Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Judge apologizes for red-hot comment
Boston Herald ^ | December 3, 2005 | Maggie Mulvihill

Posted on 12/03/2005 4:52:41 AM PST by billorites

Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret Marshall publicly apologized yesterday for making an off-the-cuff and - politically speaking, at least - off-color joke about “red states” during a commencement speech in May.

The Judicial Conduct Commission investigated Marshall after a complaint was made by an unidentified Bay State resident “intimately involved in the political process,” said one source familiar with the probe.

Marshall has become a controversial political figure, particularly with the anti-gay-marriage movement, because she authored the SJC’s ruling legalizing homosexual marriage in 2003.

JCC executive director Jill Pearson said she could not divulge the name of the complainant, who contacted the commission after Marshall’s May 22 graduation speech at Brandeis University.

The complainant did not attend the speech, Pearson added.

The speech began with Marshall greeting the audience, acknowledging the hundreds of blue and white balloons at the ceremony and joking: “No red states here.”

Marshall said in her apology released by the JCC yesterday: “The comment was an unconsidered, spontaneous attempt to connect with the exuberant, celebratory feeling in the audience, reflecting the ballons I had seen. I did not intend to say anything of a political nature . . . I regretted the comment as soon as I said it, and that has never waned.”



TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bias; prejudice; sedition; theslowdeathofhumor
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-29 last
To: RoadTest

It is no accident whatsoever.

Just another one of those "little", "unimportant", "minor" things that the media does in their successful efforts at taking a side or malingning someone else without overtly doing so.

I always tell people: Things that you see in a newspaper or on the network news did not get there by accident, and that is most definitely true at the national level. A good deal of thought goes into it (not always constructive or intelligent, but definitely purposeful) If you see a story on the front page, it is there for a specific reason. If it is buried on page 12, same thing.


21 posted on 12/03/2005 6:24:29 AM PST by rlmorel ("Innocence seldom utters outraged shrieks. Guilt does." Whittaker Chambers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: WorkingClassFilth
"Is this creature a krinton appointment?"

Sorry to disappoint you, WCF.

She was appointed Associate Justice by Gov. William Weld and made Chief by Gov. Paul Cellucci. Both Republicans. Sort of... technically...

22 posted on 12/03/2005 6:43:15 AM PST by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: onevoter
What would all the high paid talking heads on CNN do without the Republican dollar to keep them in the upper tax brackets?

Pledge drives and tote bags...heh, heh, heh....
23 posted on 12/03/2005 6:43:56 AM PST by hummingbird (Think I'll google for a while.....on FRED THOMPSON for a seat on the SUPREME COURT!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: billorites

Well, in a way that's no surprise either. Linguine spined Republicans catering pod people and warmed over socialism to their conservative base is getting to be pretty common.


24 posted on 12/03/2005 6:47:23 AM PST by WorkingClassFilth (The problem with being a 'big tent' Party is that the clowns are seated with the paying customers.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: billorites
I have always wanted a FORUM to give the job affiliations and real names of these wife/husband teams.

It sure helps take a degree of SPIN off of their message.

25 posted on 12/03/2005 6:53:00 AM PST by pointsal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: billorites
I'm still wondering who started the "red state" nonsense. Everyone knows that the left are the red states and the right are the blue states. That's the way the maps used to be and that's how it makes the most sense. What's on the left side of the political spectrum? What's on the left of the visual spectrum? If you take a true (not a political) litmus test, you'll find red is also on the LEFT.

And let's face it: they're a bunch of red, pinko commies anyway.

26 posted on 12/03/2005 7:06:18 AM PST by Tanniker Smith (I didn't know she was a liberal when I married her.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: snarks_when_bored
The right to live unoffended continues its grim and relentless march through the populace.

This isn't about being offended.

27 posted on 12/03/2005 7:17:10 AM PST by Balding_Eagle (God has blessed Republicans with really stupid enemies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: RoadTest


Red...as in Healthy Red blooded Americans.

Blue...the color of the effete elitists & corpses.


28 posted on 12/03/2005 8:35:51 AM PST by Baby Driver
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: billorites

pingy


29 posted on 12/03/2005 8:42:35 AM PST by sure_fine (*not one to over kill the thought process*)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-29 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson