Sen. Evan Bayh, a Democrat, criticized the Supreme Court for its Monday decision to uphold a voter-identification law in Bayh’s home state of Indiana.
The law requires voters to present photo identification at their polling places. Bayh told PBS talk-show host Tavis Smiley that the requirement, which the court supported on a 6-3 vote, will disenfranchise too many minority, disabled and elderly voters.
Bayh rejected the notion that the law is necessary for security reasons. “[I]n the absence of voter fraud, I just don’t see the reasoning for this,” he said.
Bloggers in the Washington, D.C., area were invited to the Newseum on Monday for a sneak peek at the facility, which opens April 11. And no wonder — bloggers already are a part of the history in the Newseum. Their impact has been felt from within the ivory tower of mainstream media to the White House, the courts and Congress.
As a member of the Media Bloggers Association, I was one of the members invited to the event. I interviewed Newseum officials, journalists and bloggers, and shot footage of Newseum displays and more for use on Eyeblast.tv, a video-sharing site and online social network for conservatives where I now serve as the executive producer.
Thirty-five years ago today, the Supreme Court legalized abortion with its Roe. v. Wade decision. Both opponents of abortion and proponents of abortion rights for women commemorate the occasion every year, and this year, the American Civil Liberties Union released a short online video that makes the case for decision.
ADDED: Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee made the case against legalized abortion today in an event marking the Roe v. Wade decision.
Sixteen years ago, the Senate was consumed by controversy over the Supreme Court nomination of Clarence Thomas. After allegations by former co-worker Anita Hill that Thomas was guilty of sexual harassment, the Senate narrowly confirmed him to the bench on a 52-48 vote.
Justice Thomas has been mostly quiet since then. He rarely speaks from the bench or asks questions of lawyers during oral arguments. He also hasn’t spoken about the confirmation process — until now.
Thomas has a new memoir, “My Grandfather’s Son,” that tackles his experience before the Senate and more. He’s also making the rounds on a book tour. Hear what Thomas had to say at one stop:
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is accusing the chamber’s Democrats of holding to a double standard about judicial nominees by blocking votes on a series of nominees for the 5th U.S. District Court in Mississippi in recent years.
Democrats have blocked the selection of two nominees, Charles Pickering and Michael Wallace. Leslie Southwick is the latest in line for the job, and like the two before him, he has the support of both senators from Mississippi, Republicans Thad Cochran and Trent Lott.
In the past, McConnell said, that was the standard Democrats said warranted up-or-down votes on senators, even if they had many opponents. But he argued that Democrats have not held to that standard for the 5th District Court. “Why are the views of the Mississippi senators irrelevant?” he said.
“I’m still hopeful that Senate Judiciary Democrats are not going to let this process deteriorate to such a point that we have a total malfunction on judges,” McConnell added, saying that his goal is to “return to some kind of normal process.”
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