with everyone.
Rand Paul.
Ted would then have to choose between accepting and abandoning the Presidential race or turn down the nomination and be raked over the coals for it by Trump and everyone else.
David Duke
If he nominates a qualified replacement (not listed above), who goes by the rule of law, has ethics, and no dog in the fight Congress will go NUTS.
The winner in all this?
Fetushead.
So Buddy found $55 dollars worth of iTunes gift card long thought gone since Christmas, and bought the following:
* Los Lobos – Kiko
* Traffic – The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys; John Barleycorn Must Die
* OutKast – Aquemini
* Nick Lowe – Labour of Lust
Well worth it.
That’s…varied.
*Traffic Live: So hiiiiigh, so bad-ass!
I’m super interested in how this will affect the election. I have no idea what will happen, but the stakes for this election are now incredibly high.
I still like the Dick Cheney joke, even though he was not shot.
This is just nuts.
He was already one of the four Justices believed to be leaving the bench in the next 4 yrs.
Yeah, but Obummer’s got almost an entire year to try and get it done before the election.
http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view5/2837510/michael-jackson-eating-popcorn-o.gif
I think the way it affects the election is how people perceive the fight that’s coming on the next nomination. If Obama puts up a qualified jurist who isn’t a real-life raving liberal, (which will be no one according to Cruz or Rubio), I think the public will get tired of Republican obstructionists, the same way the shutting down the government argument has bitten them in the ass twice.
I don’t, however, think that it will affect the election as much as the shut downs did because a shut down is easily understood; the government isn’t working. A Supreme Court doesn’t shut down with 8, it’s just a better chance of a tie. Most people aren’t affected by the decisions or the day-to-day workings of the Court.
It’s also a more emotional issue for people who are, or at least think they are, affected by the workings of the Court but I suspect those people, on both sides, have long ago made up their minds about who they’re going to vote for anyway.
Considering RBG and Breyer were likely set to retire (and/or not make it through a Republican term), this is just adding fuel to the SCOTUS-of-the-future fire.
I think, like with Scalia, they’re going to carry Ginsburg out of the Court feet first. She shows no inclination to retire.
I get the feeling she’s hanging on until she’s assured a liberal President and Democratic Senate will fill her seat with another progressive.
She’s the shit, though. I got my daughter The Notorious RBG book, and when my daughter’s old enough to understand it better, I’m making RBG her role model (right now that spot is taken by Rey from TFA).
Take it away, Rick Hazen!
“The future composition of the Supreme Court is the most important civil rights cause of our time. It is more important than racial justice, marriage equality, voting rights, money in politics, abortion rights, gun rights, or managing climate change. It matters more because the ability to move forward in these other civil rights struggles depends first and foremost upon control of the Court. And control for the next generation is about to be up for grabs, likely in the next presidential election, a point many on the right but few on the left seem to have recognized.”
The Republicans are fucked. They either have to let Barry put a third justice on the Bench, or they hand the Presidency to the Democrats by GIVING the a simple, repeatable, legitimate jingle of an issue: DO YOUR JOB! Especially, if the GOP nominee is Rafael since he’s a senator.
Antonin, you ignorant slut!
I’ll say one nice thing about Scalia. He was a patriot. He believed with his heart in (his idea of) America.
I won’t celebrate his death. But I’ll damn well celebrate the opening on the court. And though it’d be damned hard for the Democrats to get a majority in the Senate to get a liberal replacement confirmed (hell, with the Senate’s filibuster rules, any “non-consensus” nominee would likely never see a confirmation vote), I just last night re-watched the West Wing “Mendoza” episode. I’m optimistic–for no reason whatsoever–that a non-conservative replaces Scalia.
Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.
Going through a list of historical super-patriots reads more like History’s Greatest Monsters.
True. But he believed in what he believed. Racist, anti-gay bigot, but he was true to it.
I’m tryin’ to be nice to the dead, Sill.
Some dead people don’t deserve anything nice.
Scalia was a fundamentalist Catholic theocrat that had no business in government at all, let alone in a position of such power and responsibilty.
Fuck him in his grave with a rusty chainsaw.
But, you never know how people will vote. I remember a lot of conservative handwringing about Sotomayor, but she’s actually been somewhat (left)libertarian in her rulings, same with Kagan.
From what I can gather, Ginsberg is as liberal as Alito was conservative.
Shit makes that Scalia instead of Alito.
He was a pretty strident defender of free speech, but… here’s an article from 2014 showing how justices are more likely to vote for the rights of a speaker who shares their ideology.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/06/us/politics/in-justices-votes-free-speech-often-means-speech-i-agree-with.html?_r=0
“I may not agree with what you say, but I’ve got a noon tee time and a dinner reservation at The Source so I really can’t be bothered right now.”
— A. Scalia
Try going and reading some of his opinions; they read like a paralegal who is very religious. To me he was a scary motherfucker; that much power in someone who is a Salem witch hunter type. I’m no legal guy, but holy shit; anyone can see the gaps in logic.
It’s strange because the other Reagan nominee currently on the SC is Kennedy, who is pretty damn different from Scalia.
Just the writing and logic alone are a world apart.
Scalia was a brilliant jurist but especially in his later years his anger at decisions he was on the wrong end of got the better of him. His dissent on gay marriage was, justifiably, ridiculed as the rantings of a homophobe and did nothing to add to his legacy.
I can’t find it right now, but I read an article of several of his lower court rulings that were questionable in several of these areas. His public on religion and the government were outrageous.
*public statements
He had some quotes that make my civil libertarian streak cringe namely in the “sodomy” line of thinking, yes.
However, he was pro-flag burning. Go figure.
The world is a slightly better place today.
Pictured: Scalia’s hero
http://www.redcap70.net/A%20History%20of%20the%20SS%20Organisation%201924-1945.html/F/FREISLER.jpg
Obama should nominate someone as quick as possible, and lock Congress up until they approve someone, Papal Conclave style.
#UncleJack4SCOTUS
http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/b469/dryedmangoezsunny/nine/SUNNY902-1004.jpg
I’ll take this guy:
http://www.rankopedia.com/CandidatePix/95370.gif
My vote goes for
He’s an expert on bird law.
I’ll just regress, because I feel I’ve made myself perfectly redundant.
That’s cromulent.
We’ll allow it.
Mind you that heretofore document had… dry ink on it for many fork-night.
You embiggen us all with your legal acuman.
Considering five of remaining justices are Catholic, it may not be a bad idea.
Which to me is unFUCKINGbelievable.
Already, McConnell, Cruz, and Rubio say that Obama shouldn’t nominate anyone.
This is a game-changer for the election.
In personal news, my 6 year-old daughter runs out of the bathroom, screaming, because when she peed it burned. My wife does a quick exam and asks my daughter if she’s been rubbing herself down there. My daughter replies, “only twice a night.”
We’re a pretty open (nuclear) family; I want my daughter to be a lesbian, and we’ve been telling her that for years now. But holy shit. I poured myself some bourbon.
So she helped mince the chilies?
#LionelHutz4SCOTUS
“Clarence Darrow, was he the black guy from the Mod Squad?”