How Appealing



Friday, May 20, 2005

“Newspaper Shuts Down Controversial Feedback Platform”: The Los Angeles Times has posted a news update that begins, “Bombarded with abusive online postings, a Ventura County newspaper has pulled the plug on a virtual platform that allowed readers to comment on stories that appear on its website.”

The Ventura County Star’s report on its decision to disable comments can be accessed here.

Posted at 6:15 PM by Howard Bashman



“GOP Sets Stage for Filibuster Showdown”: Jesse J. Holland of The Associated Press provides this report.

Thomas Ferraro of Reuters reports that “Countdown begins in Senate judicial showdown.”

Bloomberg News reports that “U.S. Senate Republicans Set Up Showdown on Judges.”

The New York Times provides a news update headlined “Showdown Looms as Republicans Seek to End Judicial Debate.”

Financial Times provides a news update headlined “Frist heads for ‘nuclear option’ in judges dispute.”

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania reports today that “Santorum bombs with Hitler remark.”

Tim Russert of NBC News reports that “Virginia’s Warner could be key to filibuster; Voters upset by lack of ‘grownup’ congressional action.”

The Sacramento Bee today contains editorials entitled “A tradition to preserve; Senate filibusters serve a valuable purpose” and “No on Judge Brown; D.C. court is wrong place for her views.”

Online at Newsweek’s web site, Eleanor Clift has an essay entitled “Just the Beginning: Forcing a rule change on filibusters is only the start of the GOP’s radical judicial agenda.”

At Townhall.com, Rich Lowry has an essay entitled “Dangerous Women.”

At National Review Online, William F. Buckley Jr. has an essay entitled “Phony Apocalypse: Hesitation, after a while, comes over as irresolution.”

Online at The American Prospect, Terence Samuel has an essay entitled “Byrd Calls: Robert Byrd is an unlikely champion of the filibuster, but he’s an effective one.”

Today’s broadcast of NPR‘s “Day to Day” contained a segment entitled “Capitol Hill Rhetoric Heats Up Over ‘Nuclear Option.’

And today’s broadcast of the public radio program “Here and Now” contained a segment entitled “Violent Words in Debate.”

Posted at 6:00 PM by Howard Bashman



In today’s edition of The San Francisco Chronicle: Bob Egelko reports, in an article headlined “Suspended license to high court,” that the Supreme Court of California has granted review in a case that presents the question whether suspending an individual’s driver’s license for drunk driving actually requires the individual to have been driving drunk.

In other news, “Atheists reach out in S.F.; Conclave designed to turn nonbelievers into activists.”

And an article reports that “Ex-owner of finger lashes out: ‘It’s been hell’; Friends at bar say he grew angry that his mother spoke to media about case.”

Posted at 5:40 PM by Howard Bashman



When Ford Motor Company offers new car purchasers a choice between a $2,000 cash rebate or a 0.9% interest rate for 48 months, does Federal Reserve Bank Regulation Z in combination with the Truth in Lending Act require the lost rebate to be treated as a finance charge for customers who elect the promotional interest rate? A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has resolved that question in an opinion issued today.

Posted at 2:10 PM by Howard Bashman



“Court Upholds Landing Field Injunction”: The Associated Press reports here that “A federal appeals court upheld a judge’s injunction that stopped work on a proposed Navy jet landing field near a wildlife refuge in eastern North Carolina.”

Posted at 11:54 AM by Howard Bashman



“Drive opens against gay marriage; Proposal for a ballot measure wouldn’t let lawmakers or judges set same-sex benefits”: The Sacramento Bee contains this article today.

Posted at 11:14 AM by Howard Bashman



Law Blog Ad Network announces its debut: Thanks to Jeralyn at “TalkLeft” and the good folks at Blogads, the Law Blog Ad Network now exists. Jeralyn explains the concept in a post you can access here. If you operate a law-related blog and would like to join the Law Blog Ad Network, please email your request to Jeralyn, who can be reached at the email address contained in this hyperlink.

Posted at 10:50 AM by Howard Bashman



Has the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island lost his ability to retain that judicial office as a result of having been sworn in as a member of the federal military review panel that will hear appeals from suspected terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay? The Providence Journal today contains articles headlined “Attorneys file briefs in Williams lawsuit; Besides violating Rhode Island’s Constitution, Chief Justice Frank J. Williams’ ‘dual office-holding will subject him to possible federal constitutional attacks’ by Guantanamo prisoners, says Providence lawyer Keven A. McKenna” and “Terror suspect’s lawyers join fight to oust Williams; A civilian and a Navy lawyer join Providence lawyer Keven A. McKenna’s lawsuit to declare Frank J. Williams is no longer the state’s chief justice.”

Thanks to The Providence Journal, you can access online the briefs filed in the Rhode Island Supreme Court in this matter: brief filed by attorney seeking the Chief Justice’s removal from office; amicus brief in support of removal filed by Guantanamo detainee and his lawyers; and brief filed on behalf of Chief Justice by State’s Attorney General.

Posted at 10:15 AM by Howard Bashman



“Senators Seek Rent Cut for Judiciary; Building of Courthouses, Hiring of Personnel in Jeopardy, They Say”: The Washington Post today contains an article that begins, “Senators locked in partisan battle over the federal judgeships have found one thing they do agree on: The judiciary needs rent relief.”

Posted at 7:32 AM by Howard Bashman



“Actually, It’s Judge-Busters”: The Los Angeles Times today contains an editorial that begins, “House Republicans last week passed a chain-saw-style anti-gang bill, though it’s hard to say whether they want to wield it against criminal street gangs or ‘activist’ judges.”

Posted at 7:30 AM by Howard Bashman



“Frist starts countdown to final vote on nominee”: This article appears today in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The Washington Times today contains articles headlined “Deadlock on judicial picks spurs ‘nuclear option’ vote on Tuesday” and “Short list begins for Supreme Court.”

Newsday reports that “Start of filibuster fire can be traced back to Schumer.”

The Boston Globe contains articles headlined “No deal yet on judicial nominees; Hang-up over Supreme Court” and “Filibuster fight spotlights Senate’s generation gap.”

The Houston Chronicle reports that “Senators seeking a deal on judicial filibusters; Bipartisan group swaps ideas to ensure that future nominees don’t face same issues.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that “Ministers enter fray over judges; Two groups divided over African-American nominee.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer contains an article headlined “A familiar ring to Senate debate; Historically speaking, politics as usual.”

The Indianapolis Star reports that “TV ad targets Lugar on filibuster; Liberal group wants Hoosier voters to urge state’s senator to save rules on endless debate.”

The State of Columbia, South Carolina reports that “Graham strives for filibuster accord.”

The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Mississippi reports that “Senators support ‘nuclear option’; If we could find way to stop filibusters, animosity would go away, Lott says.”

The Times-Picayune reports that “Vitter blasts Landrieu on Senate floor; She calls for restraint from personal attacks.”

The Advocate of Baton Rouge contains an article headlined “Two former La. senators: Vitter’s challenge to Landrieu ‘bad form’; Filibusters of judicial nominees led to direct attack on senior senator.”

The Winston-Salem Journal reports that “Burr objects to Democrats’ threat of filibuster; Senate no rubber stamp, one Democrat responds.”

The Savannah (Ga.) Morning News reports that “Isakson says filibuster will fail to stop Bush’s judicial nominations; Georgia senators support move to push through President Bush’s judicial nominees.”

And The Daily Bruin of UCLA reports that “Students protest filibuster legislation; Bruin democrats join national push to prevent Senate policy change.”

In commentary, The Boston Globe today contains an editorial entitled “Ignoring the rules.”

The Orlando Sentinel contains an editorial entitled “Time for a deal; Only a compromise on filibusters can end the Senate’s impasse.”

The Amarillo Globe contains an editorial entitled “Senate filled up with filibusters; Schumer assertion is empty claim.”

The Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle contains an editorial entitled “The Senate’s folly: Both parties are more interested in filibusters than in doing their jobs.”

Investor’s Business Daily contains an editorial entitled “Reid’s Reinventions.”

In The Washington Times, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) has an op-ed entitled “Nominees deserve better.”

In The Star-Ledger of Newark, New Jersey, columnist John Farmer has an op-ed entitled “The right winks at its own judicial activist.”

In The Pioneer Press of St. Paul, Minnesota, Glenda Holste has an op-ed entitled “In the absence of good leaders, good followers must take the lead.”

In The Detroit Free Press, columnist Brian Dickerson has an op-ed entitled “Who really speaks for the majority?

Online at Salon.com, Tim Grieve has an essay entitled “Defusing Frist: While Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist took the stage with a preacher who equated liberal judges with the Ku Klux Klan, moderate senators worked around the clock to avert the nuclear option.” Dan Noyes and Andy Isaacson have an essay entitled “Here come the judges, again: Miss them the first time around? Meet the seven antiabortion, anti-gay, pro-industry Bush nominees who could rise from the ashes of the filibuster.” And Farhad Manjoo has an essay entitled “Dump the filibuster! How I learned to stop worrying and love the nuclear option.”

Online at The Weekly Standard, Matthew Continetti has an essay entitled “Gang of Twelve: Will senate moderates reach a compromise on judges?

In The Wall Street Journal, Daniel Henninger has an essay entitled “Democrats Nuke Party Beliefs To Stop Women; The battle over Bolton and judges started with Bush v. Gore.”

And in The Stanford Review, Joe Fairbanks has an essay entitled “I’m Fasting to Save the Filibuster…at Least Until I Get Hungry.”

Posted at 6:45 AM by Howard Bashman