(Senator) Kyl issues warning to Obama on Supreme Court appointments

[sabra]

Source: Phoenix Business Journal -

Jon Kyl, the second-ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate, warned president-elect Barack Obama that he would filibuster U.S. Supreme Court appointments if those nominees were too liberal.

Kyl, Arizona’s junior senator, expects Obama to appoint judges in the mold of U.S Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter and Stephen Breyer. Those justices take a liberal view on cases related to social, law and order and business issues, Kyl said.

“He believes in justices that have empathy,” said Kyl, speaking at a Federalist Society meeting in Phoenix. The attorneys group promotes conservative legal principles.

Kyl said if Obama goes with empathetic judges who do not base their decisions on the rule of law and legal precedents but instead the factors in each case, he would try to block those picks via filibuster.


Read more: http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/othercities/ph...

[NMDemDist2]

1. screw VileKyl n/t

[Catshrink]

63. My first thought, too.

He is such a douchebag.

[Joe Bacon]

155. Hey Kyl. YOU LOST! GET OVER IT!

That is precisely how Rove treated us. Screw Kyl and the elephant he rode in on!

[wordpix]

156. vileKyl = nice ring to it, blech

[Captain Hilts]

2. Can't have any empathy on the court. nt

[dmr]

117. Nope, can't think about the people. Citizens just get in the way

of their powerful and profitable special interest groups.

Up yours, Kyl, your brand of cruelty to Americans is dead.

[onehandle]

3. Bite my shiny metal ass, Senator.

You have five seats. We will go nuclear on your butt.

[myrna minx]

162. I read your subject line "hearing" Bender's voice. LOL. n/t

[wtmusic]

4. Yes Kyl, judges may have empathy too

That's the idea, or we would decide Supreme Court cases much quicker and cheaper using software.

[Deep13]

5. Democrats to Kyl...

We won.

You lost.

Get over it.

[debunkthelies]

57. Exactly and..

When do you come up for re-election? Be gone!

[David__77]

6. A filibuster would fail miserably.

In any event, I hope that Stevens and Ginsberg both retire shortly. Anything else is a bonus as well.

[aquart]

39. Can we vend popcorn at the event?

[No Elephants]

51. Pray that Stevens makes it until after Pres. Obama has taken the oath.

[customerserviceguy]

69. Wouldn't make a difference

Anybody Chimpy would nominate tomorrow would NEVER get the fifty votes necessary to be confirmed by the Senate at this point. Even if Joementum voted with the Repukes.

I cannot imagine any of the current Justices resigning in the middle of a term, they usually wait until July to do this.

[JerseygirlCT]

97. seriously?

I'd rather hope for early retirement for Scalia, Thomas and Alito myself.

[David__77]

143. I'd hope for that, but we need younger progressives no matter who they're replacing.

The right-wingers would resist retiring, in all likelihood. Justices who are concerned about a rightward slide in the court should retire so they can be replaced by someone younger.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

163. Scablia hinted on 60 Min that he may not be long for the SCOTUS.

And if he goes, his lapdog Thomas may not be far behind.

[JerseygirlCT]

165. That would be too wonderful for words, truly

Two new appointments? Replacing those two horrors? Wonderful!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

166. If Obama gets 8 years he could appoint 6, 7 with Thomas.

John Paul Stevens-88 years old
Antonin Scalia-72
Anthony Kennedy-72
David Souter-69
Clarence Thomas-60
Ruth Bader Ginsburg-75
Stephen Breyer-70

________________________________

Roberts-53
Alito-58

Avg. retirement age= 79 (they must really eat right!)

[yowzayowzayowza]

110. They should certainly do so pending the replacement...

selection, a la O'Connor, less the court become rightist during a protracted nomination fight.

[Fovea]

137. Yes totally

and I doubt the Republics could hang on to national party hood if they tried over SCOTUS.
In that respect, I welcome them to the world of cyclical epic fail, trying the same old shit again and again with increasingly less effect.

[MiniMe]

7. Up or down vote, up or down vote. Squawk

That was Frist's parrot.

[brentspeak]

8. Shut up and sit down, Kyl.

[Turn CO Blue]

114. GMTA. I was going to write, "Hey Kyl, sit down and shut the eff up"

[LynnTheDem]

9. Sen. Kyl missed the memo...

FUCK YOU, REPUBLICANS.

[stopbush]

10. Senator Who? I'm having trouble hearing those banished from power!

Dear Kyl - NOBODY CARES WHAT YOU THINK!

[wtmusic]

14. To Kyl: A sphincter says what?

Sorry, I digress

[Barney]

11. What an idiot

Pushing judges who base decisions on the rule of law and legal president, including those the ultra right wing Federalist Society would approve, is fine, but pushing judges who base their decisions on the factors in each case is "liberal?" and therefore something to be prevented? ?

[noiretextatique]

118. he doesn't like judges with empathy

that pretty much says it all, doesn't it?

[Cognitive_Resonance]

12. Kyl, You lost. Get used to it. nt

[lurky]

13. This is where Rahm Emmanuel comes in handy.

He can go down to the Hill and give people wedgies until we have enough votes to get these nominations through. I don't especially like his DLC politics, but he is reputed to be a hell-of-a-good arm twister.

[SemperEadem]

26. he'll twist it off and beat them with it.

[Catshrink]

65. I think you owe me a keyboard.

Wedgies!

[lurky]

83. ...

[Alter Ego]

88. I like that idea.

Rahm going to the Hill and actually giving Republican senators atomic wedgies.

[Robb]

91. Ah yes! The Atomic Wedgie!!

[Catshrink]

92. Perfect!

[Name removed]

119. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[crim son]

141. I like to think we've evolved.

The latest electoral map certainly suggests it.

[paparush]

15. Kyl: Empathy Baaaaad! Apathy Goooood!!

[Bette Noir]

16. I think we should let a professor of Constitutional Law choose the next few Supremes.

Anybody here know one?

[VWolf]

35. OOOH! OOOH! Pick me! Pick me! I know this one!

[Janice325]

36. I don't know one personally, but I love watching and listening

to Jonathan Turley when he's on Olbermann's show. The guy is always so calm and articulate.

[Highway61]

17. Warning?????

Who the fuck does he think he's talking to? Good luck with that warning, senator. Yep, good luck with that.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

18. What's with these hacks (Pelosi, Kyl) issuing "warnings"?

Don't recall Pelosi or anybody (except maybe Conyers) giving ANY warnings to bu$h (man I am so sick of typing that creep's name)

[asthmaticeog]

19. I don't remember Senator Kyl winning more than twice as many electoral votes as his adversary.

Because that was OBAMA who did that. It was OBAMA that reduced right wing extremists to farts in a hurricane. Sit down and shut your fucking lie-hole, Senator.

[UpInArms]

20. hey Kyle, STFU and get over your cheapsuited self

and DIAF.

[CitizenPatriot]

21. Kyl Issues "warning"

Dems respond, "thank you for the head's up that you won't be 'reaching across the aisle". Now take your pet projects and kiss them goodbye. You don't want to coooperate, you think you're still in charge, you can't play ball? You are irrelevant."

Obama makes toilet paper out of Republican "warnings" and "demands". The President elect is quotes as saying, "recycling is a great thing we can all do for our country."

Kyl, meet the President's ass. Kiss it. Now you're playing ball.

[SemperEadem]

29. Right! No pork for Arizona...

I mean, that's what the senior senator from AZ was saying all through out this campaign..

[Catshrink]

72. And they mean it.

So we zonies get little federal pork. Douchebags. Jeff Flake is my congressman and he doesn't believe in pork.

[wroberts189]

107. Good one :)

[wryter2000]

134. Poor President Obama

He has to submit to an ass kissing by Kyl? Oh, gag...

[CitizenPatriot]

136. Oh, yeah....

Can you see the look of bemused disgust on President Obama's face????

"No, we don't need that, Kyl. Just learn to get along, OK?"

Kyl still kissing ass.

Obama, "No, seriously, Kyl. Enough."

[pattmarty]

22. Fuck Kyl!!!!! What about the reactionary Alito and ..........

.........the other right wing ass hole that "junior" appointed???? If the opportunity arises, I hope he appoints fucking Karl Marx. Fuck all those right wing shitbags. IT IS OUR TURN NOW!!!!!

[tclambert]

71. I don't thnk Karl Marx would be such a good choice for the Supreme Court

I mean, he is dead and all.

[pattmarty]

90. Satire, my good man/woman.......

[tclambert]

120. Satire right back atcha!

I thought the "dead and all" part made the satire clear. Although, with Supreme Court Justices, I'm not sure being dead is that big a sticking point. The Constitution doesn't explicitly say. And apparently, Justices don't have to be "natural born citizens" either. So, the fact that Karl Marx was German might not be a sticking point, either.

You want to see Republican heads explode? How about this? Michael Moore for Supreme Court! We can pretty sure corporate personhood would be on the chopping block.

PS. I am not a hermaphrodite.

[wryter2000]

135. You may not be a hermaphrodite

But you're sure as hell funny. You might even be DUzy material, but you didn't hear that from me.

[nolabels]

149. Perhaps an obligatory seance when the SCOTUS gets together

I mean like wouldn't that be a good way to stay current on precedence and everything

[Chan790]

79. I'd like to see Nadine Strossen replace Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

She's young so she'd be there forever, she's bright and talented as a lawyer, her credentials are impeccable (fmr. President of the ACLU, Professor of Con. Law, Member of the Council on Foreign Relations) and let's be frank...she'd make Jon Kyl cry and she'd demolish a intellectual lightweight like Sammy Alito.

[tclambert]

122. The Constitution does not limit the Supreme Court to nine Justices

What would it take to add a few more?

[Demit]

23. 'who do not base their decisions on the rule of law and legal precedents'—?

You mean like Bush v. Gore in 2000? That the SCOTUS instructed was a one off and couldn't be used as precedent? You mean like that?

Pfffft.

[sasquatch]

24. Ok, we'll cut all federal programs to Arizona, douchebag

[Catshrink]

70. Hey! I live in Arizona

not that Kyl and Mc* have brought us much bacon anyway, other than our big ole canal. Pisses me off they've done nothing about solar for Arizona. Hey douchebags (Kyl & Mc*), the sunshine is free!

[SemperEadem]

25. you're warning him?

you're threatening to subvert the will of the people? Is that what you're saying, Kyl?

This country just handed down a liberal mandate to the congress--you need to act like you know. This country is no longer conservative or "center right". It's left of center with the clearly voiced permission of We The People. Time to get over it or get out.

[wroberts189]

111. I'm with you and also ..Warning him with what ????

Just let them try to obstruct..... there is a new game in town. NEW RULES ...pubs can take their "warnings" and go home and drink them off.

[iamjoy]

27. Go Ahead...Make My Day

Go ahead Kyl, you try to filibuster. I think even if we don't have the 60 Democrats needed to stop it that some principled Republicans will not stand for it. Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Lindsey Graham and John McCain were all part of the "Gang of 14" - and they are still serving as Republicans in the Senate. I think there may even be others who just have little taste for the filibuster.

[NBachers]

148. Collins and Snow will disappoint you every time

Don't make the mistake of thinking they'll join with us on anything. They will let you down.

[Left Brain]

28. (hey... pssssssst... Bozo...

guess you didn't get the word. You clowns don't call the shots anymore.)

[Mad_Dem_X]

87. Hee hee!

[DemFromMem]

30. Defectors

With a Republican Party in utter disarray, I'm not particularly confident the Republican Caucus can be unified about anything. The Dems need to pick off just a couple and you can bet that the blue state Republicans - Coleman, Specter, Collins, Snowe just to name a few - will have to think long and hard about how they plan on voting.

[janet118]

115. I'm afraid it might be the Democrats we have to worry about . . .

If they don't back Obama, I will scream. Especially after so many approved Roberts and Alito without a whimper. No more hiding for DINOs.

[Swede Atlanta]

31. FU Kyl

You don't count anymore Repukkke!!! Get out of the way and let us govern the way you governed for 8 frigging years.

[MessiahRp]

32. Hey Kyl, if the GOP hadn't stacked the SC with far right judges, we wouldn't need liberals

to counterbalance the court.

Unfortunately without a couple left wing judges on the court to balance the many far right wings ones the court will tilt to the right even with moderate Dems being appointed.

You guys chose to not go with moderates, now we need to balance. Blame yourselves.

Rp

[Supersedeas]

124. Dennis K for the SCt just to rub the GoP's face in a pile of Kyl

[Miss Chybil]

33. Why do I have to have two idiots for my senators?

And why does he feel the need now to crawl out from under his rock? Go ahead Kyl. Do as you will. The wind is at our backs and my middle finger is in your face.

[OwnedByFerrets]

34. Hey Kyl....can you say NUCLEAR?? I knew you could.

[noonwitch]

37. Elections have consequences

Isn't that what they said?

[Catshrink]

67. Hell yeah!

I loved it when Boxer reminded the former chair of her committee about that. "I get to do this now," she said waving her gavel.

[Lasher]

153. Kyl needs to GET OVER IT!!

How dare he question our new Commander in Chief! Why does he hate the troops?

[BR_Parkway]

38. Another discredited GOP hack trying to look relevant - Dear Sen

Asswipe - you really don't get what the word MANDATE really means after it was so wrongly stolen and used in describing Shrub. You are about to get re-educated

[bluestateguy]

40. Time to bring back that nuclear option that Bill Frist once talked about

nt

[acmavm]

43. Exactly. I'm glad you pointed that out.

[struggle4progress]

108. Back in "nuclear option" day, hypocrite Kyl was running around saying stuff like

This is strictly about whether or not a minority of senators is going to prevent the president from being able to name and get confirmed judges that he chooses after he's been elected by the American people. And it's never been the case until the last two years that a minority could dictate to the majority what they could do

JUDICIAL WARS
<NewsHour transcript>
April 25, 2005
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/congress/jan-june05/judg...

[iceman66]

41. So now "empathy" is something to be scorned?

What an asshole!

[BunkerHill24]

42. Sen. Kyl let me remind you elections have consequences..n/t

[graywarrior]

44. I don't think they are in any position to "issue warnings"

Who do they think they are?

[husky92]

45. John Kyl...KMA

Hey John:

You and your cohorts had your day and you screwed up this country.

You were salivating with the Republicans with a McCain win and the thought of a right-leaning court. It's the Democrats turn now, jackass.

You got your right wingers in Roberts and Alito and that's it. Obama and the Dems rule now.

[Kali]

46. at the risk of repeating something as I haven't read the comments yet...

fuck you Kyl, I am so sick of embarrassing politicians from this state. God, just STFU.

[dysfunctional press]

47. they should bring back the actual filibuster...

and if a senator wants to- he HAS to.

[goddess40]

169. Damn straight

make'em piss in a bottle!

[BadGimp]

48. With all due respect Senator..

FUCK YOU!!!

[BonnieJW]

49. Um, blow it out your ass Kyl.

We wouldn't want justices who are empathetic!!! We don't want them to appreciate the human condition and, my god, feel something. We want justices who think just like a peckerheaded idiot like you.

[truthisfreedom]

50. Not so much, Senator Kyl... it's more like this: President Obama will explain how things are going

to go, and you're going to sit down and be quiet while doing as your told.

[LaurenG]

52. American people issue warning to Kyl - We will vote you out

if you don't stop acting like a scared rabbit. Washington is no longer a place for cowards.

[Career Prole]

84. He sounds more like a cornered rat

than a scared rabbit. In fact, "cornered rat" describes the new republican...caucusette.

[frylock]

53. you've gotta be kidding me!

it's called blowback, you dumbshits!

[Roland99]

54. What was that "Justice Sunday" crap all about? OH YEAH! "UP OR DOWN VOTE!"

Fucking hypocrite.

[mayahbird]

55. Go for it!!!

All I can say to Jon Kyl is go Go For It! You had your turn for the last how many years and look what happened to this country. Let someone who knows something have a try at it. Maybe we will all be better off!!!

[norepubsin08]

56. Kyle can go fuck himself

we have a mandate for some liberal judges!!!

[sinkingfeeling]

58. Duplicate post after 'page not found' display!

[sinkingfeeling]

59. And the Democrats could change the Senate rules and 'Nuke 'em'!

[Zgrrl]

60. America has spoken, Sen Kyl...

...and it has totally repudiated the Republican brand. So please STFU.

[nbcouch]

61. Oh my god - empathy! How horrible! n/t

[Gman2]

62. I dimly remember something, uh um uh, oh yeah nuclear option.

[depakid]

64. Sociopaths neither believe in nor understand empathy

John Kyl, like others in his mold, are snakes in suits, as the world's foremost expert on their kind has noted.

[damntexdem]

66. Gonna be hard to do -- especially if the Dems pick up the 3 outstanding seats.

[superduperfarleft]

68. Wait, didn't the Republicans lose this election?

What am I missing?

Since when does the loser party get to make demands like this?

[yellowcanine]

73. What happened to Upperdownvotes? Orrin, where are you?

[dothemath]

74. oooooohhhhhhhhh ...............

President-elect Obama must be quaking in his boots.

Kyl, from the 'Party of the discredited' is threatening the first elected president in 16 years with a filibuster. Quick, everyone, lock your doors and retreat into fear. It is what Karl Rove would want.

Something about 'stop digging' flashed through my mind ......... never mind, I don't want the repubs to stop digging.

Damn, I feel good about what happened Tuesday. I was born during the depression and I was not responsible for 'putting food on my family', but I was responsible for finding cardboard from which I cut pieces to put in my shoes as a way to cover the holes in the soles. My mother wrapped my school lunch sandwich in Nolde's Bread wrappers, when available. Remember those wax-coated paper wrappers?

[tclambert]

75. How about Bill Clinton for the Supreme Court?

Would that make Sen. Kyl's head explode, Scanners's style? (Clinton wouldn't take it. Justices don't make enough money. Judge Judy makes more than all the Supreme Court Justices combined.)

[Vidar]

76. Fillibuster all you like, you little prick!

[wroberts189]

113. They may not be able to if a few more races go our way. :)

Go Al Franken !!!!!!!!

[Solly Mack]

77. Yeah...now there's a surprise

snort

[defendandprotect]

78. Play the GOP game: -- You don't like this liberal .. ???

Here are a dozen more even more liberal ...!!!

[wroberts189]

151. Yeah.. or their red herring game...

Send up the most liberal of them all and then make a "compromise" on someone slightly less liberal.


worked for bushie

[defendandprotect]

80. After McCain PROMISED to overturn Roe vs Wade + appt Scalia types

who agreed with him---!!! ???

[Javaman]

81. so now kyl is trying on his new big mans pants?

he can blather all he wants, it's a false threat at best.

[ljm2002]

82. Then take a page out of Bush's book...

...and nominate the most far-left flaming radical judge you can find, and when Congress and the public are tired and angry from a prolonged filibuster, nominate the liberal judge you really wanted for the position.

Of course, unlike Bush, make sure both are fully qualified for the position.

[The Wizard]

127. My first nominee would be

a handicapped, blind, lesbian naturalized citizen who is in a gay marriage. Let's make 'em twitch.

[Mad_Dem_X]

85. Empathy is a foreign concept to Rethugs.

Empathetic judges? Oh no, anything but that!

[Alter Ego]

86. Go fuck yourself, Jon Kyl.

[AzDar]

89. Your side LOST, and LOST BIG, Kyl. Sit down and Shut up. The grown folks are back in charge.

[Libertyfirst]

93. Sen. Kyl has supported appointees to the court who base

their opinions on their opinions. He should take a deep breath and begin to talk. Let the nation watch as he makes a fool of himself. Which he does very easily.

I agree that if they want to filibuster, let them. It will show just how obstructionist they intend to be.

[Norrin Radd]

94. Obama/Biden netroots supporters/donators issue warning to Kyl

We can generate a shit ton of money for your future opponent for your seat.

[City Lights]

95. With all due respect, Senator, go fuck yourself. nt

[JerseygirlCT]

96. How is he going to filibuster?

I'm confused.

What is he going to muster?

[Zhade]

98. OH NO, NOT EMPATHY!

The horror!

What a fucking DOUCHEBAG kyl is.

[Zorra]

99. Hey, Kyl - filibuster this:

[crickets]

100. It's amazing how these thugs

come crawling out to issue their fatuous 'warnings' without realizing how petty and pathetic they sound. It's embarrassing. Hee.

[MilesColtrane]

101. Kyl, you and the other Republican traitors won't be getting a reach across the aisle, so much as a..

...reach around...IF you make nice

We're in charge. You will take that fact, and you will like it.

[wroberts189]

102. NUCLEAR OPTION ...hey the pubs invented it not me. n/t

[Jawja]

103. And not too longer ago....

I remember a thing called the "nukular option" being dragged out to force Democrats to approve Bush's far right nut jobs.

Making threats to a Senate that will have a big Democratic majority....

[The Wizard]

104. If the Republicans/Fascists

want to play hardball, cut off all federal spending in their respective states. Money talks louder than a filibuster.

[wroberts189]

126. Now your talking ... keep those pubs in line :)

[d_b]

105. Good luck with that, Senator

[santamargarita]

106. What makes this shit bag think his opinion counts for anything?

Him and McLoser come up for election at the same time.

[jrandom421]

109. The sure cure for any opposition by Kyl

"Senator, the Vice President and the White House Chief of Staff are here to discuss your opposition to the President's Supreme Court nominee. Apparently they've brought the good silverware."