Thursday, July 16, 2009

She pointed to what, again?

...or, are we talking about the same Dianne Feinstein here?

Judiciary Committee Democrats told the Republicans: You fooled us once, but never again. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of Calif., for one, pointed to the long list of significant decisions on which Roberts and Alito have led or joined a 5-4 majority, overruling precedent and narrowing individual rights.
Narrowing individual rights? Keep in mind, now, this is the senator who said on national TV, AFTER the Democrats had their asses handed to them because of, among other reasons, their passage of the Clinton gun ban, "If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States for an out-right ban, I would have done it…Mr. and Mrs. America, turn ‘em all in, I would have done it…The votes were not here." I really don't think a politician who advocates violation of at least three amendments in the Bill of Rights -- the Second, Fourth AND Fifth -- has any business whatsoever lecturing anyone about narrowing individual rights. As for precedent...I've said it before, and I'll say it again: One wonders what these people who contend precedent should be respected at all costs would have said as Brown v. Board of Education was being argued. Would that some intrepid reporter asked them that. I guess overturning precedent is only bad when you agree with said precedent.