Archive for courts

GOP solutions: Ignore the past, ignore reality, repeat dangerous mistakes

insanity doing same thing over different results

Here are two disturbing headlines that I ran across at The Hill:

Once again, Republicans want to pre-emptively retaliate against possible (not imminent) violence by initiating actions that would potentially result in more violence. See how that works?

Me neither.

Reality schmeality, just go ahead and bulldoze your way right smack into another war and more needless killings.

The GOP is bent on repeating the same bad policies that got us into bad situations. Their plans would make things worse by repeating the same idiotically hostile, thoughtless mistakes of the past. Not solutions, mistakes. Not forethought, mistakes. Not hindsight, mistakes. Not common sense, mistakes.

See: War, Iraq.

See: Guns, more.

See Deaths, more.

extreme makeover my ass

Relevant segment of Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Newsmax TV’s “The Steve Malzberg Show,” is at about 2:50:

Quickie- Court decision restores severance pay for military gays

justicedelayed

This is what the courts are for. About time.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Dozens of gay and lesbian former military service members who were discharged due to their homosexuality will receive the rest of their severance pay under a settlement approved Monday by a federal court.

The American Civil Liberties Union said the $2.4 million settlement covers more than 180 veterans who received only half of their separation pay under a policy that went into effect in 1991, two years before “don’t ask, don’t tell” became law.

Laura Schauer Ives, the managing attorney for ACLU of New Mexico, called the settlement a “long-delayed justice.”

“There was absolutely no need to subject these service members to a double dose of discrimination by removing them from the armed forces in the first place, and then denying them this small benefit to ease the transition to civilian life,” she said.

Quickie- Georgia judge orders Obama to appear in court for hearing on attempt to keep him off ballot

It’s not going to happen, but it’s just so much wasted time and money. Asshats. And what kind of balls do you have to have to order a sitting President to appear before some low level court? h/t @gracels.

ATLANTA — A judge has ordered President Barack Obama to appear in court in Atlanta for a hearing on a complaint that says Obama isn’t a natural-born citizen and can’t be president.

It’s one of many such lawsuits that have been filed across the country, so far without success. A Georgia resident made the complaint, which is intended to keep Obama’s name off the state’s ballot in the March presidential primary.

(snip)

The hearing is set for Thursday before an administrative judge. Deputy Chief Judge Michael Malihi on Friday denied a motion by the president’s lawyer to quash a subpoena that requires Obama to show up.

Nevada Court: ‘Personhood’ measure would limit healthcare access, not just abortion

Hopefully this will start a trend.

Abortion-rights supporters cheered a Nevada judge’s determination Monday that controversial “personhood” proposals would limit women’s access to basic healthcare services.

Critics of the personhood approach argue that it goes far beyond abortion, and some social conservatives agree. A judge lent further support to that argument Monday by rewriting a proposed ballot initiative in Nevada.

(snip)

The Nevada judge said personhood opponents had proven their case about the movement’s implications. He rewrote the state’s personhood initiative to explicitly reference the ripple effects of passing a personhood amendment to the state constitution.

“The initiative will impact some rights Nevada women currently have to access certain fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization,” the rewritten initiative says. “The initiative will impact some rights Nevada women currently have to utilize some forms of birth control, including the ‘pill;’ and to access certain fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization. The initiative will affect embryonic stem cell research, which offers potential for treating diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and others.”

Chart: One guess on how the media covers Affordable Care Act court rulings

Your librul media at work via Think Progress:

Yesterday, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a poll showing that 22 percent of the country incorrectly believes that the Affordable Care Act has been repealed

We at TPC have reported on most, if not all, of the court rulings (example) on President Obama’s health care plan. Apparently, the Tee Vee news dee jays don’t feel it’s all that important.

What do they have against Democratic success? Why don’t they want a to report news supporting a healthier, more prosperous America? (rhetorical)

And speaking of maladies, a misinformed electorate is unhealthy for democracy.

Federal Judge In D.C. Upholds Health Care Reform, Says Some Arguments ‘Ignore Reality’

Wonder how much we’ll hear about this on Fox? They sure beat to death the news about the judge who said it was unconstitutional.

A federal judge on Tuesday upheld the health care reform law signed last year by President Barack Obama and found that Congress had the clear authority to regulate health insurance under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution.

U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler’s 64-page ruling (below) takes aim at the argument espoused by many conservatives which holds that the passive act of not purchasing health insurance does not constitute an activity that can be regulated under the Commerce Clause.

“It is pure semantics to argue that an individual who makes a choice to forgo health insurance is not ‘acting,’ especially given the serious economic and health-related consequences to every individual of that choice,” Kessler writes. “Making a choice is an affirmative action, whether one decides to do something or not do something. They are two sides of the same coin. To pretend otherwise is to ignore reality.”