The Republicans tried to be on their best behavior last night after Joe Wilson's outburst during a Presidential speech last year. But someone didn't let the all of the Justices in on the "let's be on our best behavior game."
Check out this video as Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito shook his head no, and mouthed "not true," while President Obama criticized the Supreme Court for their recent decision permitting lobbyists and corporations to exert more influence in elections:
Way to make NJ proud Justice Alito. Congressman Anthony Weiner even said after the speech on Olberman, that he expected Alito to jump up and shout "you lie." How hard is it to know that there are cameras on you from every angle? You can say whatever you want as soon as they turn off, but put a smile on your face and act like you can take it. None of Alito's other colleagues had a problem containing themselves. Just because you're a Supreme Court Justice, doesn't mean that people can't question the rulings you hand down.
Rep. Joe Wilson, who gained fame for heckling President Obama with the words "you lie" while Obama spoke about health care to a joint session of Congress last month, will join a rally Sunday in Morristown.
Famous or infamous? Either way, he'll be joined by another fox news icon:
Other speakers at the rally Sunday morning at George Washington's headquarters in Morristown include the "ACORN pimp," James O'Keefe of Westwood. O'Keefe posed as a pimp with a prostitute who visited offices of the community group ACORN with a hidden video camera.
But the question isn't who is attending, but rather who may not be there:
Wilson is expected to speak around 11:30 a.m. before attending a private fund-raiser, Weingarten said. Wilson's office confirmed the visit was planned.
Weingarten said Christie has not agreed to appear "even though he's only going to be half a mile away" on Sunday. Christie's campaign did not immediately respond to a call for comment.
There's a nice contrast. While Democrats hold events with President Obama, the Acorn Pimp and Congressman You Lie will rally the GOP base. And Christie will turn his back on them while they do it, instead attending a private fundraiser under a mile away.
Here's what happens when you're the only Hispanic Senator, and on the Finance Committee, you just might be able to make the healthcare bill less punitive. From The Hill, my objections to the non-sensical term 'illegal immigrant' notwithstanding (it doesn't even cover the group it intends to cover, since many people who are undocumented have overstayed a visa, which is not a crime):
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) is putting Democrats in a bind by seeking to let illegal [sic] immigrants benefit from the healthcare overhaul...
Menendez said he is withholding his support for the bill until his concerns about immigration and other matters are addressed...
The Senate Finance Committee bill, drafted by centrist Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), does not allow illegal [sic] immigrants to purchase health coverage over an exchange set up to create competition within the insurance industry and reduce costs.
Menendez is troubled by that language and has joined Hispanic advocacy groups in criticizing the bill for placing too heavy a burden on legal and illegal [sic] immigrants.
Good for Rockefeller for saying no to the Baucus bill. Since there are 13 Dems and 10 GOP on the finance committee, Menendez's vote is crucial. But how far can he get?
One Democratic aide said it would be difficult for Menendez to win the inclusion of illegal [sic] immigrants into the insurance exchange. But Menendez may have more success increasing subsidies for those mixed families that include illegal [sic] immigrants.
Having just attended a vigil for the rights of children, many of whom are American Citizens (one of 11 vigils around the state), it looks to me like covering mixed families will have a very big impact.
The Home News and even APP have great photos, and here's one from the end of the night at the Reformed Church of HP:
I had the great pleasure to pass Constitution Day, Monday, September 18, in New Jersey, standing up for Bob Menendez. It is always an honor to be invited to share my views on subjects of concern, and a responsibility I take seriously as a citizen to participate in the election of those who would lead us. In fact, there is no greater expression of the contract that binds this nation together under the Constitution than free and fair elections. And there have been no elections in recent American history where the stakes are so high and the differences between the parties so stark. Are we going to allow this administration eight years of unaccountable government? How many government failures are we going to tolerate before we wake up? Aren’t Iraq and Katrina enough? For how long are we going to allow the administration to squander our international leadership and make us less safe than before? How much of the nation’s treasury are we going to permit the crony capitalists to plunder? In short, are we going to continue down the path of failed policies and failed leaders as Bush-Cheney clone Tom Kean, Jr. wants, or are we going to hold the administration accountable by electing strong candidates like Bob Menendez? These are the issues that frame the elections this year and why they are so important.
I do not know New Jersey well. After all, I am from California and spent most of my adult life overseas as a diplomat, mostly in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. That said, I have over the past several years come to know a number of members of the New Jersey Congressional delegation including Jon Corzine, Frank Lautenberg and Rush Holt. Of all of them, I have known Bob Menendez the longest, having worked with him on issues of importance to his constituents when he was a Congressman and I was Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council in the Clinton administration. Later, I came to value Bob’s counsel about the necessity to see the leak of my wife’s CIA identity as a national security issue rather than a partisan political squabble. Bob was right about that even as the White House and its right wing echo chamber did everything possible to try to make the smear campaign “politics as usual” and to divert attention from its despicable acts.
A few people are upset that we're picking on a bunch of innocent little college Republican kids who just want to be involved in politics. Stop kidding yourselves. They're sick people.
Earlier today, Ambassador Joe Wilson, who's wife Valerie Plame was outed as a CIA agent, was in New Jersey to support Bob Menendez's campaign.
While introducing the senator at the Rutgers University event, the college Republicans in the crowd (at least some, including suit/sandals fashion diva, were the same as the ones at the bowling alley) heckled Wilson and yelled out that he should apologize to Karl Rove. Get that? They believe that Karl Rove, one of the people who outed his wife, and who shopped the information around to various conservative news sources as policital revenge deserves an apology.
"I just got off the phone with Karl Rove, who said your wife was fair game." -- MSNBC host Chris Matthews, in a phone call to Ambassador Joseph Wilson after the exposure of Wilson's wife as an undercover CIA operative.
Later, when Senator Menedez spoke about the need for a change of course in Iraq and to bring our troops home safely, the college Republicans accused him of being a traitor.
To summarize: Leaking the identity of a covert CIA agent who was investigating Iraq's possible purchase of nuclear processing materials: good. Questioning the failed policies of a president: traitorous. It's that simple. They're just a bunch of ignorant thugs and that's how they deserve to be treated.
Today I got to shake the hand of a real American hero: former Ambassador Joe Wilson. He's campaigning with Senator Menendez, and appeared with him at the NJ AFL-CIO Retirees Legislative Conference in Edison before going on to the rally at Rutgers.
Menendez, of course, was terrific--he always is. He is so right on the issues that matter--and Junior is so wrong--that it's clear we must make sure he stays in the Senate!
One of the things that struck me at the AFL-CIO conference was that even before Ambassador Wilson entered the room, Senator Menendez said he had brought with him a man whose wife was outed as a CIA agent by Rove & Co. The audience--several hundred strong--stood up and cheered, even before Senator Menendez had finished his introduction: they got it right away.
I hope the Rutgers event got good press and TV coverage, and I hope Joe Wilson continues to campaign for our Democratic candidates. We need more heroes willing to stand up and speak truth to power!
