Once again, Chief Justice Roberts and shinier, newer Justice Alito showed their respective, promised “independent” streaks by voting along with a majority decision yesterday which once and for all assured that many of our nation’s schoolchildren will no longer have at least one black friend. The voting pattern that has emerged between these two has a lot of people worried.
Ha! Calm down. Relax. Take it slow, much in the same way 87-year-old Justice John Paul Stevens approaches a wet patch on the sidewalk.
Progressives still have Justice Stevens, who stays young by sitting the 74-year-old Ruth Bader Ginsburg on his knee, while making sure 67-year-old David Souter gets his bottle before 68-year-old Stevie Breyer goes down for his nap.
Have you ever heard of Jeanne Calment? She was a Frenchwoman who died in 1997, at age 122. She met Van Gogh when she was 14. She attended the funeral of Victor Hugo’s (who, in death, was probably still more talkative than Clarence Thomas has been in his years on the bench). Some people live a very long time!
Next time the court has a recess, let’s get these four off to Arles, load them up on cheese, heavy sauces, and absinthe. If that doesn’t work, perhaps while bicycling along the Rhone, one of them might get bitten by a zombie!
I guess what I’m trying to say is…
All hope is lost.





30 comments
David
June 29, 2007 at 7:08 am
1SCOTUS is now the friend of corporate interests only. Federalist Society anointed activist justices will now methodically, relentlessly “cleanse” the Court of its demonic liberal aberrations. Either the legislative, executive, and OVP branches of government will restore the general will of the people, especially after SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade, or else metal coat hangers will once again become an important medical instrument. Unfortunately, metal coat hangers made in China probably contain lead and Lobster knows what other substances toxic to humans. Need to check whether or not Chinese coat hangers glow in the dark.
Zee Man
June 29, 2007 at 8:36 am
2“Hope is the thing with feathers” - a line by Emily Dickinson
“Without Feathers” - a book by Woody Allen
Matt Eggleston
June 29, 2007 at 11:43 am
3Aw, come on, Chris.
1) Hope is for losers.
2) We’ve lost.
3) We have hope.
Q.E.D.
Of course on the other hand; we are so fucked.
Dale
June 29, 2007 at 12:20 pm
4Hope springs eternal in the human breast.
Unfortunately, I´m a 34A.
Harold
June 29, 2007 at 12:51 pm
5All hope was lost in November 2004. This is just the inevitable outcome.
I suppose we can all hope for the leftward drift which has affected so many “conservative” appointees. It may take 15, 20, or more years, but someday…
I’m amazed that Scalia is able to decide how to vote without Rehnquist around.
Rabbi Yehuda Abramowitz
June 29, 2007 at 3:55 pm
6I do a wicked good Kaddish Yehe Shelama Rabba, or “Mourners’ Kaddish” (may we not need it for decades). I’m just saying I haven’t had my fifteen minutes yet and I could do this.
Murray
June 29, 2007 at 4:08 pm
75 is their favorite number.
It doesn’t matter what goes before them, it will be decided wrong.
Gailkate
June 29, 2007 at 4:33 pm
8All hope was lost in November 2004 - yes, and in 2000, when we first learned that the next SCOTUS appointee would be chosen by a man who thought Scalia and Thomas were ideal justices. He didn’t get to do it that time around, but the writing has been on the wall. Now we’re seeing what we all knew would happen.
SO WHY DIDN’T THE S.O.B’s WHO VOTED FOR NADER SEE THIS COMING?
Sorry for screaming.
David
June 29, 2007 at 6:45 pm
9Gailkate, I join you in screaming that question at the top of my lungs (hope our voices at least in some way complement each other, although loud is about all I can claim). How people can fail to see an onrushing train never, ever ceases to amaze me.
SeattleDan
June 29, 2007 at 9:13 pm
10Train? What tra….
It's Pat!
June 30, 2007 at 10:21 am
11I believe that regarding the quality of opinions given by the SCOTUS, especially by the conservative majority, this is the worst Court in history, with the possible exception of the terms in the twenty years prior to the Civil War. One of the most important things they should do is consider why opinions and decisions made by previous Courts were done, especially from a historical perspective. I think it is ironical to the highest degree that Repubs call for “Contructionist” justices - they are not constructing anything, they are tearing things down. Nothing we all don’t know.
Gailkate, my son was 8 years old and was a Nader supporter (talk about being a proud parent!), and I explained to him then why voting for Ralph would be a wrong move - exactly the situation we are in now. He now agrees. He is a lukewarm Obama supporter now (”whoever wins the nomination, I guess Barack”). Either way, we have a generation of bad decisions to look forward to.
Sorry, young people, the boomers failed you. I hope you can do better.
cooper
June 30, 2007 at 12:30 pm
12Following the revelation this week of Mitt Romney’s 12 hour trip to Ontario with the family Irish setter strapped to the roof of the station wagon, it’s comforting to know that Countdown would spare no expense to bring in the world renowned expert on Presidential pets - our buddy, Mo Rocca - to get to the bottom of this scandal.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/06/30/grand-old-pets/
cooper
June 30, 2007 at 1:31 pm
13Okay, sports fans, so the Brooks Brothers black socks with the thin gold stripe near the top, made famous by Bush 41, never really caught on with an adoring citizenry back in the late ’80’s. (The White House reporters at the time accused the thrifty Yankee of using Presidential rubber bands to hold up his socks. George Herbert Walker, to his credit, good-naturedly set the journalistic rubes straight on the haute couture of finer hosiery.) But this is a whole new millennium and maybe the nation, adrift in the political scandals of his son, is ready for pink dockers.
Or…maybe not…
Jack Back from Iraq
June 30, 2007 at 3:35 pm
14It’s great to be back in the home of the free and just in time for the Fourth of July! The money was great, but I don’t think I’ll be doing that again. As fucked up as it looks on TV, Iraq is much worse in person. Hot as Hell, too, only with more sand.
SeattleDan
June 30, 2007 at 7:40 pm
15Welcome back, Jack Back from Iraq!
David
July 1, 2007 at 11:06 am
16Jack Back from Iraq sans body sack calls for a stiff whack of Jack Black.
Chris Regan
July 1, 2007 at 11:59 am
17Happy Birthday Adam!
You were born the same day and year as Pam Anderson! Go for a jog on the beach to celebrate! Try to do it in slow motion!
Ha! Not that easy, is it?
Boomer
July 1, 2007 at 1:26 pm
18Okay, so Adam and Pam Anderson share the same birthday. Big deal! I bet Adam has fewer tattoos and absolutely no supplemental silicon. At least, I hope I’m right.
Happy Birthday, Mr Felber!
Vinnie
July 1, 2007 at 4:01 pm
19Yo! Happy Birt’day, Boss! And just so ya’ know, I’d like to go for a jog on da beach, too. My birt’day is coming up soon - next Sunday, as a matter of fact. A plane ticket to LAX would make a really swell gift.
dee
July 1, 2007 at 4:18 pm
20Since we haven’t heard from the West Coast Crowd yet, I assume they are still celebrating Adam’s birthday in Portland.
SeattleDan
July 1, 2007 at 5:23 pm
21Not still, but we did celebrate, dee. Kinda waiting to see if anyone else chimes in, but SeattleTammy and I had a great time with the NW Felbernauts and Adam. And we did embarrass him by singing Happy Birthday to him at the bar.
David
July 1, 2007 at 5:31 pm
22Presumably well-oiled, SD. Adam, the Green Swamp Mini-Bigfoot and I send you Birthday Greetings, as do a solid contingent of sandhill cranes.
Ann
July 1, 2007 at 8:32 pm
23The Portland gathering was much fun. But yes, the SCOTUS decisions are dismal. I’m particularly disappointed in the “Bong hits 4 Jesus” ruling. I haven’t read a full analysis yet, but I gather that your free speech can be curtailed if you seem to be advocating something illegal? That hurts my atheistic soul-substitute.
SeattleTammy
July 1, 2007 at 9:38 pm
24Tammy WANTS a “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” tee-shirt!
Anyone know where I can get one? ok, I’ll go google the internet tubes….
Portland was SOOOO-oo much fun!
Can someone give us a open thread to kick it? We’ve been trying NOT to take over your thread, Chris!
cooper
July 1, 2007 at 10:32 pm
25Oh… Are we supposed to stay on target here? Why didn’t somebody tell me?!! Well, since I’m obviously not good at following directions, I’ll just continue to stray.
Apologies for lucky Post #13 - this is the first time I’ve used Yahoo and the buggers switched out my photo - a great picture of GHW Bush (along with W and daughter Barbara) in a boat out on the ocean, fishing - in pink dockers. I liked Bush 41 very little, but he has always shown an endearingly clunky and clueless savoir fare for fashion that has kept us laughing through the years.
dee
July 2, 2007 at 4:02 am
26Oh Tammy, when was the last time a comment thread EVAH stayed on topic? That’s part of the charm of this place.
And I just scored my tickets for the Sept 13 WWDTM taping in Winston-Salem. I realize Adam may be up to his eyeballs with his fancy new gig with Bill Maher at that time, but if I can skip choir practice to attend the show, I should think he could find the time to visit us here in the Heart of the Triad.
Oh and Adam, please let Peter know we’ve heard the cigarette jokes a couple billion times already. I have some ideas for him, if he needs material for the opening.
Speaking of tobacco issues, the entire medical center is a tobacco-free workplace as of yesterday. Yes, I know it took awhile but it wasn’t that long ago that you could smoke in your hospital room. It’s going to be an interesting day around here. I myself am wearing Kevlar.
Harold
July 2, 2007 at 5:29 am
27AAAGH! I forgot to wish Adam a happy birthday! I even had advance warning from MySpace and everything!
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!
Jim (OJNTNJ)
July 2, 2007 at 8:30 am
28I hear ya Dee,
Depending on the extremity of the addition, a smoker who’s gone without for too long can sometimes be more dangerous than second hand smoke.
gillian
July 2, 2007 at 8:52 am
29I’m sure glad I quit smoking, 14 years, 3 months, 11 days and 6 hours ago.
nato
July 2, 2007 at 9:24 am
30Off-topic, but entertaining:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/tedrall;_ylt=Ao.D94Xgek2iDkyhm8u1HzvV .i8C