Patterico's Pontifications

1/11/2006

Biden: I Like Princeton

Filed under: Buffoons,Judiciary,Morons — Patterico @ 8:25 pm



Hugh Hewitt reports that Joe Biden likes Princeton again (a flip-flop from yesterday’s flip-flop).

I have added the “Buffoons” category.

Democrats Make Alito’s Wife Cry

Filed under: Judiciary — Patterico @ 8:03 pm



I haven’t seen today’s hearings, but the Democrats apparently caused Sam Alito’s wife to leave the hearing in tears, distraught by the unfair smears of Kennedy et al. [UPDATE: The Political Teen has the video. She actually broke down when someone — Lindsey Graham — had the decency to apologize for the shameful treatment Alito has suffered. So I guess that technically, a Republican made her cry by being decent — but she’s only crying because of the way the Democrats had treated him. The title of the post is still accurate, in my view.]

Commenters here have remarked in recent days that it must be tough to sit there and listen to people misrepresent your record without going all Tim McGarry on them. This incident today is proof that this sort of bullying does take its toll.

New Proposals for Changing Three Strikes

Filed under: Crime,General,No on 66 — Patterico @ 7:30 pm



The L.A. Times reports that my boss, Steve Cooley, has joined up with defense attorney Brian Dunn to co-sponsor an amendment to the Three Strikes Law. You can read the proposal here.

The L.A. Times does not mention that another proposal to amend the law has been submitted — this one by Deputy District Attorney Steve Ipsen. Ipsen is the president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys. He is someone I know personally (though not well), and he was a tireless opponent of Proposition 66. His proposal is here.

Close readers of the comments here already knew about both proposals, as commenter Steve M. provided both links four days ago.

I have not had time to read either proposal, and I am too busy to do so for the next few days at least. So I’m not wading into the middle of this right now. However, I provide the links as a public service, and invite comments from anyone who has read the proposals.

One thing is obvious, however: opponents of Proposition 66 (including both Cooley and Ipsen) apparently feel a need to change the law in some way. The only question is how best to do so. (By mentioning Cooley’s proposal and ignoring Ipsen’s, editors of the L.A. Times apparently are throwing in their lot with Cooley’s version.) It sounds like a pretty good bet that some version of reform will pass . . .

UPDATE: Xrlq identifies a potential issue with the drafting of the Cooley proposal.

If You Didn’t Go, You Didn’t Know

Filed under: Education,Law — Angry Clam @ 7:41 am



[Posted by The Angry Clam]

See what your tax dollars are up to if you live in a state with a public law school, or if you give donations to a private law school.

This is why law school clinics are so objectionable.

-The Angry Clam

Fun with Joe Biden

Filed under: Buffoons,Judiciary,Morons — Patterico @ 7:18 am



If you haven’t heard the highly amusing contrast between Biden’s deprecation of Princeton yesterday and his praise of it a year ago, you can catch it here. Bonus: you also get to listen to Biden talk about the “magnificently attractive, intellectually and physically, beautiful young girl” who was showing him and his son around Princeton.

I’m filing this under “Morons,” but I really should create a new category: “Buffoons.” There’s no better word for the guy.

UPDATE 1-11-06: The “Buffoons” category has been added, and this post has been filed therein.

The Expanded Drinking Game

Filed under: Judiciary — Patterico @ 6:23 am



The transcript of the Alito hearing yesterday is available. Here are Part I, Part II, and Part III.

Chuckie S.’s questions come in Part III, and the word “extreme” didn’t pop up once, making my proposed drinking game something of a bust. But I agree with commenter JVW that a more wide-ranging game is appropriate. Here are his suggestions:

Drink everytime:
– Schumer says “extreme” (or a variant)
– Schumer says “I” or “me”
– Biden calls Alito “buddy” or “pal”
– Biden says “I’m not following you” or otherwise betrays his total ignorance of the law
– Kennedy gets lost in the middle of a harangue
– Someone asks Alito how he would rule on Roe, knowing full well he won’t answer [Patterico sez: this is the one that’ll get you]
– Any Democrat claims to be “concerned”
– Any mention of Guantanamo Bay [Patterico adds: or FISA, wiretapping, or strip-searching a 10-year-old girl]
– Feinstein says something that alludes to her being the token woman on the committee

This could kill you.


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