The Democrats Bad Week

Last week ended up being a bad week for the Democrats. Unfortunately, the Martin Luther King holiday became the "Republicans are all racist" holiday for the Democrats. I don't know who embarrassed themselves the most, Hillary Clinton, or Ralph Nagin. The talk shows were loaded with embarrassing clips of prominent Democrats putting their foot in their mouths-- at least it makes for great campaign video for the 2006 and 2008 elections. Even Saturday Night Live got in on the fun (DOWNLOAD - .WMV).

While the Democrats continue to "talk" about good race relations, they don't seem to care about what their irresponsible comments will do to those relationships. Race baiting is not the way to govern, nor will the electorate be very impressed with it. I wonder what King would think about the state of racial affairs in 2006?

Osama and the Democrats

Please don't get the impression that I am trying to compare Democrats to terrorists. I am not one of those "extreme" individuals who go around comparing Presidents and politicians to Hitler and other evil people. No, no, no!!! I am simply trying to compare their rhetoric with what the leading Democrats are saying. That's an important distinction to be made. Democrats mean well (I think) but they are playing politics (in my estimation) with the war in Iraq and with our war on terror. I wasn't the only one to pick up on this. Since my post last night, MSNBC had this interesting segment (DOWNLOAD - Video Here). It's a large file, so you may need DSL or some patience to let it all download. The liberal argumentation is certainly similar to what Osama Bin Laden states. Should we accept his truce? Believe it or not, there are already editorials and columns suggesting just that! One editorial called Osama's offer a "sliver of hope". More on that later.

Which Comes First?

Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? I've come to peace with that age old question (the answer is the chicken), but I am genuinely confused about something else. You see, we have just received another friendly message from our good Muslim friend (DOWNLOAD - Video Here) Osama Bin Laden. After listening to his message, the thought crossed my mind, "Which comes first, Osama's propaganda or liberal, left-leaning propaganda? Does he create the talking points for liberals, or do liberals create the talking points for him? Listen to this message and you'll find yourself popping up images of Al Gore, Howard Dean, and Michael Moore. It's even more scary when you consider that the Democratic Party is now as left as they have ever been. Will the Democrats continue their leftward shift, or will the electorate keep them more centered? We'll wait and see.

Stupid In America

Once in a blue moon, the mainstream media gets something right. Case in point-- the ABC 20/20 program entitled, "Stupid in America: How We Cheat Our Kids" delivered an honest and rather frank discussion on the reality of Public Schools in America. I'm indebted to Brad and Carrie Mills (Happy Mills) for pointing me to the program. Teacher's Unions, liberal-based education, and low standards have sucked the very life out of the majority of Public Schools. I found this out the hard way as an education major at Ball State University. It was a known fact amongst the faculty, there, that Public School kids scored decidedly lower than Private and Home-schooled children. While there, I became extremely dissatisfied with the status quo approach to public school education. This has always been the "elephant in the room" reality for them. How do they defend against this fact? "Not enough money...not enough political influence...not enough resources..." Yet study after study have disproven these assertions. What is the solution?

Teacher-Student Relationship. A telling moment in the program had one kid stating: "Teachers just don't care." Though this is certainly not the case with every teacher, there is more to that "simple" statement than meets the eye. Traditionally, the relationship between the teacher and pupil was more intimate. In the modern Public School setting, you have one teacher per 20-30 kids. It is physically impossible to attend to the needs of the kids in that kind of setting. Having taught in the Public Schools, I can attest to that fact. Also, many teachers approach their careers in a "what's in it for me" mentality. Though there is nothing wrong with securing your future (in terms of health benefits and salary), this cannot be the primary motive for working with kids. ABC did a great job of pointing these things out.

Teacher's Unions are yet another factor--they have made teachers the main focus, not the kids. They are also extremely liberal and disconnected with most in America. They typically don't share the same values of your typical American. Liberalism has become the creed of the Public Schools, rather than a more well-rounded approach to education.

Low Expectations. You shoot for the dirt and you typically end up with dirt. While substitute teaching in the Louisville area, I was horrified as I watched kids cussing out teachers, sexually harassing fellow students, and refusing to do their work. What was the punishment for such behavior? A trip to the office, a pat on the back, and back to the classroom they go! What was their justification for allowing such behavior? "We need to deal with these kids where they are!" Which, of course, is in the dirt. Dust we came and to dust we shall go!

Bravo to ABC for giving an honest and balanced look inside America's Public Schools!

Alito Triumphs

It seems that Judge Samuel Alito has prevailed in his confirmation hearings. It doesn't seem that the Democrats even have enough votes for a filibuster--which, at this point, would be their only course of action to stop him. Hopefully, President Bush has learned a valuable lesson from all of this. There are plenty of well qualified and respected Conservative Justices out there to choose from. Never make a choice out of fear (like Harriet Miers).

In the end, the Democrats looked like a bunch of drunken McCarthyites. Alito looked like an honorable and intelligent judge. Who said nice guys never win?

Kennedy Gets Desperate

In an apparent desperation move, Ted Kennedy decides to put on a show for his far left constituency by "demanding" that he receive the records of William Rushner's writings for the Concerned Alumni of Princeton group (in which Alito joined in protest of Princeton kicking out the ROTC from campus). The records have already been closely analyzed by the New York Times and even they (who are very good at creating controversy out of thin air) found nothing to report on. You can watch Senators Arlen Specter and Ted Kennedy fight it out here: Download the video (.wmv file/over 9.0mb so you'll need a good download speed). The Democrats (mostly Kennedy) have tried in vain to portray Alito as a racist and a sexist. As the Democrats see this one slipping away from them, what act of desperation will they try next? Perhaps Alito's 1st grade report card will be subpoenaed. Ooopps!? He got straight A's there too. Try again Teddy!

Alito Gets Smeared

Well the opening day of the Samuel Alito hearings got off to a "bang" with Ted Kennedy mispronouncing Alito's name (he called him Alioto) and then preceded to misrepresent Alito's previous rulings with charges of racism. You can watch Kennedy yourself Download here (.wmv file).

Kennedy said: "In an era when America is still too divided by race and riches, Judge 'Alioto' has not written one single opinion on the merits in favor of a person of color alleging race discrimination on the job. In fifteen years on the bench, not one."

If we can't trust Kennedy to pronounce Alito's name right, can we trust him to represent the facts correctly? Like I said in a previous post, don't count on the mainstream media to correct these kinds of distortions. Here are some rulings by Alito that directly relate to race and discrimination:

* In Zubi v. AT&T Corp., 219 F.3d 220 (3d Cir. 2000), Judge Alito dissented from the majority's holding that a man who claimed he was fired because of his race could not sue in federal court. According to Judge Alito, the plaintiff was entitled to sue because a longer statute of limitations applied. The Supreme Court later vindicated Judge Alito's dissent. See Jones v. Donnelly & Sons Co., 541 U.S. 369 (2004).

* In Goosby v. Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc., 228 F.3d 313 (3d Cir. 2000), a race and sex discrimination case, Judge Alito reversed the district court's decision to grant summary judgment to the defendant employer. The Third Circuit ruled that the plaintiff, a black woman, had introduced enough evidence to call into doubt the employer's explanation for why she was given lower-quality assignments.

* In Smith v. Davis, 248 F.3d 249 (3d Cir. 2001), an African-American probation officer brought a claim of race and disability discrimination in violation of Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Judge Alito joined a unanimous decision to reverse the lower court's grant of summary judgment for the defendant employer.

* Judge Alito's dissent in Sheridan v. DuPont, 100 F.3d 1061 (3d Cir. 1996) (en banc), is a principled balancing of the interests of employees and employers, and the Supreme Court later vindicated it.

* Judge Alito interpreted the Supreme Court's holding in a previous case as requiring that a Title VII plaintiff who produces certain evidence ­ i.e., that the employer's stated reason for the employment decision was false ­ should "usually" but not necessarily "always" be permitted to go to trial.

* The Supreme Court agreed with Judge Alito's Sheridan dissent in Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Products, Inc., 530 U.S. 133 (2000). Reeves was a unanimous opinion signed by Justice O'Connor ­ whose seat Judge Alito is poised to take.

* In Bray v. Marriott Hotels, 110 F.3d 986 (3d Cir. 1997), Judge Alito would have affirmed the trial court's ruling for the employer because the plaintiff, an African-American woman, had failed to meet her burden of proof under relevant Supreme Court precedent.

* Marriott explained that it promoted a white female instead of the plaintiff because the white female had a higher objective employee rating, had superior experience, and had participated in more seminars and training sessions.

* Judge Alito argued that discrimination claims of require evidence of actual discrimination, not just evidence that an employer failed to comply with its own internal procedures.

* Judge Alito has held that prosecutors' efforts to exclude African-Americans from juries is unconstitutional discrimination.

* In Jones v. Ryan, 987 F.2d 960 (3d Cir. 1993), an African-American defendant was convicted in Pennsylvania court of robbery and criminal conspiracy; at trial, the prosecutor used peremptory challenges to exclude three African-Americans from the jury. Judge Alito joined a unanimous opinion holding that the prosecutor had discriminated against the potential jurors on the basis of race, and granting the defendant habeas relief.

* In Brinson v. Vaughn, 398 F.3d 225 (3d Cir. 2005), an African-American defendant was convicted of first-degree murder in Pennsylvania court and sentenced to life in prison. The prosecutor had used 13 out of 14 peremptory challenges against African-American potential jurors, and Judge Alito held that this pattern raised an inference of discrimination.

Go to Committee for Justice for complete quotes and more Alito rulings.

Judge Samuel Alito

The Democrats find themselves in a bit of a pickle. The majority of Americans support Judge Samuel Alito's ascendancy to the Supreme Court. They don't. Why? When you boil down the rhetoric, it all comes down to the picture above. Because Alito is possibly the fourth vote against Roe V. Wade, they don't want him to sit on the bench. It's amazing how this single issue can potentially make or break a future Supreme Court nominee. According to the Democrats, you are unqualified if you don't support a women's right to abort and kill her baby. Will the Democrats filibuster Alito, or will they let him pass? Certainly, they will try their best to demonize him, but in the end he has majority support in the Senate. Their only hope is the filibuster. If that happens then all heck will break out! Could we see the so-called "Nuclear" option dropped on the Democrats, or could we be on the brink of something, potentially, historic. It will be an interesting drama to watch.