Quick Hits - Legal Edition

Clearly I am no legal scholar, but as you know, I'm willing to put my two cents in on just about any topic...

Bernie Madoff: Just got sentenced to 150 years. The maximum. Good. It's what he needed. To hear him say that he has no excuse for his behavior is sickening. His excuse was greed. And now he expected a judge to only give him 12 years for ripping off people to the tune of $71 BILLION?! Please. If an 80-year old man now has to return to work as a supermarket butcher (not an easy job, mind you) to make ends meet, then Mr. Madoff should have to do HARD time and not his remaining years sitting in the sun as some prison camp.

You're next Mr. Stanford...and you're sentence won't be any less lenient.

New Haven Firefighters: Vindicated. While the wildcard Justice Kennedy's coin flip landed on the right side this time, true justice was served. The city of New Haven got exactly what it deserved too. To hide behind disparate impact for fear of being sued by minorities got them sued by the majority. Perhaps they were doomed to be sued either way. However, they followed a pretty rigid protocol with their test and the outside company they hired to develop and administer it. So, they were clearly thinking ahead. To take away ALL promotions because proportions were not met is insane. It is traditional Liberalism. Instead of all boats rising with the tide, we punish success so that everyone is brought down to the same level.

And as for our loony Justice Ginsburg - may forces greater than I hasten her departure from the Supreme Court. In her dissent, she actually says the firefighters "understandably attract this court's sympathy. But they had no vested right to promotion. Nor have other persons received promotions in preference to them." Are you kidding me?! Excuse me Justice G, but they met the requirements of service and to take the test, and then they passed the test. Sounds to me like that's EXACTLY a vested right to promotion. Perhaps we should apply your standard to judges - especially to the Supreme Court.

What say you Judge Sotomayor? This, plus her membership in La Raza, should be major red flags during her confirmation hearings. Activism has no place on the bench.

Michael Jackson: Now that he's officially gone, if you thought his LIFE was a circus... just you wait. I predict this is going to make the fiasco surrounding Anna Nicole's death look sane.

Side Note: It saddens me that others who have passed this week have not received the proper remembrance they deserved. Farrah Fawcet and Billy Mays, each important in their own right, also passed and we are sad for their families and friends as well.

SC Governor Mark Sanford: I would not expect him to resign because of his extramarital affairs. Name a Democrat who has. However, I might fully expect him to resign for disappearing and leaving no instruction or notice as to his whereabouts. Not quality, or perhaps even legal behavior for the chief executive of a state government. Poor decision, Mr. Sanford - and you've set the party back. Nice job.

Iranian Election Recount: Expect it to be about as legitimate as the election itself. By the way, since we're so concerned with the free speech rights of the Iranian electorate, isn't it time we revisited the constitutionality of McCain-Feingold?
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