The Commentariat -- June 27, 2015
Internal links removed.
The White House, last night.... Steven Mufson of the Washington Post: "On Friday morning, President Obama stood in the Rose Garden exalting the 'thunderbolt' of justice that had come from the Supreme Court, which guaranteed the right of marriage to gay and lesbian couples after many spent decades in often lonely, perilous activism. About five hours later, leaning into the microphone at the memorial for the late South Carolina state senator and pastor Clementa Pinckney, Obama sang alone the opening lines of 'Amazing Grace,' before a crowd of nearly 6,000 rose to its feet to join him in an extraordinary ending to a eulogy that lamented racial hatred but drew on what Obama called the grace of God to predict its eventual defeat. Rarely has a single day so completely encapsulated the emotional peaks and troughs of the presidency of Barack Obama." ...
... ** David Remnick of the New Yorker: "Ten days in June." ...
... David Love of the Grio: "With victories for Obamacare, the Fair Housing Act and marriage equality in the U.S. Supreme Court, it was a tremendous week for the commander in chief. And yet, in the midst of tragedy and soul searching -- forced to grapple with its centuries' old curse of slavery and a virulent symbol of racial oppression in the form of the Confederate flag -- South Carolina may have had its finest hour when President Obama honored the fallen Rev. Pinckney. If you have not viewed the eulogy, please do so, for it was a proud time to be black, and to be American. Never in recent history, or in any part of history for that matter, have we witnessed a president say what Barack Obama said that day." ...
... As several commenters also mentioned yesterday, you'll want to watch this, right to the end:
Photo via Ferguson Action.Some Kind of Hero. AP: "The Confederate flag has been temporarily removed from in front of the South Carolina Statehouse. An unidentified black woman was about halfway up the more than 30-foot steel flagpole just after dawn Saturday when State Capitol police told her to come down. Instead, she continued up and removed the flag before returning to the ground. The woman and another man who had entered the wrought-iron fence surrounding the flag were arrested." ...
... Dion Rabouin of International Business Times: "The woman, who has not been named by local authorities, was identified on social media as Brittany 'Bree' Newsome, an activist from North Carolina. Her actions inspired the hashtag #keepitdown, which was a one of the top trending topics in the United States on Twitter Saturday. Later in the day the hashtag #FreeBree was also trending in the United States.... Newsome is an activist and graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts." ...
... According to Ferguson Action, Newsome took down the flag "in time for the funerals." More photos & video at the linked Twitter page. ...
... Alan Yuhas of the Guardian: "A woman identified by a protest organizer as Bree Newsome, a 30-year-old youth organizer from Charlotte, North Carolina, climbed the flagpole before 6am [Saturday] and took down the controversial emblem of the antebellum, slaveholding south, with the assistance of another activist."
Gail Collins: "The Roberts Supreme Court is on a roll. Gay marriage, national health care and a surprising vote of support for the Fair Housing Act, all in a couple of days. Great job, guys! We are totally over the fact that you destroyed the nation's campaign finance laws, limited workers' rights to challenge wage discrimination and women's rights to control their bodies. And basically disemboweled a 50-year-old Voting Rights Act that Congress had renewed by increasingly large margins on four different occasions."
Paul Lewis of the Guardian: "Justice Samuel Alito said the ruling could leave the country suffering from 'bitter and lasting wounds' in a dissenting opinion that veered away from legal argument, and head-first into political and cultural commentary. 'I assume that those who cling to old beliefs will be able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers and schools,' he wrote. 'By imposing its own views on the entire country, the majority facilitates the marginalization of the many Americans who have traditional ideas.' The stark warning from Alito stood apart from the opinions of the three other dissenting judges, who mostly avoided discussing the merits of gay marriage itself, opting for more legalistic complaints about what they believe should have been the limits of judicial power." ...
... Rick Hasen: "In his dissent in Obergefell v. Hodges CJ Roberts writes: 'Stealing this issue from the people will for many cast a cloud over same-sex marriage, making a dramatic social change that much more difficult to accept.' That seems quite unlikely. Think of Loving v. Va, striking down bans on interracial marriage, and laws barring de jure discrimination generally. This has not led to more discrimination. It has led to less. By the next generation, same sex marriage will be no big deal for almost everyone in the country. Legality brings normalization, not the other way around." ...
... Cass Sustein in Bloomberg: "Contrary to appearances, the court usually pays attention to an actual or emerging moral consensus, certainly with respect to fundamental rights. It follows public opinion; it does not lead it. When Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the Constitution protects 'the right of all persons to enjoy liberty as we learn its meaning,' he didn't mean the justices consult philosophical texts or make things up. He meant to refer instead to an emphatically social process, in which the justices learn from their fellow citizens."
This Supreme Court decision overturns the will of the people of Louisiana, and it takes away a right that should have been left to the states.... There is not yet a legal requirement for officials to issue marriage licenses or perform marriages for same-sex couples in Louisiana. -- Louisiana Attorney General James D. "Buddy" Caldwell (R)
... David Fahrenthold, et al., of the Washington Post: "When Friday began, there were 14 states where same-sex couples still could not legally marry. By the afternoon -- after a confusing day of orders and counter-orders by governors, attorneys general and county clerks -- couples had married in all of them but one.... Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) ... criticized the justices' decision but said his state will comply with it once an appeals court officially gives the order.... Mississippi ... blocked almost all same-sex marriages, saying it needed a lower court's permission to proceed. A few same-sex couples in Mississippi did get married in the window between the Supreme Court's ruling and the state's order to stop.... In Alabama, two officials announced ... they said they would no longer issue marriage licenses to anyone, gay or straight, ever again.... And then there was Texas, where confusion reigned." ...
... CW: Turns out all this confederate consternation, these calls to abandon or amend the Constitution (see Presidential Race below) & incidences of official civil disobedience are nothing compared to left-wing radicalism:
We see a French Revolution-like tendency to move with the speed of light from a reasonable and perhaps overdue change (taking down the Confederate flag over state buildings) to an all-out determination to expunge from our history any recognition or respect for that which doesn't fully comport with contemporary progressive sentiment. -- Bill Kristol, via Steve M.
I am just now constructing a guilliotine out of scrap wood. Wanted: spare blade. -- Constant Weader
Laurel Raymond of Think Progress: "Instead of the classic 'Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough,' Ben & Jerry's consumers this summer can enjoy spoonfuls of equality by choosing 'I Dough, I Dough.' The flavor was renamed by the company on Friday in celebration of the Supreme Court's historic ruling legalizing same-sex marriage throughout the United States."
Pete Souza, White House photographer: "The President was in the middle of his daily briefing on Thursday when Brian Mosteller, the director of Oval Office operations, abruptly opened the door at 10:10AM.... Brian told the President that, in a 6-3 decision, the Court upheld a critical part of the Affordable Care Act, preserving affordable coverage for millions of Americans.For one split second, the President's face was blank as if he was trying to comprehend the news. He then reacted in jubilation:
CW: Click of Souza's blog page, which includes other great photos of the moment. ...
White House: "In this week's address, the President called the Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act a victory for hardworking Americans across the country, whose lives are more secure because of this law":
... Dylan Matthews of Vox: "After Thursday's Supreme Court ruling, there's no longer any doubt: Barack Obama is one of the most consequential presidents in American history -- and he will be a particularly towering figure in the history of American progressivism." CW: There will be statues. ...
... Ed Kilgore: "Yes, Obamacare haters may dismiss the experience of virtually every other wealthy country by intoning 'American exceptionalism', as though we have some long-cherished right to die young that's as essential to the national character as unlimited possession of guns. But this has been a constant issue in our own country, too, and it's a token of how far our political system has drifted to the right that redeeming the vision of Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Truman and Richard Nixon strikes so many people as a horrifying lurch into socialism." ...
... Digby explains the reaction to the ACA ruling of an Obama-hating ObamaCare beneficiary. ...
... CW: In fairness to that jerk, I must say that I take advantage of every unfair GOP-writ tax deduction I get.
Presidential Race
Gabriel Debenedetti of Politico: "Hillary Clinton looked to draw a red line for her Republican rivals on LGBT rights in her first large swing-state [-- Virginia --] rally outside of the early-voting states on Friday night.... While the event was not intended to be a Clinton rally, it quickly turned into one as speaker after speaker praised the [f]ormer secretary of state in front of the crowd of around 2,000.... 'Today's [Obergefell] decision confirms we've been working toward equality as a nation step by step, case by case, court by court, and that equality has been right there in the Constitution all along,' said the former first lady and senator, who didn't support marriage equality when she first ran for president in 2008.... Coming straight to the rally from the Charleston funeral of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney..., Clinton also promised to fight for a 'better, smarter, safer, approach to getting the gun violence in this country under control.'... 'Across the board, [Republicans] are the party of the past,' she said to applause."
Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post: "The dilemma presented by the same-sex marriage ruling expressed itself almost immediately in the reactions from the party's enormous field of declared and presumed 2016 presidential candidates. They ranged from defiant to pragmatic, apocalyptic to philosophical.... 'I will not acquiesce to an imperial court any more than our Founders acquiesced to an imperial British monarch,' former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee said. 'We must resist and reject judicial tyranny, not retreat.'... Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) ... told a rally in northwestern Iowa on Friday that the court decision was 'the very definition of lawlessness.'... 'While I disagree with this decision, we live in a republic and must abide by the law,' said Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.).... Jeb[! ... said,] 'I believe the Supreme Court should have allowed the states to make this decision. I also believe that we should love our neighbor and respect others, including those making lifetime commitments. In a country as diverse as ours, good people who have opposing views should be able to live side by side.'"...
... Jennifer Rubin, the Wash Po's official GOP head cheerleader, is surprisingly good in assessing the responses of her team's candidates to the Obergefell ruling. ...
... Brendan James of TPM: "Presidential candidate Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Friday called opposition to the Supreme Court's decision to uphold same sex marriages 'a divisive effort that would be doomed to fail.' 'I am a proud defender of traditional marriage and believe the people of each state should have the right to determine their marriage laws,' he said in a statement on Friday, before adding 'I will respect the Court's decision.'"
... Bobby J. Condemns Constitution. Mark Hensch of the Hill: "'The Supreme Court is completely out of control, making laws on their own, and has become a public opinion poll instead of a judicial body,' the 2016 contender said in a statement. 'If we want to save some money, let's just get rid of the court,' Jindal added." CW: Hey, less radical than secession.
I fundamentally disagree with the court rewriting the law and assaulting the 10th Amendment. Our founding fathers did not intend for the judicial branch to legislate from the bench, and as president, I would appoint strict Constitutional conservatives who will apply the law as written. -- Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry
Hey, less radical than secession. Also, too, the states have always promoted equal rights for minority groups & women. -- Constant Weader
Mollie Reilly of the Huffington Post: "After calling the last day 'some of the darkest 24 hours in our nation's history,' Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is now calling for Supreme Court justices to face elections.... To challenge ... 'judicial activism,' Cruz said he is proposing a constitutional amendment to require Supreme Court justices to face retention elections every eight years." CW: Not so radical.
Terrence Dopp of Bloomberg: "New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will join the crowded Republican 2016 field Tuesday, two people with knowledge of his plans said." CW: Christie plans to make his announcement on the New Jersey side of the iconic George Washington Bridge. To accommodate the anticipated rally of supporters, Christie has ordered the closing of the bridge shortly before morning rush hour; reopening TBA.
Trump Trumps His Own Customary Assholery. Dylan Byers of Politico: "Donald Trump published a photograph of a handwritten letter from Univision's Jorge Ramos on Friday that included the anchor's personal cellphone number.... In the letter, sent Thursday, Ramos asks if Trump will sit with him for an interview. Ramos then provides his cellphone number, in the event that Trump 'would like to talk first over the phone.' Trump published the photo to his personal Instagram account on Friday, noting that Univision was 'begging' him for interviews even after publicly severing business ties with him."
News Ledes
New York Times: "Richard W. Matt, one of the two convicted murderers who engineered an elaborate escape from New York's largest prison, was shot and killed on Friday by a federal agent.... A team of agents from the federal Customs and Border Protection agency found Mr. Matt in the woods in Malone, N.Y., after he fired a shot at the back of a camping trailer, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said at a news conference. Officers heard him cough as he fled on foot, and a federal agent killed him when Mr. Matt, still armed with a 20-gauge shotgun, refused orders to put up his hands, the authorities said. On Friday night, officers closed in on the other inmate, David Sweat, 35, who was believed to be penned inside a perimeter of law enforcement officers...."
Cradle of Democracy. New York Times: "In an unexpected move, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras went on national television early Saturday to call for a referendum on July 5, so that Greek citizens can decide whether to accept or reject the terms of a bailout deal proposed by the country's creditors."
Guardian: "In what is becoming a regular pattern, Fifa has been forced to insist hurriedly that Sepp Blatter will not stand again for the presidency and will 'lay down his mandate' as promised. Blatter sparked a fresh wave of speculation when a Swiss newspaper reported him as saying: 'I have not resigned, I put my mandate in the hands of an extraordinary congress.'”
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Reader Comments (5)
Oh, Marie! Marie, you are wicked bad!
"...To accommodate the anticipated rally of supporters, Christie has ordered the closing of bridge shortly before morning rush hour; reopening TBA."
You give Andy Borowitz a run for the money!
Joining in PD Pepe's sentiment: I was pretty sure Marie was joking, but had to click on the link and read the Bloomberg piece to make sure Christie wasn't actually going to close the bridge, I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit. Good one!
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/fracking-whats-killing-the-babies-of-vernal-utah-20150622. This is a logical consequence of Republican policies. Republican policies steal clean air and water and put the profits in private hands. And for sure the clean up of the air and water will be socialized, i.e. paid for by taxpayers when the profits are done being extracted.
Just like the military has deposited projects throughout the country to make downsizing military spending a multi-party, multi-jurisdictional nightmare so too the fracking business has followed that model to effectively neuter any government oversight. After having a home run week, I hope Barry O and the Dems can go after anonymous toxins dumped in the ground in the name of profits. Keeping up the momentum, especially in what is shaping up to be a long hot summer with insufficient moisture hopefully is job one for Obama. I'd like him to postpone his vacation time until after November 2016. Though, I bet Michelle and the girls wouldn't like that much.
@citizen625: Even God rested on the seventh day. (Genesis 2:2)
@Citizen625-
Gotta disagree with you about Obama vacation. I want him to take a nice, long Hawaiian summer holiday, go barefoot on the beach, and just relax and enjoy what he has accomplished! I am so happy to be in love with him again. Falling out was painful!
Like Victoria D., I read CW's sly throw away line about Christie closing the GW Bridge for his announcement, and for a moment believed it. You do have an uncanny way of catching us off guard, Marie.