Fatale Abstraction

Before you read this post, you must know that although I think abortion is a loathsome and horrific thing, I am staunchly pro-choice. I'm also pro-death-penalty. Go figure. I say this to indicate that just as I suspect most people are, my political views are more complicated than can be satisfied with one political party's platform.

I heard on the news yesterday one of the Democratic lawmakers who voted no on Samuel Alito for Supreme court saying that we don't need judges who are outside of the nation's "political mainstream." I take umbrage with that notion.

There is a reason for a saying such as "sober as a judge." Considering members of the judicial branch of US government are lifetime appointees, we do need judges who recognize some truths as absolute and who are not subject to the foolish whim of the moment. I think if people seriously examined the words of their elected leaders, as well as their actions, then career politicians would be hurtled back into the private sector forthwith at the next election. [Seriously, Washington D.C. is a high-toned perennial frat party with good liquors and caviar. (Shit, I wanna go there. But I digress.)] For example, Ted Kennedy (brother of the sainted JFK and RFK, sainted by association) practically accused Samuel Alito of bigotry because of his membership in an organization in which someone (not Alito) wrote a politically incorrect opinion piece in a newsletter in the 1970s. Meanwhile, TK was busy leaving some chick to die in a ditch after a drunk driving accident. And we're supposed to forgive TK for a youthful error but blame Alito for the actions of another? Ted Kennedy has openly accused Alito of being a sexist and racist lapdog of conservatives, and all the while TK is a card-carrying member of a club that does not allow women to join -- WHO is a sexist pig?

I know, I know: it hurts. Just for fun, though, let's all say it together.Hypocrisy. I mean, BLOODY HELL. At least Alito never killed anyone and doesn't belong to any openly sexist organizations.
Meanwhile, all this is merely triangulation to distract us from the real debauchery that goes on at our expense in D.C. If the American "mainstream" realized what a bawdy house we tote the note for in that town, happy days would be gone for good for career politicians. Considering that this is so, be glad of gridlock. Celebrate the inability of our government to move faster than a snail's pace (except for raising taxes - they've even pushed that shit through retroactively, bastards!).
Yes, it's a heavy and momentous decision, but we want our judges to be serious, contemplative, and not the usual good-time Charlies we send to the other branches. I condemn the hypocrites who voted against Alito for the Supreme Court.