Judge Not

Because I can't stand the preening and prevarication by a parade of pathetic paradigms of parochial puffery, I haven't watched much of the Kagan confirmation hearings. Sadly, it did befall me to observe -- rendering me nearly blind and deaf -- such exemplars of hypocrisy as Senators Kyl and Sessions rail against Thurgood Marshall as the prototype of an activist judge; thus not only reconfirming the Republican Party as the place for old white bitter guys, but making it as obvious as a white robe with a pointy hat that "judicial activism" is simply shorthand for "the judge said something I don't like, whaah, whaah."

The above clip isn't the best part of Franken's comments, but it's all I could figure out how to embed. For the rest, go here. Rarely have we seen such rank judicial activism as we're witnessing in the Roberts court. And if the Republican party chooses to plant its flag in resegregation of schools, why the hell not? They've already claimed the low ground vis a vis unemployment benefits, aid to states, and health care reform. I'd add (parenthetically) that Franken, as many of us expected, turns out to be a very serious, smart, well-informed, and effective senator. How appropriate that a professional comedian becomes an impressive senator, and long-time professional politicians like Kyl and Sessions become comedians. If it were funny, that is.

Once again we see how unserious Congressional Republicans have become, how blatantly hypocritical, how bent on destruction of all things Obama, even if it takes down the country in the process. Not "even if" actually. The takedown is the point, hoping that by ruining the country they can pin the failures on Obama.

These are the guys poised, on the strength of over-dipped and under-informed teabaggers, to return to power.

God help us all.

And well we know how effective prayer is.