Steele: 'Crazy nonsense empathetic'

[JonLP24]

Source: Politico

Guest-hosting Bill Bennett's talk show today, RNC Chairman Michael Steele went negative on "empathy" as a criterion for judicial selection.

"Crazy nonsense empathetic! I'll give you empathy. Empathize right on your behind. Craziness!" he said.

Steele, a lawyer, raises the specter of a judge siding with your opponent because he empathizes with his life circumstances, regardless of the law. But I'm not sure the politics of directly opposing empathy are really going to work outside Volokh Conspiracy circles.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0509/Steele_Crazy_nonsense_empathetic.html

---

YouTube video at link.

[Stellabella]

1. Gee, how... "Christian" ... of him.

Typical repuke.

Selfishness = Good!

Empathy = Bad!

Up = Down!

Cruelty = Kindness!

[BOSSHOG]

2. No doubt the independent thinking conservative steele

had all his comments approved by his boss limbaugh.

[Liberal Veteran]

3. Looks more to me like he had a stroke and just started muttering incoherently.

[nxylas]

4. I dread to think what "empathizing right on your behind" involves

"Everything's bottoms with you, isn't it?" - Basil Fawlty

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Should I feel sorry (empathize) when he's fired?

:shrug:

[Xipe Totec]

6. For the Democratic Party, yes n/t

[Cha]

15. I think the word is

Schadenfreud. It's not as if he hasn't earned it.

[YDogg]

7. Michael Steele seems unbalanced.

seriously.

[Javaman]

8. So therefore, steele admits to be a sociopath. well that removes the last mystery. nt

[Bette Noir]

9. They all are.

The whole Republican talk machine has been badmouthing empathy all week. I guess they want a Supreme Court composed entirely of robots and sociopaths, like themselves.

But wouldn't they empathize with a Court of robots and sociopaths?

[JonLP24]

14. They also say 'empathy' is a code word for 'activist judge'

:rofl:

[No Elephants]

16. That was a mystery?

[cadaverdog]

10. What's funnier than listening to Michael Steele trying to get his ghetto on?

OK, Republicans, you wanted a token black to head your party. Having buyer's remorse now? Good luck getting rid of him.
"I'll hit you so many times, you'll think I got my brothers with me!"

[bemildred]

11. Losers do losing things. nt

[lunatica]

12. Empathize doesn't mean sympathize or campassion

People can put themselves in the emotional shoes of someone in a rage or can empathize with abusers and murderers too. I'm really weary of the constant in-your-face ignorance from the Republican party and the Palin and Joe the Plumber types. They're so proud to know so little. It's like it's almost a quest!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empathy

Empathy is the capability to share your feelings and understand another's emotion and feelings. It is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes," or in some way experience what the other person is feeling. Empathy does not necessarily imply compassion, sympathy, or empathic concern because this capacity can be present in context of compassionate or cruel behavior.

[valerief]

13. GOP aren't empathetic. They're just pathetic. nt

[No Elephants]

17. My favorite post so far today. Thanks.