"I wish he [Alito] was in a skirt": Sandra Day O'Connor

aspen daily news ^ | 7/11/6

[NativeNewYorker]

Select quotes from Aspen Ideas Festival

"The most dangerous things on Earth are ideas. Without them people would not be motivated to kill others or to die for them for their cause."
-- Mike McConnell, former director of U.S. National Security Agency, at "Terrorism, Technology and Globalism"

"I know we have a qualified judge and this is to take nothing away from his qualifications, but I wish he (Judge Samuel Alito) was in a skirt. At the end of the day a wise old woman and a wise old man will reach the same conclusion."
-- Sandra Day O'Connor, former U.S. Supreme Court justice, at "Independence of the Judiciary"

"My wife called me and said we need an e-mail account for our son Ezra, and I said, 'But he's only 6 months old.'"
-- Peter Beinart, The New Republic editor at large, at "Consuming the New Media"

"When I die Watergate is going to be in the goddamn lead, isn't it?"
-- Benjamin C. Bradlee, Washington Post vice president, at "The Future of Investigative Journalism"

"We don't need activist judges. We need activist citizens who go out and make the kinds of communities they want. What we're doing is hard enough."
-- Stephen G. Breyer, U.S. Supreme Court justice, at "Independence of the Judiciary"

"Overall the system is broken. I don't think anyone can sit here and feel comfortable with the health care system. We need comprehensive systematic change."
-- Victor J. Dzau, Duke University Health System president and CEO, at "The Future of Health Care"

"The American dream is largely broken if not irreversibly destroyed."
-- Dr. Douglas E. Schoen at "What Do American Voters Really Want in '06?"

"The American dream is alive and well in Denmark."
-- Michael Sandel, Harvard University professor, at "American Democracy"

"We're spending a lot of time exporting democracy overseas, but in my judgment we should spend less time on that and more time repairing our democracy at home."

-- David Gergen, Harvard University Center for Public Leadership director, at "American Democracy"

"It is a conservative war because it is quintessentially conservative in the way it's gone wrong. ... It's the most half-ass war we've ever fought."
-- Richard Cohen, Washington Post columnist, at "Conservatism in America"

"Al-Qaida is now more of a spontaneous terrorist movement in which Bin Laden is an inspiration rather than an operational leader, but that doesn't mean there isn't another attack on the way."
-- Sir Richard Dearlove, former chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service, at "Terrorism, Technology and Globalism"

"We have 3.5 million educators in this country. Many of them are passionate. Many of them are motivated. But all too many of them are disengaged."
-- Marion A. Bolden, Newark Public Schools superintendent, at "Today's Schools: Changing an Opportunity for Some to an Opportunity for All"

"I'm a hothead. I admit it."
-- Karl Rove, senior adviser to President Bush, at "A Conversation With Karl Rove"

"I can't speak for the United States government. I can barely speak for myself."
-- Wolf Blitzer, host of CNN's "The Situation Room," at "The State of Israel Today"

Quotes collected and compiled by Aspen Daily News Staff Writer Troy Hooper.

[DustyMoment]

Some howlers, eh?

You can say that again!! I don't know what it is with these people but, you put a microphone and a camera in their face and some of the dumbest stuff in the world comes out of their mouths!!!

[newgeezer]

"... I wish he (Judge Samuel Alito) was in a skirt. ..."

Yeah, well, I wish President Reagan had appointed a reasoned, strict constructionist to the Supreme Court instead of an airhead "swing vote."

[Moleman]

LOL

[TexasPatriot8]

Given the fact that Sandy O'Conner has a bigger problem with Alito than with Ginsburg, she clearly has some mental dysfunction. Where is it written in the Constitution that the gender count in the Supreme Court is more important than the Justices having a good understanding of the Constitution and interpreting it as written by the founders? That's not in my copy of the Constitution. If anything, the radical nature of Ginsburg and the apparent activist slant of O'Conner now and in recent years, makes me nervous at the prospect of a female Justice, since we're 0-2 in that department when it comes to female Justices who are constructionists and read the Constitution as it's clearly written, not how they wish it was written. Edith Jones or Precilla Owens someone just like them would sure be nice to correct the two female mistakes that were already appointed to the court. AT least Jones and Owens represent the majority line of thought and reasoning in this country that was shared by the founders based on their writings and the Federalist Papers.

And since her latter years rulings were increasingly unconstitutional and flagrantly contradicting the will of the American people, she could frankly do with a pair of pants! Alito's lack of a skirt isn't the problem. The problem is O'Conner's clear lack of understanding about the clearly documented founder's intent and the Constitution from a strict constructionist standpoint, which most Americans support. There are enough skirts running around the SCOTUS chambers as it is. Ginsburg, Stevens, Breyer and Souter are quite enough shemales in the court for my taste.

[advance_copy]

Yeah, well, I wish President Reagan had appointed a reasoned, strict constructionist to the Supreme Court instead of an airhead "swing vote."

We have a winner.

[subterfuge]

Then it doesn't matter what sex they are, does it?

It's all about appearances for liberals like Sandy Day O'Get-A-Clue.

[KarlInOhio]

"I know we have a qualified judge and this is to take nothing away from his qualifications, but I wish he (Judge Samuel Alito) was in a skirt. At the end of the day a wise old woman and a wise old man will reach the same conclusion."

Maybe she thinks Alito wouldn't sit in a "ladylike" fashion and she just wants a peak up there.

[ZULU]

I am REALLY glad O'Connor is off that bench - just like she's off her rocker.

[tcostell]

And of course, you know the response when a man asks you what you're wearing under your kilt... you reply:
"your wife's lipstick."

[facedown]

Another LOL!

[satchmodog9]

"The most dangerous things on Earth are ideas. Without them people would not be motivated to kill others or to die for them for their cause." -- Mike McConnell, former director of U.S. National Security Agency, at "Terrorism, Technology and Globalism"

Shut up, be happy. The number one enemy of progress is questions. "We don't need activist judges. We need activist citizens who go out and make the kinds of communities they want. What we're doing is hard enough." -- Stephen G. Breyer, U.S. Supreme Court justice, at "Independence of the Judiciary"

So you activist judges can rule our actions unconstitutional, thereby making your odious opinions law? "The American dream is largely broken if not irreversibly destroyed." -- Dr. Douglas E. Schoen at "What Do American Voters Really Want in '06?"

Tell that to all the new home buyers in the past few years. Five people in my family are self made millionaires and I am working on it. Screw this guy. What a buzz kill. "It is a conservative war because it is quintessentially conservative in the way it's gone wrong. ... It's the most half-ass war we've ever fought." -- Richard Cohen, Washington Post columnist, at "Conservatism in America"

Sorry pal, it's a liberal run war because the real conservatives would have gone in and do what armies do best. kill everyone and flatten the land. We pussy footed around this country because of sissies like you. "I know we have a qualified judge and this is to take nothing away from his qualifications, but I wish he (Judge Samuel Alito) was in a skirt. At the end of the day a wise old woman and a wise old man will reach the same conclusion." -- Sandra Day O'Connor, former U.S. Supreme Court justice, at "Independence of the Judiciary"

Separate but equal? ( Sorry for the format problems)

[Rummyfan]

How can you tell a Scotsman's clan?

You lift up his kilt, and if he has a quarter-pounder, he's a MacDonald!

[ChewedGum]

Wish Granted

[Begin]

"I wish he [Alito] was in a skirt": Sandra Day O'Connor

Funny, didn't she say the same thing about Hillary?

[Liberty Valance]

"I can't speak for the United States government. I can barely speak for myself."
-- Wolf Blitzer, host of CNN's "The Situation Room.


Oh come on Wolf...you folks in the "press" always think you know how to run the govt., the war, education, elections and every other thing you blather on and on about. You're no longer journalists, you're critics and partisan cheap shot artists making money on others misfortune and misery.

[Mike Darancette]

And I wished O'Connor had a pair.

[pookie18]

"I know we have a qualified judge and this is to take nothing away from his qualifications, but I wish he (Judge Samuel Alito) was in a skirt. At the end of the day a wise old woman and a wise old man will reach the same conclusion."

...therefore I plan on campaigning for Janice Rogers Brown...

[ArrogantBustard]

but I wish he (Judge Samuel Alito) was in a skirt.

Hah! He's Italian, not Scottish ... and even Scotsmen don't wear "skirts".

[aruanan]

"I know we have a qualified judge and this is to take nothing away from his qualifications, but I wish he (Judge Samuel Alito) was in a skirt. At the end of the day a wise old woman and a wise old man will reach the same conclusion."

If the second sentence is true, then the first is irrelevant.

[aruanan]

"We have 3.5 million educators in this country. Many of them are passionate. Many of them are motivated. But all too many of them are disengaged."

'disengaged' = less than well-educated and on the low end of the Bell curve for intelligence and academic aptitude.