Shouting talking points into a microphone isn’t political discourse. Is anyone listening to anyone else anymore? “Is there anybody out there?”, as Pink Floyd once sang. “Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying.”
Is Roe v. Wade ‘the law of the land’?
Roe’s pronouncement in 1973 of a “fundamental right to abortion” isn’t the “law of the land” today, and it hasn’t been for over forty years.
Judge Barrett and objective measures of judicial philosophy
Let’s examine what legal sociologists (that is a thing) are saying about the magnitude of the Court’s potential ideological shift between the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and President Trump’s nominee for her seat, Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Chemical abortion, the FDA, and the Supreme Court
The Court is a collegial environment—and we have the friendship of the late Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a beautiful example—but it’s also at times a “Team of Rivals”. Nowhere is that fact more evident than in the area of abortion jurisprudence.
Why Planned Parenthood Doesn’t Care
After the recent news of Planned Parenthood’s departure from the Title X federal family planning program, many have made the point that the abortion giant’s decision to kick itself out of Title X in favor of continuing to refer women for abortions rather puts the lie to its claim to be “America’s most trusted provider […]
Testimony on Connecticut H.B. 5898, Which Aims to Legalize Drug-Induced Suicide
Testimony of Steven H. Aden, Esq. On H.B. 5898 Submitted to the Joint Committee on Public Health March 18, 2019 Dear Co-Chairs Daugherty Abrams and Steinberg, and Members of the Committees: My name is Steven H. Aden, and I serve as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel for Americans United for Life (AUL). Established in […]
Summing Up
This morning, the 102nd Supreme Court Associate Justice, Brett Kavanaugh, took his seat on the Supreme Court. (The Court’s official biography and photographic record of the swearing-in ceremony are available here.) After the Chief Justice, John Roberts, wished Kavanaugh a “long and happy career in our common calling,” the Court got down to business with a couple of […]
Special Edition: Take Your Seat, Justice Kavanaugh
On Saturday afternoon, October 6, 2018, the Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh as Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice Kavanaugh will take his seat when the Court opens for business on Tuesday, October 8th. The final vote was 50-48. Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine voted in favor […]
She Said Yes
She said yes. Senator Susan Collins, the moderate Republican whose vote was considered crucial to secure the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, said this afternoon that she would vote to confirm Kavanaugh when his candidacy comes before the full Senate this weekend. Senator Joe Manchin, the Democrat from West Virginia, announced very soon afterward that […]
‘A Very Thorough Investigation’
Now that the FBI has concluded its supplemental background investigation into allegations by several women that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh assaulted them after drinking heavily, senators are beginning to position themselves for the inevitable cloture vote tomorrow and a final vote of the full Senate this weekend. All day today and into tonight, the senators on the […]
A Public Investigation by the FBI
More of the same acrimony, charges and counter-charges continue to fly around the Brett Kavanaugh nomination to the Supreme Court as the FBI is quietly conducting its supplemental background investigation into allegations by several women that Kavanaugh assaulted them after drinking heavily. All the women’s lawyers, who are active in promoting the #metoo movement, are critical of […]
‘Just the Facts, Ma’am’
Late today, Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that the FBI has concluded its supplemental background investigation into allegations by several women that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh assaulted them after drinking heavily. McConnell filed cloture on the nomination today, meaning that the cloture vote could come on Friday. If the Senate approves cloture […]
A Historic Game of Chicken
On Friday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to refer Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court to the full Senate along party lines, after Senate Republicans agreed to a one-week postponement of the Senate vote on the nomination to allow the FBI to conduct an investigation into the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford […]
“Hello, this is the FBI. Leave a Message and We’ll Get Back to You in One Week.”
Events around the Kavanaugh nomination to the Supreme Court are happening so fast, it’s hard to keep up with them. Shortly after yesterday’s Kavanaugh Column was posted, Senate Republicans agreed to a one-week postponement of the Senate vote on the nomination. President Trump followed shortly thereafter with an announcement that he is directing the FBI to conduct […]
“Hello, Is this the FBI?… Hello? Hello?”
This afternoon, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to refer Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court to the full Senate. As expected, the vote was 11-10 along party lines, with all Senate Republicans backing Kavanaugh and all Democrats voting against him. All eyes are now on an expected vote by the full Senate this Tuesday, […]
In the Arena
More than one participant (including Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh) described today’s hearing as a “circus.” With respect to the contestants, that is too light a term, since there was nothing amusing about it. Today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing could be best described as a “gladiatorial pit.” Nothing new was said by either Dr. Christine Blasey […]
