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Saturday, March 31, 2012

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The Liberal Legal Bubble
Liberals can't even imagine the opposition's arguments to ObamaCare's individual mandate.

Peter Suderman | March 30, 2012

How could members of the Supreme Court possibly seriously consider the argument that ObamaCare's individual mandate to purchase health insurance is unprecedented and unconstitutional? The quality of the arguments? The presence of a genuine legal debate? No, if you ask the law's liberal cheerleaders, there can only be one answer: pure partisan politics.

Since challenges to ObamaCare first took off, liberals have been laying the groundwork for a stepped-up public campaign against the Supreme Court should any part of the law be struck down. If the Court decides against the health care overhaul, it's clear that President Barack Obama and his defenders will make the Court a significant issue in the 2012 presidential campaign. Are liberals right to pin this week's developments on rank partisanship? In one sense there are. But the partisanship that's at fault here is their own.

From the beginning, ObamaCare's backers presumed that the nation's legal institutions would be on their side—and wouldn't require much effort to convince. Going into this week's Supreme Court arguments over the fate of the 2010 health care overhaul, liberal analysts were supremely confident. Since the law's passage, they'd been predicting that the law would pass constitutional muster with ease. In February 2011, Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe reassured readers of The New York Times that even conservative justices would not buy the challengers' arguments, insisting upon the "clear case for the law's constitutionality." Andrew Koppelman, writing in The Yale Law Journal Online, declared the mandate's constitutionality "obvious."

Liberal analysts maintained their enthusiasm even after multiple losses in the lower courts. The case against the mandate is "analytically so weak that it dissolves on close inspection. There's just no there there," wrote former New York Times legal correspondent Linda Greenhouse a few days before the arguments began. Slate's Dahlia Lithwick seconded Greenhouse and argued that the health law's individual mandate to purchase health insurance "is a completely valid exercise of Congress' Commerce Clause Power." Mother Jones' Kevin Drum suggested that the pro-ObamaCare side had a "slam dunk legal case."

But after three days of Supreme Court back and forth in which many of the justices seemed willing to entertain and perhaps even accept the basic premise of the argument against the mandate—and possibly the rest of the law as well—liberals seemed much less confident.

After this week's arguments concluded, Jeffrey Toobin, a legal analyst for CNN and The New Yorker who had predicted that the law would easily secure Supreme Court approval, declared that "the last three days were a disaster for the Obama administration." Some were downright distraught: Lithwick warned that Supreme Court's skepticism that Congress might not be able to compel individuals to purchase a private product constituted a "dark vision of freedom." An even bigger surprise was that Solicitor General Donal Verrilli, who argued the case in front of the Supreme Court, seemed unprepared for the tough questioning from the justices.

What can explain liberals' widespread failure to anticipate the Court's wariness of the mandate? Research conducted by University of Virginia psychologist Jonathan Haidt suggests one possible answer: Liberals just aren't as good as conservatives and libertarians at understanding how their opponents think. Haidt helped conduct research that asked respondents to fill out questionnaires about political narratives—first responding based on their own beliefs, but then responding as if trying to mimic the beliefs of their political opponents. "The results," he writes in the May issue of Reason, "were clear and consistent." Moderates and conservatives were the most able to think like their liberal political opponents. "Liberals," he reports, "were the least accurate, especially those who describe themselves as 'very liberal.'"

Liberals, on the other hand, have a different theory. The Court is just a bunch of partisan hacks who've bought into the most extreme ideas of the Republican base. Lithwick has argued that despite the law's self-evident constitutionality, the decision has "everything to do with optics, politics, and public opinion." Harvard law professor and former Solicitor General Charles Fried, who signed an amicus brief arguing in favor of the law, huffed that "the whole thing is just a canard that's been invented by the tea party and [anti-mandate legal architect] Randy Barnetts of the world, and I was astonished to hear it coming out of the mouths of the people on that bench."

The liberal position on the Court seems to be that as long as it accepts their arguments, it's an independent legal arbiter. But whenever it doesn't, it's a partisan political enforcer. The New Republic's Jonathan Cohn makes this explicit, arguing that it isn't just the health law that's on trial, but "the legitimacy of the Supreme Court."

So what now? To quote Lithwick: Optics, politics, and public opinion. Neera Tanden, a former administration health adviser and the president of the influential liberal organization the Center for American Progress, previewed the broader liberal response when she told The New York Times this week that "If this court overturns the individual mandate, it will galvanize Democrats to use the courts as a campaign issue….The idea that we would have gone through Bush v. Gore, Citizens United and now this."

Liberals never really took the legal arguments against ObamaCare seriously. But it turns out they are deeply concerned about the surrounding politics.

Peter Suderman is a senior editor at Reason magazine.

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Limousine leftovers check out their offshore bank accounts in the Caymans

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Fwd: Can you help me?

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Date: Friday, March 30, 2012
Subject: Can you help me?

Hi,

I wanted to drop you a quick note before the weekend gets underway...

Tomorrow my campaign will report on our first quarter fundraising. I'd love to be able to count you as a supporter. Can you help me out with a $25 donation?

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[DailyKos] ? 2 ALL: AMERICAN SPRING STARTS TODAY - WHAT ARE YOUR COMMENTS?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Greg Dempsey
Date: Friday, March 30, 2012
Subject: [DailyKos] *? 2 ALL: AMERICAN SPRING STARTS TODAY - WHAT ARE YOUR COMMENTS?*
To: Greg dempsey <gregdempsey@sti.net>

</mail/u/0/s/?view=att&th=13665f6b293d792a&attid=0.1&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1>
Hi Team!

*? 2 ALL:

AMERICAN SPRING STARTS TODAY -

</mail/u/0/s/?view=att&th=13665f6b293d792a&attid=0.2&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1>

Liberty Underground News reports:

"The 'Occupy' movement, which we prefer to call the 'Democracy Movement,' revs up in Washington, DC today to emerge from the winter chill, endorsed by general assemblies across the nation. This will be the first of many large protests this year.

"People coming should meet at Franklin Square, 14th and K, near the McPherson Square Metro Station at noon. We will walk about eight blocks to the EPA. Ralph Nader, Helen Caldicott, Kevin Zeese, Margaret Flowers, and a bunch of other people will be there. At the EPA you may catch the Metro at the Federal Triangle Metro Station to get out of town after the event. LUV News will be there.

"Kevin Zeese points out the EPA is tightening security. Nothing the government fears more than peaceful protesters pointing out that they are selling out the American people."

</mail/u/0/s/?view=att&th=13665f6b293d792a&attid=0.3&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1>

American Spring starts today - what are your comments?

Greg Dempsey
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SECULARHUMANIST/
Voice of the People

========

EPA Goes on Red Alert as NOW DC/Occupy EPA Comes to Their Headquarters this Friday JOIN US

Submitted by Kevin Zeese on Thu, 03/29/2012 - 15:12

EPA Headquarters Warns Employees: occupy demonstrators are coming Large Security Force will be present

Today, an internal memo was leaked from EPA Headquarters stating how nervous the Agency is about the up-coming March 30th OccupyEPA Rally. Following is the memo to employees:

From: EPA Security Updates
To: All HQ
Date: 03/27/2012 11:52 AM
Subject: Peaceful Demonstration Anticipated at EPA HQ 03/30/12
EPA has learned that Occupy EPA demonstrators are expected near EPA Federal Triangle facilities Friday, March 30, for a rally scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in the grassy area between 12th Street and the entrance to the Federal Triangle Metro Station.
As a precautionary measure, FPS will increase its presence in the Federal Triangle area, and Security Management Division personnel (wearing orange vests) will be outside to answer employees' questions. The following measures will be in place:

EPA guards will check badges outside building entrances from late morning to mid- afternoon.
If you expect visitors during this time on March 30, please alert the Security Management Division by sending an email at least 24 hours in advance to OARM-OA-SMD- OB@epa.gov.Include in your message visitors' names, the building they will visit, and their expected time of arrival. Visitors will be initially checked outside.
Additional security alerts will be sent as needed. If you have questions, please send an email to OARM-OA-SMD-OB@epa.gov.
"Why is EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson wasting precious tax dollars on a large security presence on a "peaceful demonstration," asked Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, an EPA whistleblower. "Americans have the right to protest peacefully for what they believe in and demand as citizens." This expenditure is a waste of taxpayer money that would be better spent on the justice we are asking for and our environmental protection. This demonstrates yet another example of Ms. Jackson's inability to listen to the voices of the people and women in particular, who object to the way she and her leadership are doing business."

"With the public health crisis confronting this country," said Dr. Margaret Flowers, "Ms. Jackson needs to use taxpayer money to make sure we have clean air and water to protect our families and this planet from the corporate takeover, not to protect herself and EPA employees from peaceful demonstrators." Lisa Jackson locked down the agency during the last large protest and demonstration held by Occupy forces.
OccupyEP A willl begin their march at noon from Franklin Square Park (13th & I Streets NW), proceed down 12th Street, cross Pennsylvania Avenue, and rally outside the EPA headquarters on 12th Street, under Lisa Jackson's window, at 1:00 pm, Friday, March 30, 2012 (outside the Federal Triangle Metro stop).

Please see Dr. Coleman-Adebayo's recent article on the occupy movement in Black Agenda Report: http://blackagendareport.com/content/occupy-epa-–-march-30-launching-american-spring
See "call to action" by Professor Noam Chomsky at: www.occupyEPA.com,

www.occupyEPA.com
www.nowdc.org
www.marshacoleman-adebayo.com

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Re: JP Abbottabad Journalist under threat

PTI USA strongly condemned the horrendous act by KPK Administration and agencies and police on Senior press Members and columnists it's called discrimination and double standard injustice we the international community and. Bloggers demand the KPK government to take serious action against those are held responsible against this disgrace behavior and owe an ministers owe apology to members of Abbottabad Hazara press club .

PTI USA

Member Advisory

Committee

Aslam khan

Facebook

Khan

On Mar 30, 2012, at 9:06 AM, Mohammad Khan <zubair_pak1@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear All

Check this 24th march clip , a black day in the history of Journalism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCbaD44bxuw&feature=g-all-u&context=G2ff3830FAAAAAAAACAA
or can search with title Abbottabad Press Club

This clip Show that the senior journalists of Abbottabad are being
targeted by police
and ununiformed persons.

But the question remains who is responsible for targeting them. The
answer is; the place is entry gate of Abbottabad press club and
forcefully stopped at the gate are senior members of PC Mr Zubair Ayub
Express TV Ex president Press Club, Shoukat Jadoon Executive
member APNEC, Mohammad Zubair khan, Khurum Shahzad senior member AUJ
and PC etc. why they do that, this is also a big question, answer is
that, these journalist try to enter in PressClub with black strips,
they are protesting against the KPK gov over illegal tactic against
journalist and newspapers. .

Men using slang language and supervising the police to stop and
torture are not governament servants but they are so called journalist
working as agents of ANP's minister (Sardar Naveed Alam and Amir
Shahzad Owner and CEO of Sarhad News group of Papers, Raja Haroon
Marketing Head of Mahasab etc ) . These are owners of newspapers and
news agents but present their self as journalist. The ANP minister's
and gov have bribed big volume of advertisments. So these so called
journalist were not willing to give right of protest as Mr Beshir
Bilour has moved a privilege motion against a leading news paper of
Hazara region,Hazara News and registered cases against another news
paper of Haripur for reporting a story revealing his corruption. The
senior journalist only demanded to attend Bashir Blour function with
black strips. this would show their protest against Minister's
pressurizing tactics.

One have to rember that on 21th march working journalist arranged a
big rally in the favour of freedom of press, which give shock to KPK,
in this rally these so-called journalist not participate.

The bitter irony is that the freedom of speech and media (as in all
other issues like name of province and equal rights in jobs and
development funds) was one of the pretexts which the ANP's KPK
administration used in invading Hazara's rights. What kind of freedom
a journalist has when he is threatened by privilege motion and cases?

The Pakistani and international community has to play an active role
in protecting the journalists of Abbottabad through creating voice and
it also needs an independent committee to investigate the daily
violations that the so called journalists (owners, administrators and
PR managers of Political parties, News agents who are using name press
club and union of journalist as their tool) are exposed to, and to
present those who are responsible.

For it is illogical to imagine that the so called journalist who are
known as agents of administration and the political authorities would
hold the their own self, responsible, while they themselves are
responsible of torturing senior journalists apart from the stopping of
many others to enter into Press club for coverage of Bashir Blour
function by the help of police. The authorities are responsible for
these atrocities, as they are responsible of providing safe
environment for journalists to work in.

We working jouirnalists here in Abbottabd are commented to defend
freedom of press. But we need country wide support and we are hopeful
that all working journalist raise their voice with us for the sake of
journalism, working journalist

Take Care
Allah Hafiz
Mohammad Zubair Khan

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Saturday, March 31, 2012

Limousine leftovers check out their offshore bank accounts in the Caymans

Fwd: Can you help me?

[DailyKos] *? 2 ALL: AMERICAN SPRING STARTS TODAY - WHAT ARE YOUR COMMENTS?*

Re: **JP** Abbottabad Journalist under threat

[DailyKos] ? 2 ALL: AMERICAN SPRING STARTS TODAY - WHAT ARE YOUR COMMENTS?

Re: JP Abbottabad Journalist under threat