September 2005 (I): Job Opportunities

The University presents me with a one-year of employment commemorative key ring, bearing the official seal. I find the reverse view the more appropriate one, what with its suggestion of a ball-and-chain motif.

Rehnquist conveniently dies this month, giving Bush the opportunity to withdraw John Roberts' nomination to Sandra Day O'Connor's former seat, and re-nominate Roberts to the Chief Justice gig. An ideologue young enough to have decades of sabotaging the country ahead of him.

Court is in session next month, creating yet another opportunity: to speed up the ramming of this appointment through Congress.

Democracy Now reviews Roberts' record. A major anti-abortion activist and one-half—his lawyer wife being the other half—of a forced birth power couple. Among his past efforts—

Roberts wrote the government’s brief in a 1991 case in which the Supreme Court held that government could prohibit doctors and clinics who receive federal funds from discussing abortion with their patients...

Roberts also co-authored a brief in the Supreme Court on behalf of the government in support of the anti-choice group Operation Rescue and six individuals who had obstructed access to reproductive health care clinics.

Some other things he's been up to—

During his time at the Washington law firm Hogan & Harston, Roberts practiced telecommunications, energy and other business law. The Wall Street Journal reports that business leaders who recently began reviewing records of the White House finalist list placed Roberts at the top of their candidate list.

Roberts may also have played a key role in the disputed 2000 presidential election. While his name did not appear on any of the briefs during the Florida recount, three unidentified sources told the Washington Post Roberts gave Gov. Jeb Bush critical advice on how the Florida legislature could name George W. Bush the winner at time when Republicans feared the courts might force a different choice.

...Roberts was part of a three-judge panel that handed Bush an important victory…when it ruled that the military tribunals of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, could proceed. The decision also found that Bush could deny terrorism captives prisoner-of-war status as outlined by the Geneva Conventions.

Danny Schecter asks, What Did Roberts Do in Florida? And posts screen shots from video suggesting Roberts was among the "Brooks Brothers" thugs as they shut down the 2000 recount. This appears on 9/29: the day Roberts will be confirmed and sworn in.

Thuggery from 2000, which of course made 2004 a cinch...Clever Sister forwards this, observing, "this is more proof that they stole the election - why is Cheney thinking of Kerry right now?"

In Mississippi, during a press conference, after telling the press that what needs to be done, gets done. A resident walked up to the gaggle and said this:

"Go fuck yourself, Mr. Cheney!! Go fuck yourself!!!

Cheney looked pissed. Really pissed.

A reporter then asked him, "Do you get that a lot, Mr. Cheney?"

He replied, "That's the first time I've heard it. Must be a friend of John er.. uh.. never mind."

There's a new investigation of Army prisoner abuse. Digby adds—

...I don't want to hear any more bullshit about "Lord of the Flies" in New Orleans. It's pretty clear that even our own highly disciplined military can lose their humanity without a whole lot of provocation. These weren't dipshit national guard hicks either. This was the 82nd Airborn. No excuses.

As much as Katrina revealed the ugly underbelly of poverty and race in the country, 9/11 revealed the ugly underbelly of sadism and blind fury. This is a sick culture.

A sickness she's looked at here and here, regarding online warporn, and military consumption of violent sexual images. In the context of dehumanizing the "enemy," and,

The fact that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney said, "we're taking the gloves off" certainly created an environment in which the rule of law seemed to have been completely tossed aside. This country went temporarily insane after 9/11. I guess the military hierarchy lost its bearings too, which I find surprising since the highest levels of the officer corps are steeped in the lessons of Vietnam and presumably understood that this was likely the road to perdition.

...Sadly, I think our sick culture at this point is actually rewarding those who decry the sense of personal responsibility that leads a soldier to speak out against depraved behavior --- and excuse barbaric, cruel behavior as a normal way to relieve tension.

Like Rush Limbaugh who says:

I think the reaction to the stupid torture is an example of the feminization of this country.

[...]

You know, these people are being fired at every day. I'm talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You ever heard of need to blow some steam off?

And finally: there have been actual prosecutions, and sentencings this month, of Lynndie England, et. al., for abuses of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. The only prosecutions of course, and of "dipshit hicks"—who couldn't get work at Walmart, but just happened to pack leashes in preparation for their jobs in Eye-raq.