Legal scholars troubled over Democrats' memo

Washington Times ^ | 3/19/04 | Charles Hurt

[Elkiejg]

As the dust settles in the Judiciary Committee fuss over Republican snooping into Democrats' memos, several legal scholars said yesterday they were shocked by a memo showing staffers in Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's office plotting to manipulate one of the most significant court cases in recent years.

[Elkiejg]

Glad to see the WashTimes is keeping this story in the news. My comment to the scholars -- "troubled my A**" -- you should be screaming at the blatent attempt of the RATS to hijack the process.

[anniegetyourgun]

Can you imagine the response if this were the R's using such underhanded tactics?

[1rudeboy]

bttt

[newzjunkey]

Kennedy spokesman David Smith declined to comment on the memo, saying, "I don't feel the need to comment on a stolen memo that I don't even know the senator saw."

"I don't want to comment on stolen materials," (University of Chicago's) Mr. Sunstein said.

Reading from the same talking points, fellas? This is a good piece which *OUGHT* to spark massive outrage, alas it'll be swept aside.

[livius]

The same response that there would have been if it had been Spain's conservative party (instead of the leftist parties) rioting outside political headquarters the night before the elections.

But the left does something blatantly illegal, anti-democratic and underhanded - and silence falls.

[newzjunkey]

If the GOP had done this, the Dems would be calling for sweeping investigations, hearings, even impeachment. It'd be around-the-clock obsession on the cable new networks and lead every newscast until the body politic was numb.

[Diogenesis]

It is OK if any Democrat lies, cheats, steals, or murderers or commits treason.
A Democrat is --by definition- above all American law.
Why, they can even steal (and use) FBI files for years.

[John Thornton]

Yeah, I'm sure they refused to look at the stolen Pentagon Papers too, right?

[OXENinFLA]

As the dust settles in the Judiciary Committee fuss over Republican snooping into Democrats' memos, several legal scholars said yesterday they were shocked by a memo showing staffers in Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's office plotting to manipulate one of the most significant court cases in recent years.

"My jaw dropped when I heard that one," said Ronald D. Rotunda, a law professor at George Mason University. "It's very troubling."

REALLY, And it's taken him this long to figure that out!

---

Freepmail me if you want on/off this ping list.

[guitfiddlist]

I'm waiting for the legal nitpickers of the 'Rat party to sue the US government for FDR intercepting and deciphering Japanese diplomatic instructions on US soil during peacetime.

Scratch a 'Rat and you will discover all the slime they wantonly accuse others of harboring.

[demkicker]

Kennedy spokesman David Smith declined to comment on the memo, saying, "I don't feel the need to comment on a stolen memo that I don't even know the senator saw."

Mr. Smith said there is no evidence that Mr. Kennedy or any other Democrat held up Judge Gibbons' nomination and "I just don't see what the controversy is."

These fools are blinded by their own gall and don't have a clue they've been outted. I hope there's enough of a stink that the alphabet networks will have to cover it, damnit.

[fml]

While they won't comment on the information in the memo they are very quick to reveal they were stolen when all I remember ever hearing is Republican snooping into Democrats' memos.

[BohDaThone]

You say, of Prof Rotunda: "and it's taken him that long to figure it out."

There's absolutely nothing that says that he didn't figure it out long ago. It just says that the Washington Times asked him about it yesterday , and he answered. What's the problem??

[StriperSniper]

And it's taken him this long to figure that out!

He knew as soon as he heard, it has just taken this long for the press to get to him. but even that is O.K. with me since the Times did such a good job with this story. My favorite part is here:

The only legal scholars contacted by The Washington Times who did not condemn the Kennedy memo were University of Chicago's Cass R. Sunstein and Harvard University's Lawrence H. Tribe, two law professors who are widely credited with developing the current Democratic strategies to block Republican nominees.

Again I ask, who are the extremists today?

[PeterPrinciple]

"Even if there is something bad in there, it would be improper of me -- and possibly of you -- to comment on them."


Yes, but here is the gravy in their script.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Hand it to the Dems (and their spokespeople): they know they shouldn't comment on this because if they remain silent, the story goes away BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE PARTISAN MEDIA IN THEIR POCKET AND THEY WILL SPIKE IT EVERY TIME IT COMES UP.

Congrats to the Washington Times for pursuing this and keeping it in the public domain.

[StriperSniper]

it would be improper of me -- and possibly of you -- to comment on them."

An attempt to intimidate the press?

[RedEyeJack]

The Democrats cannot win in the political arena. Their "progressive" agenda continues too extreme for the majority of Americans. They have circumvented the political process through the courts for 30 years. The changing of the majority status in the House and Senate in 1994 was the beginning of the end of that strategy. They were caught in this instance directly politicizing the judicial process.

This is red meat for the political arena and a logical justification for re-electing George Bush and an increase in the Republican majority to a (pseudo) filibuster-proof majority. Someone needs to leverage this "caught with their hand" in the (politicized) judicial cookie jar.

Instead the Republicans (Orin Hatch?)seem to be embarrased that they actually caught Ted Kennedy "in the act".

[ReleaseTheHounds]

"I don't want to comment on stolen materials," Mr. Sunstein said. "Even if there is something bad in there, it would be improper of me -- and possibly of you -- to comment on them."

Again, the Demo strategy is to kill this with "no comment". And the gall of this *sshole trying to threaten the Times by implying "it may be improper of you to comment on" these "stolen materials."

The only factual error in this Washington Times article is calling these guys (Tribe and Sunstein) "legal scholars." How about "partisan hacks"?

[OXENinFLA]

"it would be improper of me -- and possibly of you -- to comment on them."

This of course from Cass R. Sunstein who is one that widely credited with developing the current Democratic strategies to block Republican nominees.

[Bahbah]

"I don't want to comment on stolen materials," Mr. Sunstein said. "Even if there is something bad in there, it would be improper of me -- and possibly of you -- to comment on them."

This is the weakest, most duplicitous, lying so and so imaginable. Improper to comment on the disgusting machinations of Kennedy and his ilk. Think he wants us to shut up and maybe this will just go away?

[OldFriend]

Unless, of course, in involveds the Pentagon Papers stolen by Daniel Ellsberg.

[OldFriend]

Unless, of course, in involved the Pentagon Papers stolen by Daniel Ellsberg.

[John Thornton]

They are making an argument based on appeal to "law" ("the memos were stolen should should be ignored) when the memos prove that "law" was the last thing on their minds---all they care about is subverting the rule of law and enforcing their extremist views against the people.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

CAN YOU IMAGINE ?

[kristinn]

More great work by Charles Hurt. You'll never see this in The Washington Post or New York Times.

[leftcoaster]

"I don't want to comment on stolen materials," Mr. Sunstein said. "Even if there is something bad in there, it would be improper of me -- and possibly of you -- to comment on them."

Oh, really?

What about the fellonious leak of SCOTUS nominee Clarence Thomas' raw FBI files? These very players decrying the release of this information, which I don't believe was serious enough to be even classified as a felony, were not affraid to see anyone comment on THAT illegally-acquired information that was intended to destroy one man's career.

There was also the audio of an illegally recorded cell phone call by SotH Newt Gingrich that was released to the NYT by a Rat member of Congress a few years back. Again, they all loved to comment about that, and what it meant, regardless of the fellonious acts that were used to make it public.

[Bahbah]

So you too detected a wee bit of hypocrisy then!

[Just mythoughts]

This is what happens when "justice" gets perverted by perverts.

[Morgan's Raider]

The Kennedy aide went on to say she was "a little concerned about the propriety" of stalling a nominee based on the outcome of a particular case, but endorsed the strategy anyway.

Didn't Jimmy Hoffa go to prison for essentially the same thing? Appears to ne this is very akin to jury tampering. And unlike Teddy Kennedy, I'll bet Hoffa probably had a couple of socially redeeming qualities.

[an amused spectator]

"I don't want to comment on stolen materials," Mr. Sunstein said. "Even if there is something bad in there, it would be improper of me -- and possibly of you -- to comment on them."

Cas Sunstein needs to start reading his own book on the dangers of exclusively hanging around websites like Democratic Underground. ;-)

[tang-soo]

As an aside, if I remember correctly, it was Turly's admonishing article in a legal journal that finally gave the Paul Jones case legs.

[NYCVirago]

The only legal scholars contacted by The Washington Times who did not condemn the Kennedy memo were University of Chicago's Cass R. Sunstein and Harvard University's Lawrence H. Tribe, two law professors who are widely credited with developing the current Democratic strategies to block Republican nominees.

Shocker!

[ConservativeGadfly]

Apparently Elaine Jones, former NAACP LDF president, has hired David Kendall to be her defense lawyer. Several organizations -- Coalition for a Fair Judiciary, Project 21, CORE and Center for Individual Freedom -- filed a complaint with the Virginia bar against Ms. Jones.

And now she's brought in Kendall. Must be something to all of this.

[abner]

Mr. Kendall?

Yikes!

I was really hoping he slithered into obscurity.

[familyofman]

"Wow," Georgetown University law professor Jonathan Turley said when he read the memo. "It raises very serious questions about propriety. On its face, there is an element of complicity and dishonesty."

Ok - a little help here decoding the legalese.
Definitions; propriety complicity dishonesty

I thought the issue was illegality. Do any of the parsed words used equal say, criminal or unlawful. Attorneys and profrssors always use words that appear precise but many times are open to slanting. Any legal folks around care to clear this up for me?

[Interesting Times]

And now she's brought in Kendall. Must be something to all of this.

That's a good sign, actually.

They only bring him in to lose the big ones.

[Bob J]

Things are heating up, any chance it getting in the mainstream?

[The SISU kid]

Move along.....nothing to see here folks...

Same old, same old. Let the ends justify the means....

[DoctorMichael]

"....Glad to see the WashTimes is keeping this story in the news....."

Too bad there is no point-man assigned to this on the Republican side. They're all asleep over there anyways.

[ConservativeGadfly]

May be true inside the Senate, but it ain't true outside those hallowed halls. Rest assured that many, many people are working on this feverishly.

[ConservativeGadfly]

Workin' on it.

[SuziQ]

"Wow," Georgetown University law professor Jonathan Turley said when he read the memo. "It raises very serious questions about propriety. On its face, there is an element of complicity and dishonesty."

No sh*t, Sherlock!

[abner]

Rest assured that many, many people are working on this feverishly.

Ain't it grand?

[Libloather]

...a memo showing staffers in Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's office plotting to manipulate one of the most significant court cases in recent years.

Should be hitting the headlines any year now...

[Liz]

The only legal scholars contacted by The Washington Times who did not condemn the Kennedy memo were University of Chicago's Cass R. Sunstein and Harvard University's Lawrence H. Tribe, two law professors who are widely credited with developing the current Democratic strategies to block Republican nominees.

Depraved liberals have perverted the halls of academia as they have the rest of the culture. Academia considers itself above mere political partisanship. Now we have profs dictating Dumbocrats' political machinations forcing liberal judges on the populace through secret, manipulative, underhanded activities.

Is this any way to run a democracy?

Democracy dies behind closed doors. Dumbocrats and their allies in academia are pulling the plug on our freedoms.

[The Wizard]

some dem MUST pay

[Liz]

University of Chicago Transgender Activists Demand 'Gender Neutral' Bathrooms

Monday, December 01, 2003


Continuing their campaign to force a mental disorder on the general populace, transgender activists at the University of Chicago are demanding ''gender neutral'' bathrooms. Apparently assuming that someone actually has a gender is now considered offensive, and making sure that transgenders are ''comfortable'' is of the utmost importance to society. In addition, feminists have decided that separate bathrooms for men and women constitute oppression.

Lucio Guerrero, writing for The Chicago Sun-Times, provides the mind-boggling details.

Transgender, gay and feminist groups at the University of Chicago are asking officials to consider creating more gender-neutral bathrooms, saying some people aren't comfortable selecting a gender-specific facility.

''Persons who are not easily legible as male or female often experience various forms of intimidation in these places. If a woman in a women's-only restroom is assumed to be a man, there may be real threats to her comfort and even safety,'' warns the Coalition for a Queer Safe Campus, a student group comprised of various organizations supporting equality on campus. ''Students have faced gay-baiting comments in our university's sex-segregated bathrooms.''

The issue is especially of concern to transgenders who attend the university. The coalition said they know of students who don't use the bathrooms at school to avoid any controversy.

Members of the Feminist Majority, Queers & Associates and the Center for Gender Studies held a panel at the university last week to discuss the issue. Moon Duchin, a graduate student at U. of C. and an adviser to the Queer Safe Campus bathroom initiative, said there is a misperception on campus from some students about the gender-neutral bathrooms.

She said after the panel convened and word spread about the topic, some students posted negative comments on Web sites about the movement.

''This is a hot-button issue with some people who think that we are trying to do away with conventional bathrooms,'' Duchin said. ''But that's not the case. We are trying to create more choices for people.''

In the short term, the group wants to change existing bathrooms on one floor of the Joseph Regenstein Library and one floor of Cobb Hall, a popular student hangout. In the future, the group would like the university to consider gender-neutral bathrooms to be included in the plans for new buildings.

''Access to public, single-occupancy bathrooms would be ideal for undercutting this source of intimidation, but converting existing multi-stall bathrooms to gender neutrality is an excellent, and easy, intermediate step,'' the group writes on its Web site.

''They have done a great job of raising community awareness of the issue,'' said Bill Michel, associate dean of the college. ''We are in the process of evaluating these two buildings to see if would be possible to create more bathrooms.''

Michel said the university already has nine gender-neutral bathrooms but none in the two most popular buildings.

But it is more than just a gay and transgender issue, for some feminists the issue of gender specific bathrooms has been a problem for years.

''Some feminists might say that any sex segregation is problematic,'' said Mary Anne Case, a professor of law at the University of Chicago who has studied the early roots of feminism and the inequality in sex segregated bathrooms.

Case said that along with creating more bathroom space for women -- a typical problem in public facilities -- the gender-neutral bathroom would also give men and women less reasons to separate in social functions.


--SNIP--

[Fiddlstix]

"I don't want to comment on stolen materials," Mr. Sunstein said. "Even if there is something bad in there, it would be improper of me -- and possibly of you -- to comment on them."