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Russert on Alito: "Would Have Been Helpful to Have More Ammunition" - and Who Is Liu?
Today Show/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

Posted on 01/13/2006 5:10:13 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest

by Mark Finkelstein

January 13, 2006 - 07:53

Discussing the Alito hearings on this morning's Today show, Matt Lauer and Tim Russert sounded less like host and analyst and more like two teenaged boys, griping as they exit the theater that the movie didn't deliver enough exploding cars and train wrecks.

Lauer's opening question sounded a theatrical theme: "did the event live up to its billing?"

Russert panned the performance's lack of fireworks: "It sure didn't, Matt. People talked about a confrontation. It certainly wasn't that. It started off with a bang and ended with a whimper."

But to the extent things did get nasty, who was responsible? Lauer slyly suggested that it was . . . Alito's own fault.

LauerL: "As he started to frustrate Democrats, Tim, it appeared to me that they then moved into more personal issues like that alumni group at Princeton and his failure to recuse himself from a case involving a company with which he had investments."

Get it? Is was frustration at Alito's intransigence that drove those Democrat pussycats into attacking Alito. Matt stopped just short of claiming that the Devil made Teddy do it. Lauer then asked Russert whether the personal attacks were "the wrong direction for Democrats to go?"

That's when Russert lamented the Dems' lack of the materiel of political war:

"It would've been helpful if there had been more ammunition. If there in fact had been something there they could directly link Judge Alito to."

We feel your pain, Tim.

In the set-up segment, Pete Williams noted the unprecedented move in which a bi-partisan panel of current and former judicial colleagues testified in support of Alito. He ran a clip of black former federal judge Timothy Lewis saying he wouldn't be sitting there if he thought Alito "might be hostile to civil rights."

On the other side, we were treated to footage of law professor Goodwin Liu who claimed that an analysis of Alito's judicial decisions "shows a clear anti-civil rights pattern."

Which raises the question, who is Liu?

As can be seen from his official faculty bio, Liu is a professor at Berkeley, a former law clerk to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and a project director at something called the Earl Warren Institute for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity. His main current interest is using the 14th amendment to federalize education. Oh, and just for good measure, in 2003 he co-authored an article in the Georgetown Law Journal with . . . Hillary Rodham Clinton.

So, bi-partisan panel of judges vs. professional Democrat who wants to reinterpret the Constitution to vastly expand the scope of the federal government. You be the judge.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California; US: New Jersey
KEYWORDS: 109th; alito; alitohearings; baderginsburg; berkeley; goodwinliu; hillary; lauer; russert; scotus
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Didn't Bubba used to have a speechwriter named Eric Liu? Wonder if he's any relation?


41 posted on 01/13/2006 5:57:42 AM PST by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: mewzilla

"I caught a couple of minutes. Long enough to hear Timmy try to blame the Pubbies for making Mrs. Alito cry"

I saw that, too, and could not believe my ears. Russert is pathetic.


42 posted on 01/13/2006 6:00:13 AM PST by EnquiringMind
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To: EnquiringMind

Timmy's reputation has gone right down a rat hole. Hope it's been worth it, Timmy.


43 posted on 01/13/2006 6:01:34 AM PST by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: HEY4QDEMS

"It would've been helpful if there had been more ammunition. If there in fact had been something there they could directly link Judge Alito to."

Talk about sour grapes. Democratic Party is soooo depressed this morning. New mantra - system broke, why didn't we have more ammo (ie. mud to sling), damn these Republicans, they keep nominating quality Judges, how dare they!!!!!!!


44 posted on 01/13/2006 6:02:31 AM PST by teddyballgame (red man in blue state)
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To: sportutegrl; governsleastgovernsbest
Ted Kennedy: "I'll have what he's having"

LOL.

Remember the fabulous scene when Meg Ryan faked the orgasm at the diner in "When Harry Met Sally"?

After she was done the older female customer at the next table was asked by the waitress what she wanted. She said, "I'll have what she's having!"

ROFL!

45 posted on 01/13/2006 6:04:59 AM PST by beyond the sea ("If someone is callin' you from Al Queda, we want to know why.")
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To: mewzilla
Timmy's reputation has gone right down a rat hole. Hope it's been worth it, Timmy.

That's OK, he'll get his when Scooter's lawyers prove that he lied about Plame.
46 posted on 01/13/2006 6:06:59 AM PST by HEY4QDEMS (Learn from the past, don't live in it.)
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To: beyond the sea; sportutegrl
Remember the fabulous scene when Meg Ryan faked the orgasm at the diner in "When Harry Met Sally"?

Yes, I do. Please see #29!

47 posted on 01/13/2006 6:09:41 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (Watching the Today Show Since 2002 So You Don't Have To.)
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To: CometBaby
The morons at DU were already saying yesterday that Mrs. Alito put something in her eyes to make it look like she was crying. It was faked, all faked according to them. I think it is priceless. Rove and Bush are brilliant, let them think that. ha
48 posted on 01/13/2006 6:10:15 AM PST by Ditter
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To: Ditter

Yup, it can now be revealed that it was the same compound that GOP operatives secretly slipped into Ed Muskie's eyes way back when in Maine, forcing him to cry and ultimately drop out of the race.


49 posted on 01/13/2006 6:13:10 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (Watching the Today Show Since 2002 So You Don't Have To.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Thank you for reminding me once again why I do not watch network TV (except for football, when necessary).


50 posted on 01/13/2006 6:13:23 AM PST by andy58-in-nh
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To: andy58-in-nh

My tagline says it all ;-)


51 posted on 01/13/2006 6:16:34 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (Watching the Today Show Since 2002 So You Don't Have To.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
LOL.................. you're fast. Wasn't that a great scene. I must admit, I really like Meg Ryan.

;-)

52 posted on 01/13/2006 6:16:37 AM PST by beyond the sea ("If someone is callin' you from Al Queda, we want to know why.")
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To: beyond the sea

Meg's a bit bland for my taste, though she actually seems to have improved with age. Give me CZ-J!


53 posted on 01/13/2006 6:18:46 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (Watching the Today Show Since 2002 So You Don't Have To.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
Give me CZ-J! ---

pant...........

54 posted on 01/13/2006 6:20:18 AM PST by beyond the sea ("If someone is callin' you from Al Queda, we want to know why.")
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To: beyond the sea
Joe Biden did suffer from a brain tumor of some sort, and then he got that hair transplant. Is there any wonder the guy can no longer track an elephant through fresh cement?

BTW, he represents a state so small and comes from such a large family, that it is entirely possible he is elected by his relatives. It's the family's idea of custodial care to keep Joe in DC. THey use the Senate as kind of a Senior Day Care thing. It's not heartless, they can check up on him when he's on TV.

55 posted on 01/13/2006 6:21:56 AM PST by Kenny Bunk (Democrat vote fraud must be stopped. Hello? RNC?)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

LOL!


56 posted on 01/13/2006 6:23:08 AM PST by Ditter
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
My new tv has in 'info' button that allows the screen to split so that one can finds out all about a movie for example while watching it i.e. name of movie, when it was made, a brief description of it, who is in it, who directed and so on. Nothing new about that but I want to see the same thing for the host and reporters of network news available i.e. resume stuff, how they vote etc. For the more detailed stuff which you alluded to, the computer 'link it' feature would be great. This would have to improve network news enormously regardless of where one sits on the political spectrum even though they will no doubt just learn to live with it and come up with a new way to present lies as truth. It's one thing for a reporter or news anchor to present a negative story.... but if they know that the 'link it' feature will show all kinds of reasons why the viewer should be suspect of the story because of bias, I think that would have profound impact on the story is put together.
57 posted on 01/13/2006 6:29:56 AM PST by Asfarastheeastisfromthewest...
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

And we do appreciate it!


58 posted on 01/13/2006 6:50:08 AM PST by andy58-in-nh
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To: strange1

The Dems like to project, as the shrinks would say. They figure that anyone who has gotten this far must be corrupt in one way or another because that would be true for them. The failure of the Committee to unearth this corruption is because they can't find it, not because it doesn't exist.


59 posted on 01/13/2006 7:11:38 AM PST by Inwoodian
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To: beyond the sea
That 'hollywood type' guy was interviewed last night on Fox. . .don't know who the heck he is. . .when he offered that astute observation. . .and no doubt when the MS nets heard that. . .they wanted him on their show to offer the same.

They do not even get how when they have already polluted the well. . .their musings sound like the final poison being dropped in.

These people are who they are. . .what they are; and save for the most brain-dead leftist idealogue who finds this garbage analysis impressive and worthy. . .they are recognized as scum, by most observers.

60 posted on 01/13/2006 7:49:26 AM PST by cricket
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