Video- C-SPAN Caller Complains: Too Many Black People Call In

Awfully civil of the guy to allow them to have an opinion, just not too often I guess. This particular CSPAN guy bugs me most of the time, but the nodding and seeming agreement with the bigot is just a bit too much. Via TPM.

Video- Media Matters: Fox "News" vs. Fox "Opinion"

Devastating. I'd love to know what Wallace thinks about this. Once again, killer job by Media Matters.

Lawyers give Sotomayor mixed reviews

By GottaLaff

Why does this remind me of a Facebook page?

[A]ccording to anonymous comments from the Almanac of the Federal Judiciary:

Most lawyers interviewed said Sotomayor has good legal ability.
"She is very good. She is bright."
"She is a good judge."
"She is very smart."
"She is frighteningly smart. She is intellectually tough." [...]
"She is a good judge, but not quite as smart as she thinks she is."
"She has a very good commonsense approach to the law."
"She looks at the practical issues." [...]
"She is smart. She is not an as intellectual as some."
"It is fair to say she has done better than many people predicted. I'd say she is in the bottom of this court--but, the competition is pretty stiff."
"She is one of the few civil rights lawyers to be appointed to the court. Sometimes I think she is at war with herself. In her heart I think she still thinks from the bottom up. When you argue before her you have the sense that she is waiting for you to give her a reason to win. If you don't give it, she will rule against you."
"I am not too impressed with her. She is bright, but she doesn't always get the facts."

Sotomayor can be tough on lawyers, according to those interviewed.
"She is a terror on the bench."
"She is very outspoken."
"She can be difficult."
"She is temperamental and excitable. She seems angry."
"She is overly aggressive--not very judicial. She does not have a very good temperament."
"She abuses lawyers."
"She really lacks judicial temperament. She behaves in an out of control manner. She makes inappropriate outbursts."
"She is nasty to lawyers. She doesn't understand their role in the system--as adversaries who have to argue one side or the other. She will attack for making an argument she does not like."

Lawyers said Sotomayor is very active and well prepared at oral argument.
[...]
"She participates actively in oral argument. She is extremely hard working and always prepared."
"She dominates oral argument. She will cut you off and cross examine you."
"She is active in oral argument. There are times when she asks questions to hear herself talk."
"She can be a bit of a bully. She is an active questioner."
"She asks questions to see you squirm. She is very active in oral argument. She takes over in oral argument, sometimes at the expense of her colleagues." [...]
"She can become exasperated in oral argument. You can see the impatience."
[...]

Most lawyers interviewed said Sotomayor is liberal.
"She is liberal."
"She is broadly inclined in a more liberal direction, but is very careful to follow precedent." [...]
"She is quite liberal."
"She is not necessarily pro-government.''
"She is not a government pushover. She is fair."
"She is trying to move to the right."
"She has no discernible leaning."

Lawyers interviewed said Sotomayor writes good opinions.
"Her opinions are O.K, by and large."
"She writes very clear and careful prose in her opinions." [...]
"Her opinions are generally well-reasoned and well-argued."
"She writes well." [...]
"Her writing is not distinguished, but is perfectly competent."

And she's, like, rilly, rilly popular and junk, but oh em gee, she is such a bitch! I totally wanna be her bff.

Reid Lobbied Against Appointing Jackson

By GottaLaff

Ever wonder why we choose to post what we post? Once in awhile in Comments, we get a mild complaint or two. Well, here it is: We post what's out there, what's available to us, and, obviously, what we hope is interesting to readers.

Paddy and I also, for the most part, put up what strikes an emotional chord in us, for whatever reason.

We also try to amuse once in awhile, and ignore the "real" news, just for a change of pace.

One other thing I'd like to make very clear: We don't necessarily agree with the content of an article. If we don't add commentary, it doesn't mean we agree (or disagree) with it. We simply though it was informative or interesting. My opinions have often been mistaken for those of the author of an article.

With that, I'm posting something that I find a little boring, because there's very little out there today:

Just days before Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Obama's U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, the Chicago Sun Times reports Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) called to "make it clear who he didn't want in the post: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones."

"Rather, Reid called Blagojevich to argue he appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan."

I'll be so relieved when Blago and the remnants of his polluted wake disappear.