Lisa Benson for August 10, 2010

I notice they’ve got her next to Thomas - who will be putting moves on her.

best desciption of kagan – good news is USA has chane to get a good solicitor general

Why is Lisa Benson making fun of Justice Kagan’s height? Moreover, why can’t she get the arrangement of the justices correct? Kagan will sit to Justice Alito’s left (appropriately). Justice Thomas sits on the other side, to Justice Scalia’s right (also appropriately), and two justices, Kennedy & Ginsburg, separate Chief Justice Roberts from Alito. Does Benson do any homework at all?

Oh, RDone, most of President Obama’s voters are slightly disappointed in him: He’s’ so conservative. We know, however, that he has had as difficult a job as had any president in history. Bush-Dick left him with messes that rival the Great Depression & the Civil War, and Obama has had an uncooperative Senate on top of the legacy of Republican fiascos. Everyone must be patient. Things are improving, no thanks to the Congressional Republicans, who prefer recession & bloodshed over a responsible economy and working toward peace. If the Republicans take over part or all of Congress, then they must actually try to do something, and Obama will be able to resist the Republicans attempts to undermine America again. If the Democrats keep the congressional majorities, then the Senate Democrats may grow a backbone and force the Republicans actually to filibuster rather than simply hide behind filibuster threats. In addition, I hope that the Democrats will play hardball and change the Senate rules to pass bills that are more progressive.

Kagan is an intelligent, articulate, forceful advocate. She will be a very reliable liberal voting justice.

@BrianCrook: Obama was cursed with only having 59 or 60 Democratic senators and a 51 vote Democratic congressional majority and thus was totally unable to govern. If he could have had 91 senators and 415 congressmen than maybe he would have been able to get his program passed.

Brian please explain to the President that the economy is greatly and rapidly improving. Foolishly they announced earlier today things were much worse, most of the statistics were heading southward and emergency cash inflow was necessary. Also the entire stock market doesn’t understand your point and dropped 225+ points.

We all know the American people will rally around Obama and further increase his Democratic majorities this November.

So glad to have your special insight. Please convey that to the NYSE, President Obama and the Federal Reserve.

Earlier today, Libertarian? You posted your remark at 5:00 a.m. (e.d.t.). Did “they” make this announcement around two a.m.? The latest economic headlines I read state that General Motors made $1.33 billion, which is good, and that the number of foreclosures—a legacy from the unregulated Bush-Dick days—is down. Stocks fell yesterday; it is true, but the world stock market is mixed.

As for the Senate, you make my point, thank you. In 1934, Franklin Roosevelt had a Senate with as high a percentage of Democrats at a time when a member REALLY had to filibuster in order to delay proceedings, not merely threaten to filibuster. The Senate, at that time, passed a great many bills to help the nation out of the Depression. President Obama has not been able to work with those favorable conditions. The current Senate Democrats, although they have accomplished a lot—as has Obama, especially when compared to Bush-Dick—have been much too lily-livered in standing up to the regressive Republicans, who, apparently, miss the days of America’s ruin under Bush-Dick. Thanks for your support of my points.

Excellent depiction that illustrates “experience that qualifies the person for the promotion/job” and IMO it matches the Oval Office executive chair…LOL

thank you Lisa Benson …

If only there were a conservative cartoonist who actually had some ideas…every time I see Lisa Benson’s work it reminds me of why the Republicans are the party of NO and why the teabaggers have nothing but destruction on their agenda. Does anyone really think Kagan won’t be able to hold her own with any of those people to her right…particularly Thomas, who never bothers to speak at all in session? If the hearings taught us anything it’s that she won’t be the baby on this court.

It’s exasperating because the Democrats NEED a good foil, they NEED a loyal opposition to force them to perform better, not just lightweights like Benson who can’t develop a coherent argument. Benson’s symptomatic of a larger problem with conservatives today who have lost their ability to effectively counterpunch. All they can do is kick people below the belt, and while there’s short term advantage to that…it wrecks the country in the long run.

BrianC, come on - if ObaMarx can’t get his leftist agenda through this Congress, which has a Demo majority we haven’t seen in decades, then he’s complete inept.

I notice you didn’t try to deny Libertarian’s assertions about current economic indicators - stock market heading south fast, double-dip recession coming, etc. Yeah, that Obamarx, he’s a miracle worker.

She better look close when Clarence offers her a Coke!

As a “short joke” the toon works, but when it comes to their experience coming into the job, or intellect?? Thomas, Alito, and Roberts are still in their cribs.

dfish if Thomas, Alito, and Roberts are still in their cribs. kagan is not even concieved

There have been many justices on the court without previous courtroom experience. Sandra Day O’Connor, for one. And Kagan isn’t so much “left” as moderate. She just looks “left” compared to how far “right” the court has moved in the past couple of decades. Thurgood Marshall, Warren Burger, or Earl Warren would never get on the court in the present environment. A truly “liberal” justice isn’t even barely considered any more.

Ah, Trm, if only President Obama had leftist agenda. Unfortunately, his agenda is conservative, and he must work with a Democratic Senate that will not use its own rules to best advantage. Even given that, Obama & Congress have accomplished a remarkable amount in trying to move America forward after eight years of Bush-dick and fourteen years of Republican Congresses, and you are correct that fixing all the problems left by them will take practically a miracle. You can blame Obama, but you really have only yourself to blame. You voted for Bush-Dick twice, and you want to bring those destructive Republicans back.

(By the way, I did reply to Libert.’s assertions about the economy, and the stock market went down from its current high, far higher than it was when your beloved Bush-Dick started collecting his pension.)

Trout, you unfairly malign Justices Thomas, Alito, & Roberts. Thomas had almost no experience when he joined the court, but he is not a stupid man, and neither is Alito or Roberts, although they have made some boneheaded decisions. Pavlov, Franklin Roosevelt did NOT stuff the Supreme Court. He appointed many justices, because he was president for over twelve years.

Zazzenn, I agree with you about judicial experience and about Elena Kagan’s views, which are moderate, like Obama’s, but I disagree with you about your speculation about Thurgood Marshall, Earl Warren, and Warren Burger.

HOWGOZIT-

1 day ago you answered PLAINBILL’s post of: i notice they’ve got her next to thomas - who will be putting the moves on her.” with: “hopefully with the back of his hand.”

i dun thot yu wuz jes dum, now i think yo stoopid. how yo like sum man smakin’ yo upside yo hed ? yo evah herd a anita hill ?

do all female conservative gops think like you ? just wonderin’…

So Obamarx, who was rated one of the most liberal members of Congress, who consistently voted to the left of Bernie Saunders, the Senate’s only avowed socialist, is a conservative.

Yeah, right. Only in the fevered minds of some of the Euro-socialists that frequent this comments section.

Well, Trm, let us call President Obama a moderate, very middle-of-the-road, sometimes leans a little to the right, sometimes a little to the left. He is hardly liberal or progressive.

For example: The bail-out helped Big Business more than it helped the working- & middle-classes. Health-care reform is a step of progress, but hardly what we need, far from universal, single-payer health-care. The unconscionable occupations of Iraq & Afghanistan continue, and Obama has increased air strikes. The new financial reform bill still hands too many goodies to Big Business.

Now, of course, President Obama does not support checking the papers of all brown-skinned folk. He does not support killing leakers & whistle-blowers. He does not support letting the unemployed starve in the street. He does not support shipping to Mexico babies with Hispanic last names. He does not support eliminating the federal income tax while continuing to fund Medicare & Social Security. He does not think that, In America, African-Americans have it easier than do European-Americans, and that most African-Americans are capable of succeeding. Therefore, you think that he is a “Marxist liberal”. No, Trm, there is a lot of room to your left: conservatives, moderates, liberals, & progressives—they are all residing to the left of your radical regressive stance, and most of us, particularly the progressives, are trying to help America back to her feet after Bush-Dick & the Republicans brought her to her knees.

You can continue calling names & affixing labels, however. I am sure that that is much more your level of discourse rather than making statements of substance. One suggestion, though: Instead of maligning Obama, why don’t you malign Bush-Dick, who caused so much harm?

GRD, Elena Kagan is much more intelligent than you. I feel sorry for you.

thank you, GRDONE33…. Qualifications of Kagan is exactly the point of this ‘toon.

and we see how the smear-monger’s LIES have been accepted by some citizens….and the obvious relish some persons enjoy with the vulgarness of the LIES.

more a testimony about the poster’s low moral standard, and ZERO EFFECT on Justice Thomas’ character, which passed the test during the Liberal’s personal assassination of character of a decent man ……..that was given credence by the Democrats in the Senate. (how low can they go?)

DisTax, there is no issue about Justice Kagan’s qualifications. She is highly qualified for her current position. You beef about it, because President Obama nominated her, and you hate everything about Obama, and you hate everything about Obama, because you’re embarrassed for supporting Bush-Dick for eight years.

Kagan is merely the pawn of your shame.

I’m surprised we haven’t jobbed out the courts to China along with our secret weapons manufacture. Remember when the conservatives were against communism…that so-called jewish inspired anti-capitalist agenda of evil? That conspiracy that frightened so many american businessmen that they aligned themselves with Hitler as he rose from the bowels of hatred. Shame on us. Profits before wisdom.

Now we ‘depend’ on them to sell us polluted medicine or baby food in some holy unregulated trade deal that will make them better people. We should have businessmen as leaders they say…

We criticise abortions while they just toss babies down the well…the same well the entire village drinks out of. At least that’s what we’re told.

crook…you are wrong. I was against Obama during the ‘08 campaign because he had the D.C. reputation as the most radical senator by the voting record he left….along with missed votes or “present” votes….and because of his Leftist philosophy and agenda.

as Prez, he is even worse than I expected. 8 years of O and this nation will not have retained any of the original Founders’ ideals or structure.

Kagan is another Leftist….with an agenda that she can implement as another Liberal activist judge, at the highest court level.

You, on the other hand, obviously HATE Bush/Cheney. but nothing done in their 8 years, including the good done by defending America from lawless Jihadists in the 1979 Global Jihad crusade, and keeping the socialists from taking over in D.C., and in spite of the over-spending and no Vetos of even more spending added by the Dems in Congress, did the harm to our form of government that O has done in 19 months!

I am one person in the mass Christian Prayer chain, praying for our leaders, including Obama, and praying that God will save lost Americans, and revive “sleeping” believers, and stop the dismantling of our Judeo-Christian culture, and protect us from religious murderers of the Global Jihad. I might add B.Crook to the prayer list. Satan is the inspiration for Jihad and for those who plan to change our Free Enterprise government to a socialist dictatorship, and Satan uses all the “useful idiots” who go along with the “change” that Obama promised.

Reagan was right….the USA was and should remain the last best hope for Freedom on earth.

^All the Fox talking points in a condensed form. Thanks d.p.!

DisTax, you voted against Barack Obama because of his REPUTATION? Did you do any work for yourself? Obama was not a radical senator, and he is not a radical president. He was a slightly progressive senator and he is, unfortunately, a moderate president.

Reading your last remark, I feel so sorry for you. You work from almost no information, and what you have is misinformation. You display no notion of the founders’ ideas. You have deluded yourself into thinking that Bush-Dick protected the country when they neglected warnings about al-Qaeda and then chose to retaliate in Iraq, slaughtering tens of thousands and causing untold mayhem among tens of thousands of American, besides, although Iraq had nothing to do with al-Qaeda (although, thanks to Bush-Dick, it does now). Your shame about supporting Bush-Dick’s attempts to destroy America runs so deep that you create strawmen agaisnt whom Bush-Dick stood for the “right cause”: “the socialists”, “the over-spending”, the Dems in Congress”—having conveniently forgotten in your shame that Republicans ruled Congress for six of Bush-Dick’s eight years and for the six years prior to Bush-Dick’s sneaking into the White House, having conveniently forgotten in your embarrassment that Bush-Dick turned Bill Clinton’s budget surplus into the hugest budget deficit since the Great Depression.

Finally, you are so mortified over supporting a man who prayed to Jesus as he authorized the bombing of chilren that you dress yourself in raiment and contend that (1) There is a god, and you are doing “His” work (2) There is a “Satan”, (3) There is such a thing as “Judeo-Christian culture”, and (4) The U.S. has not been, for almost a century, a capitalist-socialist state. Indeed, all that keeps you alive: the police, the e.m.t.s, O.S.H.A., the F.D.A., Medicare, Social Security, & sundry federal inspectors working to keep us, our parents & our children safe; and much of what is best about our society (public schools, public libraries, public parks, state & national parks & protected areas, the magic of our interstate highways &c., &c.) are forms of socialism.

Oh, DisTax, you poor man. Where do you come up with all that garbage? Why do you persist in your hatred of the best, of the love & generosity that exists within each of us when we work together to raise up this nation & the world?

I hope that you will come around & that you will stop living in fear, prejudice, hatred, & shame.