Dershowitz: A bad "president" is saddling the US with his bad choices

[BurtWorm]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-dershowitz/president-bushs-effort_b_7789.html

Never before in American history has a president, elected by so few, sought to influence so many so far into the future. President George W. Bush is determined to have his hand-picked justices dominate the judiciary for the next 35 years. By nominating young ideologues to the Supreme Court and the appellate courts, Bush is essentially seeking to exercise power through his surrogates on the bench for many decades beyond his constitutionally permissible term. Nor will this be his only legacy to our children and grandchildren. By creating an unimaginably large debt, he is burdening our progeny to the fourth and fifth generations. Finally, by bogging us down in Iraq for years to come, he will be exercising influence on our military and foreign policies well after his successor takes over the Oval Office.

All this from a President who came to office by losing the popular vote but winning the vote in the Supreme Court by 5-4, with the five all being loyal Republicans. He was then re-elected by the thinnest of majorities, and his current approval rating couldn’t get him elected regardless of the number of justices he had in his pocket.

It is doubtful whether he now has a real “mandate” even to impose significant and controversial changes over the lives of Americans during his remaining few years in office, but how can anyone even begin to claim he has a mandate to influence the lives of Americans not yet born or not old enough to vote.

...

On a more fundamental level, we should seriously consider term limits for the justices and judges – perhaps one non-renewable term of 15 years, with staggered resignations that would assure every president at least one nomination to the high court.

:patriot:

[rockymountaindem]

1. I know a lot of people are going to piss on Dershowitz in this thread

But his ideas that you posted aren't bad. At least he sees the light about Bush being a crappy Prez. Of course, I don't think Dersh was ever a Republican.

[BurtWorm]

3. He's not my favorite guy, but on this, he's right on.

And he's always been right on about Election 2000.

[Demit]

4. Oh, you mean because of his thoughts on torture maybe not being always

a bad thing? I loved Alan D until I read his op-ed about torture. I still love him but I'll never forget that. Who could?

[BurtWorm]

5. At least he's right about term limits for judges.

:shrug:

(And he's dead wrong about torture.)

[rockymountaindem]

10. Yeah, that was pretty bad.

However, don't forget that it was written right after 9/11 when a lot of people were saying things they wouldn't ususally say. I haven't heard him bring that up again, so I guess he's not bragging about it. Although he would be a bigger man to retract what he said, he's not exactly running around defending it either.

He earned my respect when I was about 12 or 13 and I saw him shred Alan Keyes in a debate on C-Span. Of course, that's like a battle between Hulk Hogan and a little kid, but still, it was righteous.

[yurbud]

11. wasn't that right after 9/11 though? It doesn't make it right, but...

lawyers are people too, and capable of getting their intellectual panties in a knot.

His defense of torture was in a fairly narrow sense, but the problem is you can't let that genie just a little out of the bottle. Once you pull that cork, Torquemada Gonzalez comes all the way out.

[Coastie for Truth]

13. I love his op-eds, and articles

and appellate briefs about capital punishment.

[JohnLocke]

2. Kick (nt).

[NNN0LHI]

6. Gosh I figured Allen was too busy out lobbying for more torture of Muslims

He must have took some time off.

Don

[yurbud]

7. everybody has their blind spots

especially after they've been tortured on Dersh's advice.

[NNN0LHI]

9. Blind spots? Feck that sadistic criminal n/t

[Coastie for Truth]

14. So, is it is safe to assume you support (Texas style) capital punishment

since Al had been beating the drums against capital punishment.

[yurbud]

16. I'm fine with that too

[JohnLocke]

8. Here's an idea: Read the damn op-ed before commenting.

You might look a little less foolish if you actually read what he wrote.
:hi:

[NNN0LHI]

12. I don't care what he has to say. He believes in making torture legal

I have heard all I need to hear from Allen. Thanks anyway though. Carry on.

I don't read any of Idi Amin's blatherings either.

Don

[JohnLocke]

15. You're comparing Dershowitz to Idi Amin?

What are you smoking, and where can I get some?

[Coastie for Truth]

17. And he believes in making capital punishment illegal.

If Bush has his way capital punishment advocate Alberto Gonzales, a young man, will be named to the Supreme Court.

Another victory for Harris County (TX) style criminal trials and executions.

[BurtWorm]

18. I'm going to guess this little disagreement is a spill-over

from some other forum? :think:

[NNN0LHI]

19. The torture apologists have been here all along. They are well known

No spill-over. Take care.

Don

[BurtWorm]

20. I forgot about that side of Dersh's personality.

I didn't post this to rehabilitate him, that's for sure. I just thought his point about the power Bush has to stick us with his "vision," such as it is, for a long, long time was well taken. And I strongly agree that life terms for justices is a serious error in the constitution that should really be addressed.

[NNN0LHI]

21. I didn't think you posted it to rehabilitate him

He can't be rehabilitated. He screwed up with his torture insanity. It showed where his mind is really at. Folks who claim to be a liberal and yet defend a torturer tend to stand out of the crowd. And as you see some actually get real personal when defending this piece of shit. That tells me something.

Don

[BurtWorm]

22. I hear you.

That piece of Dershowitzism is indefensible.

[entanglement]

24. I agree, I really can't see how anyone can support Dershowitz

Read this excellent counterpunch article about 'professor torture'

http://www.counterpunch.org/whitney06092004.html

This is a guy who calls the Geneva Conventions 'outdated', supports extra-judicial killings of people ('suspected terrorists'). This miserable bastard supports collective punishment.

More from antiwar.com

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/capozzola1.html

Gives you an idea of how far America has moved to the right that such a scoundrel is considered 'liberal'.

[Coastie for Truth]

25. So you support capital punishment and Alberto Gonzales

<>
Dershowitz works to eliminate capital punishment -- Our next Supreme Court Justice, AG and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Alberto Gonzales, supports capital punishment.
<>
Real fan of Justice Gonzales? Eh?
<>
Dershowitz is a campaigner against capital punishment -- but good old Justice Alberto Gonzales - he helps old Georgie put the IV in.
<>
Dershowitz is a leader in the SCOTUS fight against capital punishment.

You ever been to Huntsville TX?

The execution team is either in a separate room or behind a curtain and cannot be seen by witnesses or the condemned. In some cases, the executioners may wear a hood to conceal their identity. At the warden's signal, the execution team will begin injecting lethal doses of two or three drugs into the IVs. Some states use multiple executioners, all of whom inject drugs into an IV tube -- but only one of the executioners is actually delivering the lethal injection. None of the executioners know who has delivered the lethal dose and who has injected drugs into a dummy bag.

The drugs are administered, in this order:

* Anesthetic - Sodium thiopental, which has the trademark name Pentothal, puts the inmate into a deep sleep. This drug is a barbiturate that induces general anesthesia when administered intravenously. It can reach effective clinical concentrations in the brain within 30 seconds, according to an Amnesty International report. For surgical operations, patients are given a dose of 100 to 150 milligrams over a period of 10 to 15 seconds. For executions, as many as 5 grams (5,000 mg) of Pentothal may be administered. This in itself is a lethal dose. It's believed by some that after this anesthetic is delivered, the inmate doesn't feel anything.

* Saline solution flushes the intravenous line.

* Paralyzing agent - Pancuronium bromide, also known as Pavulon, is a muscle relaxant that is given in a dose that stops breathing by paralyzing the diaphragm and lungs. Conventionally, this drug takes effect in one to three minutes after being injected. In many states, this drug is given in doses of up to 100 milligrams, a much higher dose than is used in surgical operations -- usually 40 to 100 micrograms per one kilogram of body weight. Other chemicals that can be used as a paralyzing agent include tubocurarine chloride and succinylcholine chloride.

* Saline solution flushes the intravenous line.

* Toxic agent (not used by all states) - Potassium chloride is given at a lethal dose in order to interrupt the electrical signaling essential to heart functions. This induces cardiac arrest.

Within a minute or two after the last drug is administered, a physician or medical technician declares the inmate dead. The amount of time between when the prisoner leaves the holding cell and when he or she is declared dead may be just 30 minutes. Death usually occurs anywhere from five to 18 minutes after the execution order is given. After the execution, the body is placed in a body bag and taken to medical examiner, who may perform an autopsy. It is then either claimed by the inmate's family or interred by the state.

How's been the leader in the SCOTUS figh against capital punishment -Dershowitz.

And then there's Bush's consigliere - Alberto Gonzales - Advocate of Death.

Your hatred of Dershowitz is so strong that you will let Bush's Huntsville TX death machine grind on?

[MisterP]

28. indeed, he says not only that we should ignore Geneva, but that it is

dangerous and is used as a weapon by terrorists!
that isn't 9-11 fear, it's contrived and calculating

[Coastie for Truth]

27. No, you mean AG Gonzales

Signed off on Abu Ghraib for torture of Muslims.
Signed off on Gitmo for torture of Muslims.
Approved Bush's Huntsville TX Machine of Death
Said Geneva Convention is obsolete.

And Bushie will soon nominate Alberto Gonzales for life time tenure on the Supreme Court.

[Gronk Groks]

23. OK, we all agree it is wrong to torture...

and Alan Dershowitz was on the wrong side of the issue. However his ideas about the Judiciary have merit. Plus he is one of the few in the MSM to say that Shrub's legitimacy is questionable.

We have all made mistakes, Mr Deshowitz's is on the public record. While it may be the low point of his career it does not mean that all his ideas are bad, only that all of his ideas should be examined carefully.

Remember we are the party of tolerance and understanding. Give the guy a break. At least he didn't write and enforce the torture policy, he just tried to justify it in an emotionally charged atmosphere. Bad judgment true, but understandable and forgivable with time.

Unlike Alberto Gonzalez...

[Coastie for Truth]

26. Alberto Gonzales supports the Bush Abu Ghraib Torture Machine

and the Gitmos torture machine and the Huntsville TX killing machne.

[Gronk Groks]

31. Which is why he is unsuited to be Attorney General ...

...as well as never acceptable as Supreme Court nominee.

Like I said, a serious difference of degree.

[Chicago1]

29. I don't normally like Dershowitz BUT

he mad an EXCELLENT POINT. Good for him!!

[Usrename]

30. He lost me with the bloody socks.

He condones perjury for hire. EDTA my arse. Not worth the words wasted in this post, but I needed to take a piss anyway.

[indepat]

32. This is how a totalitarian junta operates

[Jim Sagle]

33. The Dersh nails it again!!!!!!

:toast:

[DemocracyInaction]

34. I saw him discuss this a few weeks back

and totally agree (been saying that THIS is what the next constitutional amendment should be about; and who knows, if people get totally sick of thse people, maybe someday it will). He said that with the longevity now of people that presidents are ruling with what he calls "the dead hand". In other words, they are ruling long after their time even as times change and things need to grow and change. The courts are now getting to be the total cancellation of the idea of "democracy"--you can elect all you want, but they can legislate from the bench and effectively become just a gaggle of rulers serving big money interests. This is the one place the founding fathers fucked up. But then they didn't foresee this country falling into the hands of this drunken, useless, sot.