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Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart

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PhillyLass
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
You know, she's more than twice my age, and I have no doubt she could kick my ass with very little effort.
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HoooooooT
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
I saw her on the show and she was fantastic. And she had to make tough decisions, but I would never consider her a right-wing nut.
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AgentBristow
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
I think it is unfair to judge her long career on one opinion. You can look at her history of opinions on the Court and decide if you disagree with her arguments but it is far too simplistic to just name one. Her majority opinion in Casey transformed the legal landscape for abortion law challenges. She cast the swing vote in the Boy Scouts discrimination decision, the Gratz/Bollinger affirmative action decision, the campaign finance reform decision for McConnell v FEC, and many other cases. If you want to label her as being good or bad for women or minorities or any other group, at least do your homework.
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dreamweave
03/04/09

@AgentBristow: I don't think anyone is judging her whole career on one opinion, but rather pointing out that one TERRIBLE opinion makes it difficult to say in a blanket way "She is the bomb". And her vote in Bush V. Gore was so bad because it was so transparently based on partisan preferences, not the law. I'm pretty sure most people posting about this so far know her opinion history.
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PilgrimSoul
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
I know we're supposed to love this woman but this is also the woman who reputedly said "now I have to stay on the bench!" when Gore was, so briefly, declared winner in 2000. She voted to invalidate VAWA, back in the day.

And so, just because she was first, and she was clever, doesn't mean she was better for women.
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dreamweave
03/04/09

@PilgrimSoul: exactly what I said, only ballsier! Or ovumier!
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Political Party Girl
03/04/09

@PilgrimSoul: Respect her? Yes. Adore her? Notsomuch.
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bluebears
03/04/09

@PilgrimSoul: yeah. I mean I like some of her opinions but overall she is right of center so if you lean the other way she's not gonna be your go-to justice. I have a lot of personal respect for her though.
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PilgrimSoul
03/04/09

@bluebears: Yeah, I wouldn't be an ass to her if I met her. She's not pure evil. (Imma lookin at you, Rehnquist.)
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bluebears
03/04/09

@PilgrimSoul: or Alito, I can't explain it but he drives me up the wall. Have you read his third circuit stuff? he is so paternalistic.
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yvanehtnioj
03/04/09

@bluebears: @Cardbross: @PilgrimSoul: For me it's Thomas. Aside from his abolutely abhorrent philosophy, he sleeps through arguments and then writes "me too" on all Scalia's opinions.

Taking one of the most important jobs in the free world seriously: ur doin it rong.
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NerD: Blattella
03/04/09

@Political Party Girl: It's hard to adore someone whose principles you don't agree with. She's made a lot of decisions I don't agree with, however, I believe she's actually paid attention to what was put in front of her.

I'd take that over Thomas, or Scalia any day. Scalia, who doesn't believe in conflict of interest, even when his own son is counsel on the argument presented.

Thomas, who can't be bothered to listen to an argument when there is Sudoku to be played.
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meritxell: an erotic life
03/04/09

@PilgrimSoul: I hear you. Even though I had a dream about kicking it in Connecticut with Sandra Day whilst listening to Wu-Tang (she approved) and me telling her that I respected her use of intermediate review in some gender discrimination case, I prefer my girl Bader-G.
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meritxell: an erotic life
03/04/09

@yvanehtnioj: Actually I read one opinion that Thomas actually wrote and trust me, I'd rather have him piggyback on Scalia (um, figuratively not literally). It was basically some huge screed about originalism and of all the cases he cited, the more RECENT one was from like 1854. There's something really perverse about that.
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Scoithniamh
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
Eeee! I met her! But I was so nervous, the only question I could think- but did not say- was, can I call you SDO?

She's so composed. I was overwhelmed.
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AgentBristow
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
I saw her speak recently about judicial independence and she was amazing. It is clear she is still very involved in justice-related issues. Good for her! Even if she isn't on the bench she can still influence the direction of our country's judicial system and I applaud this.
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Zombies make the heart grow fonder
03/04/09

@AgentBristow: She is very involved in justice related issues- considering she is doing her mandatory circuit to circuit seating tour! She is still deciding cases and making history.
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dreamweave
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
Here comes Debbie Downer....I love SDO for many of the reasons already mentioned, but she played no small role in bringing us Dubya, and she should have known better. That opinion was about as contrived as they come.
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Admore thinks really long names make you funnier
03/04/09

@dreamweave: As someone who believes that was a terrible decision, it was going to be bad no matter how it went down. And no one knew just how horrible Bush would be at that time. Before everything went crazy in Florida, that election was met by a collective yawn from America.
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Ramseylicious
03/04/09

@dreamweave:
I was afraid to be the Debbie Downer. But, yes, while I respect and admire her for being the great, strong, intelligent and dare I say, fierce, woman that she is...I do not agree with a majority of her opinions and often wish that she leaned a little more to the left. But, still...go, girl.

But I did get to see her sit on the 1st Circuit once and her pearls were lovely!
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dreamweave
03/04/09

@Admore: I can stomach (sometimes barely!) a decision I think is bad if it is based on....something. Some generally accepted interpretation of the law or Constitution, but a decision based on "whatever we can pull out from under our robes to justify helping the guy we like" - I just can't get behind that, and I feel like if SDO and Kennedy had been more consistent with their previous opinions...well, who can say but I'm thinking shit would not be as bad as it is now.....
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Andalucía
03/04/09

@Admore: At the time, it was considered a ridiculous decision and even then many people knew of Bush's extremism and general dipshittery.

Bush v. Gore was set up to be a bad decision, but even in just legal terms, the Supreme Court chose the worst option.
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yvanehtnioj
03/04/09

@dreamweave: ITA. Any decision that explicitly states that it is not setting precedent gets my most elaborate "Whaaaaaa?", followed by my Bish Plz face.

@Admore: Bush v. Gore was a joke from top-to-bottom, not just based on outcome.
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yvanehtnioj
03/04/09

@Andalucía: ::whispers:: Starting with granting cert in the first place instead of letting the recount finish in Florida according to state law.
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lalaland13
03/04/09

@dreamweave: Yup. I read "The Nine" and saw that she wanted to retire and have a Republican pick her replacement, and that she also liked George Bush and really thought he was a different sort of conservative. Sigh. Oh Sandy. Reading that part of the book made me furious. But I would have been in the fetal position and whimpering had I read it before Nov. 4.
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Admore thinks really long names make you funnier
03/04/09

@dreamweave: I did say I thought it was a terrible decision. And I totally agree with your thinking things would be better today. What I was trying (but failing) to say is that it didn't look as bad at the time as it does now.

I was trying to avoid revisiting the case, which I think is as bad an example of working back from the result to the grounds for decision as any I have ever seen.
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Admore thinks really long names make you funnier
03/04/09

@Andalucía: I think people are taking me to task for a position I don't really hold here. My point was more that there was no good outcome once the case went to SCOTUS instead of being settled in Florida. I'm always amused at how conservatives throw "states rights" out the window when they want federal power to do something for them.
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Admore thinks really long names make you funnier
03/04/09

@yvanehtnioj: Yikes. I agree, my first line was "that was a terrible decision". I think I was failing at my "tsk" at America for believing it didn't matter who they elected in 2000. I think we've all learned not to be apathetic.
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megscissorhands
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
But even cowgirls get the blues...
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hello.kitty
03/04/09

@megscissorhands: Even cowgirls get RES JUDICATA.
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BabyJane
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
Sandra "made my" Day O'Connor.
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bangers
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
gosh she is fabulous! we need more principled cowgirls in the u.s.!
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NerD: Blattella
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
I love her. I've always loved her since I was a kid. When they put her on the Court there was a lot of press in my town.

It made me very proud to be from Arizona. Then our governor outlawed MLK day.

I beat cheeks out of there at 18.
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GayRobotsRUS
03/04/09

@NerD!!!: Wait. Your governor outlawed MLK day? He outlawed a national holiday celebrating one of the most renowned men in American history and the end of one of the most controversial aspects of American history? Seriously? Wow. Just... wow.
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NerD: Blattella
03/04/09

@Min-T: Yeah it was a national stink.

Here's a link....

[en.wikipedia.org]

Shameful time. He forced the AZ legislature to change the way we do elections for Governor.
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JinxyMcDeath
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
And one more thing, I loved reading SDO's opinions in law school. They were always impeccably organized.
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JinxyMcDeath
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
Although RBG is my eternal favorite, I didn't really realize that SDO was this much of a spark plug. I knew she was a cowgirl from Arizona, but I didn't realize she had such a good sense of humor. Also, she looks freakin' fantastic for her age.

Also, Jon should have learned a little more about SCOTUS before this interview:

1. Televised trials? Really, Jon? You didn't know that SCOTUS doesn't have trials? REALLY?

2. When he said why she left and whether she regrets it. Everyone knows she left because her beloved husband/best friend was dying of Alzheimer's and she wanted to be there for them. Then he died relatively soon after she left and according to "The Nine" (a very well-respected book on SCOTUS), she laments that she had to resign for no reason in retrospect.
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Admore thinks really long names make you funnier
03/04/09

@JinxyMcDeath: I suspect she also regrets who they appointed in her place.
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bluebears
03/04/09

@JinxyMcDeath: wait. I don't think he died I think he deteriorated to the point where he had to be put in a nursing home. He could have passed at this point but I remember NPR did a story on it in conjunction with Alzheimer's patients having "boyfriends/girlfriends" with other patients and they interviewed her and her family because her husband had a "girlfriend" and they were very supportive of it.
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Laulau
03/04/09

@JinxyMcDeath: I loved "The Nine", but my friends in law have derided it, so I'd be interested in opinions there.
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yvanehtnioj
03/04/09

@Laulau: I loved it, especially the way he structured the book. Sure Toobin's super biased, but since we share biases I did not mind a whit.
sincerely, yvanehtnioj, Esq.
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tawdrylorde
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
is there some kind of jezzie awards? if not, you need to make one just to give to her.
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Peter Feld
03/05/09

@tawdrylorde (chanticorae no more): She should definitely get an award for being the single deciding vote that gave us eight years of George Bush. That worked out great, no?
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westvillagegirl (exiled in chicago)
03/04/09

In reply to Sandra Day O'Connor Schools Jon Stewart
"You do your best, and then live with it." Truer words have never been spoken, Ma'am.
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NefariousNewt
03/04/09

@westvillagegirl (exiled in chicago): OK, now that is a saying I can live by.
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bluebears
03/04/09

@westvillagegirl (exiled in chicago): that's awesome. (I can't watch the video)
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Little Green Frog (Wise Latina)
03/06/09

@westvillagegirl (exiled in chicago): It should be my life motto. In fact, up in Facebook it goes.
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