Attorney General Jeff Sessions used the language of the Birther movement to slam a Federal Judge in Hawaii who ruled against Donald Trump's Muslim Ban. Calling the 50th state an "island in the Pacific," the AG also seemed to question the right of Federal Judges to uphold the checks and balances built-in to our government.
Hawaii became the 50th state of the union in 1959. The Birther movement, including President Donald Trump, often used the fact that President Barack Obama was born and raised in Hawaii to call into question his citizenship, even after Hawaii produced his valid long-form birth certificate.
“I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the president of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and constitutional power,” Sessions said on conservative radio host Mark Levin’s show.
Sessions refused to apologize, calling his remarks "a joke."
@bethrenaldi@ericbradner@KFILE I bet he doesn't mind the Cayman Islands, the Seychelles, or Cyprus. It's only the islands that follow the Constitution that he doesn't like
The death of Antonin Scalia is "YUGE" for the Presidential Primaries as well as for the fate of our country. He died while President Obama still has many months to go as President, and all Democrats are eager for the conservative Justice to be replaced with someone younger and liberal. However, the Republicans in the Senate including leader Mitch McConnell immediately stated they would not cooperate in confirming a successor to Scalia, once again hoping to obstruct progress for the President.
There are also questions surrounding Scalia's death at a remote shooting ranch in Texas that will feed into the paranoia of conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones for years to come. In fact, Alex Jones has already called it a "murder," and implicated the President as somehow involved.
The death was announced just before a GOP Primary Debate on CBS-TV, and from the out-of-control behavior on the stage, it's obvious the candidates were thrown for a loop by the news.
While many in Washington and the legal community strained to say nice things about the dead man, my reaction like many others was "Ding Dong the Bigot is Dead!" There's no point in sugar-coating his life or opinions when he was so quick to attack every possible group in the U.S. and make laws to oppress them.
#Scalia was a bigoted, racist homophobic scumbag. He tried to turn our justice system into the Westboro Baptist Church. I'm glad he's dead.
. . . “It wasn’t a heart attack,” Guevara said. “He died of natural causes.”
In a statement Sunday, the U.S. Marshals Service, which provides security for Supreme Court justices, said Scalia had declined a security detail while at the ranch, so marshals were not present when he died. “Deputy U.S. Marshals from the Western District of Texas responded immediately upon notification of Justice Scalia’s passing,” the statement said.
. . . Scalia joined about 35 other people invited by Poindexter, who declined to name the other guests.
Later that day, Scalia went out with the group to hunt blue quail. But “he did not exert himself,” Poindexter said. “He got out of the hunting vehicle, and walked around some.’’
Law enforcement officials said Scalia attended a private party that night with the other guests, and left to go to bed early. But Poindexter said that didn’t seem unusual: All of the guests were tired from traveling to the remote ranch, as well as the day’s other activities. Everyone was in bed by 10 p.m., he said.
. . . The next morning, Scalia did not show up for breakfast. Poindexter at first thought he might be sleeping late, but eventually grew concerned. Late Saturday morning, he and one other person knocked on the door to Scalia’s room, an expansive suite called the “El Presidente.” When there was no answer, they went inside.
“Everything was in perfect order. He was in his pajamas, peacefully, in bed,” Poindexter said.
(Conspiracy Theoriest Alex) Jones said that “this is the season of treason, this is the time of betrayal and we would be fools not to ask the question” if Scalia was assassinated, suggesting that bad actors may have slipped something into the justice’s drink to trigger a heart attack.
I don’t care that #Zimmerman had a legal right to carry a gun—Jeffrey Dahmer had a legal right to knives & a boiling pot #ZimmermanTrial
— Nancy Grace (@NancyGraceHLN) July 10, 2013
#zimmermantrial in 12 words or less: "Are you following him?" "Yes." "We don't need you to do that."
— Eric Wolfson (@ericwolfson) July 8, 2013
The Zimmerman trial: "... at our safest almost all of us are Trayvon Martin to someone else." http://t.co/nP708VxJA6
— Joan (@LibertyBelleJ) July 13, 2013
Hey remember that time you had a gun and you shot someone to death but you screamed until you killed them? No? Me either. #zimmermantrial
— Darryn M. Briggs (@darryn_briggs) July 8, 2013
George Zimmerman got some BANDAIDS - Trayvon Martin got a bullet to his heart! Deadly force?
— Julie (@julieque11) July 10, 2013
Day 24 - As I sit in the courtroom I'm realizing that God is using me to stand up for my son, your son and (cont) http://t.co/eBcRUkMPiB
— Sybrina Fulton (@SybrinaFulton) July 12, 2013
O'Mara: Autopsy photos don't show you Trayvon's muscles. (Shows jury photos of Trayvon with shirt off.) Sybrina Fulton leaves court
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) July 12, 2013
"This case is not about race, it about right and wrong." - John Guy using Sybrina Fulton's words in his rebuttal
— Curtis (@cfreelakers24) July 13, 2013
John Guy: Trayvon Martin was a son, a brother, a friend, and the last thing he did on this earth was try to get home. #ZimmermanTrial
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) July 12, 2013
Tracy Martin says he listened to the recordings multiple times to figure out why Zimmerman got out of his car and "chased my son."
— Christina Coleman (@ChrissyCole) July 8, 2013
Watching Tracy Martin testify is heartbreaking. He fought hard for this day. You can hear this father's devotion.
— Goldie Taylor (@goldietaylor) July 8, 2013
Rachel Jeantel on Trayvon: "few guys who never made fun of me, about the way I dressed...way I talked….my hair...my complexion…my weight.”
— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) July 3, 2013
#HowBlackWomenAre - Rachel Jeantel speaks three languages: English, Spanish and French. And she showed up for court. #nerdland
— TheRiverWanders (@TheRiverWanders) June 30, 2013
Witness Very Calmly and Politely Tells George Zimmerman’s Lawyer That He’s Being ‘Real Retarded’ http://t.co/DCkNsIFaEC via @danamira
— Brian Entzminger (@bentzminger) June 27, 2013
The problem I have is this. Folks translating Rachel Jeantel to every single black person in America. <-- Stereotypes are what killed TM.
— Marlboro.Stan (@MarlboroStan) June 27, 2013
My takeaway from #RachelJeantel today: it's never wise to mistake a lack of sophistication for stupidity. Jeantel stuck to her core story.
— Joy Reid (@TheReidReport) June 27, 2013
Donnelly on things he bought #GeorgeZimmerman for trial: "I purchased him suits, ties, shirts" for the courtroom. #ZimmermanTrial
— Jeff Weiner (@JeffWeinerOS) July 8, 2013
O'Mara: "Mr Donnelly didn't want to testify." <-- really? then why did he give Zimmerman $3000 for his defense?
BDLR plays #GeorgeZimmerman's non-emergency call, a**holes-always-get-away section. She recognizes voice as "Georgie." #ZimmermanTrial
— Jeff Weiner (@JeffWeinerOS) July 8, 2013
Quick direct testimony. State now suggesting Ostermans have bias She says they're depositing funds from their booksales for George "after."
— bob kealing (@bobkealing) July 8, 2013
Dennis Root just started his consulting company, Dennis Root & Associates, in 2013, just in time for the #zimmermantrial.
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) July 10, 2013
Current witnesses credentials sound a little like Chuck Norris to me. #Zimmerman
— Stewart Moore (@StewartMoore) July 10, 2013
Have there been any #ZimmermanTrial defense witnesses who don't have anything to sell or promote? Is this a trial or eBay?
— April (@ReignOfApril) July 10, 2013
Prosecution arguing witness is biased b/c he's trying to make money by marketing training he gave #Zimmerman. #Zimmermantrial
Hearing the defense theories I keep imagining #trayvon as a octopus super villain MMA fighter with night vision. But he was just a teen.
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) July 10, 2013
So Zimmerman claims he wanted to be a cop... but claims he was a wimp and out of shape. Guess he wasn't able to run after TM either.
In animation, Trayvon walks up to Zimmerman and punches him.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) July 9, 2013
WOW! This animation has got Trayvon looking like some kind of sinister black ninja, who is choking the S**T outta GZ! This is F'D UP! BAN IT
— Victoria (@NewsLycaness) July 9, 2013
Mantei: Tech not established as science. "What we've heard is they use it for the movies. Great. This is a murder trial." #ZimmermanTrial
— Jeff Weiner (@JeffWeinerOS) July 9, 2013
@MCBNC Martin versus Zimmerman as simple as Bogart in Casablanca: "You wore blue, Germans wore grey". He had iced tea Zimmerman had a gun.
— Dushka Sweitzer (@DSweitzer) July 9, 2013
Leaving gun out of gun-involved murder from 're-creation' cartoon is like leaving iceberg out of Titanic 're-creation' #zimmerman
— raven (@raven_rainfall) July 9, 2013
I don't see why Zimmerman's attorneys needed to straddle a dummy, you've got that idiot George right there.
— Ryan J. Davis (@RyanNewYork) July 10, 2013
John Guy is cute, tbh.
— vanessa huxtable. (@KayDubzHU) July 10, 2013
Prosecutor has been sitting on dummy the past several minutes while questioning witness. Just now put it away. #Zimmermantrial
— TJ Holmes (@tjholmes) July 10, 2013
OH MY GAWD OMARA is getting him some of that dummy too!! MOUNT THAT THANG!!! #Zimmerman
— Tracy Jeffords (@TracyJeffords) July 10, 2013
Mantei fake punches O'Mara for demonstration. Mantei looked happy.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) July 9, 2013
Ha! Judge Nelson: "Where's the testimony that #Trayvon Martin was left-handed?" Disputes animation version of punch thrown.
— Jeanne K. (@SnarkAmendment) July 9, 2013
GET 'EM Judge!!!
— patricia alexander (@hillalexanderp) July 9, 2013
Only witness that claims Trayvon punched GZ, was GZ! Thats his statement.. Let him take the stand and say it..
— Tracey (@Ourtraceyboo) July 9, 2013
Don West needs to drop the condescension from his voice while speaking to Judge Nelson #ZimmermanTrial
— SpreadTheWord (@word_34) July 10, 2013
#DonWest thinks a trial should go on for an eternity like JodiArias' did. Judge is not having it
— Erin Symons (@cosmoksmom) July 10, 2013
#DonWest has the audacity to complain about time...guess he forgot about 3 hours on the animation guy this morning and more time later
— Marie Shell (@CuriousShell) July 10, 2013
How do you know you've been in court too long? Lights automatically turn off before you're done. #Zimmerman trial is insane.
— R. Valentine (@RValentine10) July 10, 2013
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George Zimmerman trial: No verdict today; jury returns at 9 a.m. Saturday | http://t.co/rsYPk761Y1
— Orlando Sentinel (@orlandosentinel) July 13, 2013
Zimmerman wants to be free? Pretty sure trayvon wants to be alive.. All we want is JUSTICE FOR TRAYVON MARTIN! #JusticeForTrayvon
— Allen (@AllenBrewr) July 13, 2013
The law, a crowning achievement for Walker that made him a national conservative star, took away nearly all collective bargaining rights from most workers and has been in effect for more than a year.
Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas ruled that the law violates both the state and U.S. Constitution and is null and void.
In his 27-page ruling, the judge said sections of the law "single out and encumber the rights of those employees who choose union membership and representation solely because of that association and therefore infringe upon the rights of free speech and association guaranteed by both the Wisconsin and United States Constitutions."
Colas also said the law violates the equal protection clause by creating separate classes of workers who are treated differently and unequally.
The ruling applies to all local public workers affected by the law, including teachers and city and county government employees, but not those who work for the state. They were not a party to the lawsuit, which was brought by a Madison teachers union and a Milwaukee public workers union.
The people of Wisconsin clearly spoke on June 5. Now, they are ready to move on. Sadly a liberal activist judge in Dane County wants to go backwards and take away the lawmaking responsibilities of the legislature and the governor. We are confident that the state will ultimately prevail in the appeals process.
~ Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker
Walker's attempt to silence the union men and women of Wisconsin's public sector was an immoral, unjust and illegal power grab. Now, a court has ruled that the essential provisions of Act 10, Scott Walker's draconian attack on public worker's right to collectively bargain, is unconstitutional.
~ Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisoncin AFL-CIO Union, via CNN
This decision will help to re-establish the balance between employees and their employers. The decision gives us an opportunity to get back to the Wisconsin values of sitting down and working together to iron out differences, not taking away the constitutional rights of our citizens.
~ Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha), via Milwaukee Journal
A judge living in the fantasy world of Dane County has decided they are going to substitute their singular opinion as opposed to the collective will of Wisconsin, through the Legislature and the recall process. We have litigated, reviewed and elected people because of Act. 10. In each case, they say the law works. And it is.
~ Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester) , via Milwaukee Journal
Juan Colas is obviously a hispanic, probably got through law school with "affimative action" grades and the same kind of guiltywhiteboy help as Obama. No doubt he is a far left moron, who smolders with resentment against white America, and does everything in his power to undermine our culture.
Americans of European descent demand freedom. WE decide what laws we want, not unelected creeps from the far left. If this punk decision is not overturned, I predict there will be ANOTHER recall, to recall his dumb ass, and undo his wrong-headed idea about the constitution.
The constitution gives power to WE THE PEOPLE, not "we the lawyers"
~ comment by beisbolfan on Politico
Shame on this leftist, partisan activist judge, What an idiot,. This MUST be Overturned. The nation is rooting for Walker and WILL SEE THAT UNION greed and thuggery is topped in its tracks. Americans are so tired of the lazy, bottom-feeder thugs.
~ comment by doveab on Politico
I'm beginning to doubt he ever read the law he is attempting to repeal. This is the conversation that took place on how he made his decision: "Hi judge, this is Mary Bell, President of WEAC, issue a ruling to repeal this law or I'll personally see that you don't get a single vote from a public union employee in your next election. Have a good day - click"
~ comment by Muktown Resident on Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal
Legislating from the bench. A Dane county specialty. Wonder how many million more dollars the unions are going to cost the good taxpayers of Wisconsin before this is overturned.
I have about as much respect for this judge as I have for AL Qaeda.
~ comment by TerryN on Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal
Without unions you would not have 8 hour work days, fair wages, over time pay, benefits of any kind, safety requirements, paid vacations, medical leave etc, etc,. Whether you are in a union or not you have benefited from unions.
Perhaps you would like to go back to the working conditions of the early 1900's, I don't.
~ comment by clandrummer on Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal
If the POS Walker would have worked with these people like he said he would do before the election this stuff wouldn't keep happening. Walker, the liar,is to blame. The GOP wouldn't even acknowledge workers on Labor day. They are anti labor Neocons.
Walmart wage scale is what they want for all workers. Owners worth 100s of billions, that pay their employees less than 10 bucks a hour with no benefits, and the every shrinking middle class of WI, can't get enough of them WI Neocons have given birth to the 2 biggest lying scum bags of all time. John Doe Walker, and Lying Ryan.
Hey WI people, take notice how the rest of the nation is making lying Ryan admit all his lies. You are the only dummies that buy these 2 guys bs hook, line, and sinker. You all deserve to end up poor, and if you keep voting the way you do, you will. WI you can't fix stupid. Now get out there and ensure yourself a huge pay, and benefit cut.
~ comment by samawry on Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal
Typical Walker. The judge, whether one agrees with his reasoning or not, based his decision on constitutional rights. Walker, in reply, points to the results of an election (as if a majority can vote to take away the minority's rights). Just another sign of how little the great patriot Walker really understands or cares about the Constitution or individual liberty. Of course, the flock is rushing to criticize the ruling, but I'll be interested to see if any base their criticism on a Constitutional argument. I won't be holding my breath, though.
~ comment by Big Picture on Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal