General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSen. Al Franken blocks Trumps racist judge and conservatives are flipping out
One of Strass most consistent political views is an opposition to school integration. He clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas, helping him write an opinion that called racial diversity a faddish slogan and institutional racism a conspiracy theorists belief. He also attacked a pro-school integration decision of Justice Anthony Kennedy, saying lower court judges put way too much emphasis on it.
Franken has blocked Stras from a hearing by refusing to return his blue slip, a Senate tradition that dictates when a judge is nominated, both senators from the judges state must give their written approval.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is enraged, and has once again raised the possibility, floated for months by the GOP, of another partisan Senate rule change, ending blue slips for appellate court judges.
https://shareblue.com/sen-al-franken-blocks-trumps-racist-judge-and-conservatives-are-flipping-out/
Did I mention how much I love Al Franken .
applegrove
(118,845 posts)flibbitygiblets
(7,220 posts)applegrove
(118,845 posts)But that is who he is.
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)We love you and need you. Thank you for being on top of things and standing up.
MiniMe
(21,721 posts)spanone
(135,900 posts)Al Franken, Giant of the Senate
sheshe2
(83,964 posts)Just beautiful.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,900 posts)when Obama was nominating judges.
There have been some really obnoxious TV ads around here (Minneapolis) in the last few days, accusing Franken of being "jealous" because this Judge Stras got more votes than he did! Of course he did. He was initially appointed by the governor to fill an open seat on the Minnesota Supreme Court, then had to run for the seat when that term expired (that's how it works here). His opponent was an obscure and relatively inexperienced local magistrate who's a complete religious nut who thinks judges shouldn't decide the law; God should. So of course Stras won in a landslide - not only because his opponent was an unknown nutball, but because sitting judges always win re-election. You can't honestly compare a Senate election to a state supreme court election.
It's one of the most deceptive, disingenuous ads I've ever seen.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)If Judge Stras really thinks he's so damn qualified, why doesn't he run for the Senate against Franken?
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,900 posts)In Frankens last election 2014 he received 1,053,205 votes. But what the Judicial Crisis Network doesnt say is that there were four people on the ballot.
It also doesnt acknowledge a reality of judicial elections in Minnesota. Voters rarely know anything about the judicial candidate theyre voting for, partly because campaigns for judges have different rules. Candidates arent allowed to give opinions that might be perceived as not impartial on issues that might come before the court.
So, for the part, judges barely campaign, the media never cover the races on the rare occasion when a judge is actually opposed for re-election, and by Election Day voters are generally uninformed about their selection.
https://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2017/09/franken-stras-face-off-leads-to-silly-ad-by-conservative-group/
The ad came from the Judicial Crisis Network, which has been around since the Bush Administration. Its purpose is to get conservative judges appointed. They worked to oppose the appointment of Merrick Garland and were behind advocacy ads for Gorsuch. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_Crisis_Network
AgadorSparticus
(7,963 posts)But what's new? The GOP are a bunch of lying thieves and thugs.
dalton99a
(81,637 posts)pbmus
(12,422 posts)When the orange shitgeyser is drummed out.
Jake Stern
(3,145 posts)I would love seeing a future Dem President and Dem controlled Senate give the finger to republicans and elevate Elizabeth Warren and Ted Kennedy style progressives to courts such as the notoriously hard right 5th District.
burrowowl
(17,653 posts)ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)I wonder what would happen. He could really make this ugly for the GOP. I would be interested if anyone knows what the consensus on this is in congress.