LA Times Sees Liu Confirmation Fight as GOP vs. 'Asian American Interest Groups'
Goodwin Liu is a liberal UC Berkeley law professor that President Obama has nominated to the already ultra-liberal 9th Circuit.
Republicans have threatened a filibuster which will likely scuttle Liu's chances for confirmation.
Reporting the story, Los Angeles Times reporter James Oliphant noted that:
As of late Wednesday, it appeared increasingly unlikely that Democrats would be able to corral those votes, meaning Liu's nomination — in limbo for more than a year — could effectively be scuttled. Asian American interest groups, in particular, were fighting for Liu's confirmation.
But who are these groups and what, if any, political slant do they take? Oliphant doesn't tell us, but at least one of them is decidedly liberal, the Asian-American Justice Center.
The AAJC's list of recent friend-of-the-court briefs shows a strong tilt to the left on issues such as Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the Arizona immigration law as well as affirmative action.
Indeed, the AAJC hoped to convince the Supreme Court to uphold New Haven, Connecticut's decision to keep white firefighters from a deserved promotion despite having passed their exams in the 2009 Ricci v. DeStefano case :
The Asian American Justice Center filed an amicus curiae with the Supreme Court of the United States in support respondent DeStefano. In Ricci the Court will address the issue whether municipalities may decline to certify results of an exam that would make disproportionately more white applicants eligible for promotion than minority applicants, due to fears that certifying the results would lead to charges of racial discrimination. The AAJC brief argues that Asian Americans are woefully underrepresented in firefighting and other protective service positions, in part due to a history of exclusion from public sector positions, and that Asian Americans benefit when local governments utilize promotion and advancement methodologies that do not have a disparate impact on minorities.
- Ken Shepherd's blog
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Comments
Distraction
Submitted by John21 on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 11:40am.
Don't look at the facts.
Don't look at his judicial history.
You are a liberal (no valid argument) play the race card. Mr. Obama (your master) wants him, so anyone that does not agree must be racist. Sounds like typical left wing propaganda.
Not propaganda
Submitted by Cappmann1962 on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 3:44pm.
These are flat-out lefty lies. Not one word on the legitimate concerns being raised. Just that he's Asian. It's like any criticism of Obamessiah. Nothing of substance refuting the actual criticism - just that he's black (mostly). The lfet has perfected this tactic. They aren't stupid (regardless of how they act, how they look, what they say, how they say it, what they believe, etc.). They know they have no argument against these issues, so they immediately turn it into a race issue, which is very difficult for the "accused" to refute. No matter what they say, it will be spun as racist.
Question: "Do you like (insert ethnic group)?"
Answer #1: "No" - BAM, you're automatically racist.
Answer #2: "Of course, some of my best friends are (ethnic group)." - BAM, you're a patronizing racist.
It's a brilliant (if immoral) variant of "Do you still beat your wife". It can't be answered to your benefit, and the libs know this. That's why it's become a knee-jerk reaction to virtually any criticism of any liberal/progressive, even by one of their own (i.e. Joe Leiberman, Cornel West, etc).
er...
Submitted by michiganruth on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 9:53pm.
" No matter what they say, it will be spun as racist.
Question: "Do you like (insert ethnic group)?"
Answer #1: "No" - BAM, you're automatically racist."
actually, you don't have to "spin" that as racist. that's sort of the DEFINITION of racist.
while I take your point that people try to spin non-racist comments as objectionable, that comment actually WOULD be objectionable.
Agreed, answer #1 is racist
Submitted by Cappmann1962 on Fri, 05/20/2011 - 11:22am.
I was making the comparison between actually racist, and any other answer given. Also compared to "do you still beat your wife?" There is no answer that can be given on a positive note, as it will be spun into whatever point the interviewer wants.
The GOP would be smart not to fight Liu's nomination
Submitted by Galvanic on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 11:52am.
As noted, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is already the most liberal US appeals court in the judiciary, and something like 2/3 of its decisions are overturned by the US Supreme Court.
Adding Liu doesn't shift the balance of the 9th Circuit, and if Obama is insistent on putting Liu on the bench, that's the seat that will do the least damage to the United States (and I mean that sincerely).
Furthermore, when the GOP stands up to block a far left nominee from flipping the balance on a court that matters, it can always point to Liu's confirmation as evidence that it isn't routinely rejecting all Leftist nominees out of hand.
If they're worried that Liu's appointment to the 9th Circuit would be a stepping stone toward nomination to the Supreme Court, the newest Supreme Court justice had absolutely no experience as a judge at all before her appointment, so it's a moot point.
Payback time Baby
Submitted by stunned on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 11:53am.
Lui had a lot to say when Alito which was some of the most vile character assassination ever presented at a confirmation hearing for a Supreme Court justice. . Prof. Liu said Alito was “at the margin, not the mainstream,” and that the America envisioned by Judge Alito’s judicial record was “not the America we know. Nor is it the America we aspire to be.” Liu also attacked Alito's record as a federal circuit judge in law enforcement cases. He said Alito's record "envisions an America" where, among other tragedies, "police may shoot and kill an unarmed boy to stop him from running away with a stolen purse."
He also misrepresented Justice Robert's record at the time of his hearing as well. Seems the Liu was the go to guy for character attacks on Bush appointees.
Liu said back on March 2nd in his confermation hearing that his conclusion about Alito was "unduly harsh" and inappropriate. He said he used "unnecessarily flowery language," and called it "poor judgement". Did you notice the MSM blaring headlines that Liu had walked back the harsh criticisms that had been plastered all over the front pages a few years ago. No? Well is anyone here surprised? Now the Republicans are said to be attacking Asian-Americans with NO examination of Liu's testimony by the MSM. Why aren't they asking, "WAS HE LYING THEN OR IS HE LYING NOW?"
This nut does not have the judicial temperment or character to sit on an appeal's court or the People's Court for that matter.
Folks will not be reminded by MSM the prior to the Bush Administration, filibusters were almost never used in judicial nominations. However, the Democrats then began using filibusters to block Bush nominations.
tired of liberal lies
His nomination won't be
Submitted by eaglewingz08 on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 6:30pm.
His nomination won't be scuttled. The dems will just get Sen.. Whitehead to threaten to shut down the Senate and all potential republican nominees (which he would do anyway) unless they vote for cloture. After all, that tactic worked less than thirty days ago to put an allegedly corrupt federal judge into office, why give up the ghost now, with time counting down on Obama's term.
Call and write your dimwited
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 10:10pm.
Senator and tell them to vote down Lui!
You mean the GOP might actually stop a commie judge...
Submitted by Dave. on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 10:12pm.
...from making it to the bench?
LOL - I guess there is a first time for everything.
It's just too bad they had their heads up their behinds and let two red comrades get passed them and make it to the SCOTUS.
We are ultimately going to pay dearly for that.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Blocked!
Submitted by Dan Diego on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 10:19pm.
From the Happy People by the bay.
Consider the source.
"Senate Republicans, dripping with partisanship and hypocrisy, blocked an up-or-down vote Thursday"
"Fair-minded people who have looked at Liu's record and determined that he has the intellect and temperament to be a superb appellate judge"