Today’s Q for O’s WH – 5/1/2009
EmailTAPPER: Two quick questions. One, how important is diversity as an ideal that the president’s considering when picking, hypothetically, the next Supreme Court justice?
GIBBS: Well, you know, Jake, I’ve — I’ve heard him talk about this during the presidential campaign and even as — even as a senator. I think the most important thing to him is diversity of experience, somebody who has not just thought about the law, but somebody who has the type of experience to understand how the decisions that he or she might make at any level of the judicial process would affect average, everyday Americans. So if — for instance, if you’re appointing somebody that was — were to have heard the case involving Lilly Ledbetter and fair pay, that that’s a person that could understand through empathy the situation that she was dealing with. So I think he is looking for somebody more with a diversity of background and experience than anything else.
TAPPER: And just to follow up on al-Marri, what do you say to Americans who hear that al-Marri, who has admitted being trained by Al Qaida, was iven a mission by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, was sent to the United States to commit terrorist acts, and hear that this person has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, with or without time served? That doesn’t really seem like enough time in prison for somebody who is clearly an Al Qaida — an admitted Al Qaida sleeper agent.
GIBBS: Well, understand, Jake, that this is a victory for the rule of law because he’s finally going to jail, convicted of the crime of aiding that terrorist network.
TAPPER: But he’ll be out, at the latest, in 2024.
GIBBS: Well, I — I don’t think that it’s been determined, in terms of — you mentioned time served. I think the American people should feel good that the president sought at the beginning of his term that justice be brought swiftly. And, in this case, it finally has.
- jpt
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I would be interested to see the reaction of those who claim that everything’s fine. That we don’t need to ‘torture.’ Does anybody get what they do to our people? Do they get that these people are ‘WANTING’ to die? That they don’t care who or how many they take w/ them…I’m going to be interested in watching Obama place the blame yet again on anyone else around. I’m trying to support him but he’s just another pathetic paid-off sell-out politician.
Posted by: Hope | May 1, 2009, 4:22 pm 4:22 pm
Great question, Jake.
Unfortunately, I have a feeling that the selection of Justice Souter’s replacement will have less to do with qualifications and ability and more to do with ethnicity and gender. I’m not implying these (qualifications/ability & gender/ethnicity) are mutually exclusive, but identity politics will appear to have a signficant role in selection as the MSM pundits are rolling out the possible replacement candidates, primarily women, some with African-American or Latino backgrounds. One is Elena Kagan, who has never been a judge or even argued a case in a court of appeals.
I have nothing against women, African-Americans, Latinos, etc. (I fall in one of these categories). I (as I believe most Amercans) am interested in seeing the most qualified person who would represent ALL AMERICANS receive this very important position, regardless of gender, ethnicity, etc. Leave politics out (although with this very political-driven adminstration – perhaps the most ever – this is nothing more than a pipe dream on my part). We’ll know soon.
Posted by: tjp612 | May 1, 2009, 4:27 pm 4:27 pm
“(as I believe most Amercans) am interested in seeing the most qualified person who would represent ALL AMERICANS receive this very important position, regardless of gender, ethnicity, etc.”
Forgive me but it seems you are setting the stage to smear the nominee as getting their because of their gender or ethnicity.
“Leave politics out (although with this very political-driven adminstration – perhaps the most ever – this is nothing more than a pipe dream on my part)”
Perhaps the most politically driven admin ever?
Umm George Bush landed on an aircraft carrier to celebrate his victory in Iraq.
Posted by: Ryan C | May 1, 2009, 4:54 pm 4:54 pm
Hope:” Does anybody get what they do to our people? Do they get that these people are ‘WANTING’ to die? ”
Does anyone get that ‘these people’ are declared to be terrorists and sentenced to torture on the word of a single man’s authority, with no judicial review or Constitutional check? Does anyone get there are (a very few) moral absolutes? Does anyone get that over 100 detainees DIED from questioning when in US custody (dozens of them are classified as homicides but quietly closed by the Army)?
Posted by: jhw539 | May 1, 2009, 5:34 pm 5:34 pm
Why did they worry about a republican judge becoming appointed because of roe v. wade? Roe V. Wade decision was made by republican judges. It was a 7 – 2 vote. 5 republicans and 2 democrats.
Posted by: Wayne | May 1, 2009, 7:18 pm 7:18 pm
TAPPER: But he’ll be out, at the latest, in 2024.
GIBBS: Well, I — I don’t think that it’s been determined, in terms of — you mentioned time served. I think the American people should feel good that the president sought at the beginning of his term that justice be brought swiftly. And, in this case, it finally has.
====================
I would say a plea was brought swiftly. Whether it is really justice is another matter altogether.
Posted by: MayBee | May 1, 2009, 8:14 pm 8:14 pm
I’ll credit the Obama justice dept for trying Al Marri (actually, plea bargaining).
I hate indefinite detention of people arrested in the U.S.
I live in Malaysia part time and have always loathed the ISA law here, that allows for indefinite detention. here, it is used for political purposes, not just terrorists.
Still, his sentence is light compared to Americans in prison convicted of non-violent crimes.
We’ll end up killing him on the battlefield somewhere.
The guy was going to kill hundreds with a cyanide device…what AQ calls a ‘mobtaker’. It is described in Tenet’s book.
Posted by: J House | May 1, 2009, 9:48 pm 9:48 pm
“So I think he is looking for somebody more with a diversity of background and experience than anything else.”
He describes a social worker more than a judge.
Posted by: drjohn | May 2, 2009, 9:38 am 9:38 am
Gitmo.. Mission accomplished.. Hail to the (New) Chief!!
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | May 2, 2009, 2:47 pm 2:47 pm