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Who is really out of the mainstream?
Senate Democrats are flailing. Senators Schumer, Boxer, Kennedy et. al. are beside themselves right now as the Senate marches towards a final up or down vote for Janice Rogers Brown this evening. The writing on the wall is becoming clear. First Owen, now Brown, next Pryor and more to come...Republicans are squeezing every last ounce of possible momentum out of the Senate filibuster deal and the left is not happy about it. As a result, their rhetoric on the Senate floor is becoming more and more desperate and irresponsible.
Yesterday, amidst Senate debate on Janice Rogers Brown, Senator Schumer attacked the 5th Circuit nominee for speeches she has given expressing her conservative views. He said, "I cannot think of a single nominee in at least my lifetime who is more out of the mainstream than Janice Rogers Brown."
Really Senator Schumer? Not one single nominee? I can think of a many...but for the sake of brevity, let's just talk about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg, who received her up or down vote in the Senate within weeks of her nomination was approved overwhelmingly by a bipartisan Senate. But she was anything but mainstream if we judge her by her expressed views:
Ginsburg had argued that statutory rape laws were sexist and outdated, and the age of consent for sexual activity should be lowered to age 12.
Ginsburg had advocated making all prisons and reformatories sex-integrated.
Ginsburg had argued that traditional marriage laws that prohibit polygamy were probably unconstitutional, because they “encroach impermissibly upon private relationships.” According to Ginsburg, the American people had no right to define marriage; if three, or four, or ten people wanted to get ‘married,’ the state had to let them do so and had to officially recognize their ‘marriage.’
Ginsburg had argued that there is a constitutional right to prostitution.
Ginsburg had argued that the Constitution requires that the federal government must use taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions.
Ginsburg had criticized the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts as sexist institutions that “perpetuate stereotyped sex roles.”
Ginsburg had recommended forcing Big Brothers of America to change its name and purpose in order to prevent “sex-role stereotypes.”
Ginsburg had taken such a strident view of gender equality that she had actually argued that it would be discrimination if the government gave aid to mothers after the first few weeks of lactation.
This is mainstream? Hardly...and yet the Senate in 1993 allowed an up or down vote in which Republicans crossed the aisle to confirm Ginsburg. But today's Senate is poisoned by a determined minority intent on ideological litmus tests for judicial nominees. Fortunately for the judiciary, the Senate is now at long last confirming judges. Let's hope it continues to do so.
-- chappy22, fromthebleachers.blogspot.com/
This posting about Ginsburg has got be factually inaccurate. It's preposterous that the Senate, with Republican support, would have ever voted to confirm her if she advocated even half of these things!!
Is this Scrappleface, or what?
This [her far-left views] is mainstream? Hardly...and yet the Senate in 1993 allowed an up or down vote in which Republicans crossed the aisle to confirm Ginsburg. But today's Senate is poisoned by a determined minority intent on ideological litmus tests for judicial nominees. Fortunately for the judiciary, the Senate is now at long last confirming judges. Let's hope it continues to do so.
Amazingly (and unfortunately) her views were even "less" mainstream twelve years ago when she was confirmed and yet she was voted in by a Senate that knew she had these views. But back then, the Pubbies were playing by the traditional rules -- the President has the right to nominate who he desires and confirmation is usually assured. No longer.