Submitted to a Candid World

Update: for those lucky few with WestLaw access, you can follow the case by citation to the complaint (2008 WL 1867133) or the WestLaw docket number, 1:08cv03813. For some reason, WestLaw is only current through April 24, 2008, though…

Also, don’t bother with Lexis: it doesn’t seem to have this material available, unless you’re willing to blow your law firm’s money on CourtLink (law schools don’t have access to this feature).

According to a post to “Dispatches from the Culture Wars,” linked here, a federal district judge here in the SDNY has enjoined Expelled from adding more venues to the current showing of Expelled. It doesn’t get it out of theaters, but it does stop it from expanding, at least until a full hearing can be held.

This is a fantastic sign. I’ve copied and pasted below the Order granting the injunction. I’m trying to confirm it’s real on Lexis; currently it just comes from “W. Kevin Vicklund,” commenting on the above cited blog.

Mr. Vicklund’s quote follows, below the line. (more…)

I just saw this post, accusing the New York Times of fear mongering by posting opinion pieces arguing that John McCain wants to end abortion and prosecute women who obtain abortions. The poster states that McCain doesn’t want to outlaw abortion, he just wants to “repeal Roe v. Wade,” thus returning the issue to the states.

Of course, the poster neglects that, once that’s done, McCain wants to continue the “fight for life,” portraying himself as the point-man in a crusade to eventually end abortion. The original poster, then, is noting a distinction in means without a difference in ends. I’m not persuaded of the importance of the line being drawn.

Voters should remember that while McCain would not prosecute a woman himself, if his plan were enacted, he wouldn’t have to: the several states and overzealous congresspersons, aided by a supplicant Supreme Court, would be happy to do it with his tacit approval.

Whoa! Good news everyone! We’ll be hosting “Carnival of the Liberals,” a blogger’s revue of quality liberal content on the internet, on August 13th, 2008. This date handily falls right between my time as a summer associate and the beginning of my third year of law school. And, hopefully, by that point the site will have more authors too.

So I need to think of a theme for the carnival. Not that it’ll matter for another month or two, but it can’t hurt to start early. I was thinking, “Politics and Science,” since it’s a topic that I think is very important (I certainly write about it a lot), and I know there are a lot of good authors out there on the subject. Alternately, maybe something about the election, since we’ll be less than three months away at that point. Please, your suggestions are welcomed.

Unfortunately, it’s only on the “liberal media.” Last week on the Daily Show, John Stewart noted time and time again that America seems willing to forgive preachers of hate (Hagee, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham) as long as they’re white and support a Republican. And now, PZ Myers at Pharyngula is spreading the word, too. This double standard is ridiculous, and ought to make us wonder what the Jeremiah Wright flap is really about.

So, reader(s), spread the word of the word about the hate mongers buttressing the Republican campaign, too. On the house, here’s a lovely quote to set the tone, from Billy Graham to Richard Nixon:

A lot of the Jews are great friends of mine. They swarm around me and are friendly to me. Because they know I am friendly to Israel and so forth. They don’t know how I really feel about what they’re doing to this country.

Lovely. Just lovely. That’s from a spiritual counselor to several “pro-family” administrations & candidates, remember.