Somewhere, Donald Trump is so pissed … and quickly moving on to think up ways he can zing Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin on the morning show circuit. The U.S. Supreme Court announced it will not hear an appeal of a lawsuit by plaintiffs – including Buena Park, Calif., Pastor Wiley Drake – claiming that Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen and so cannot legitimately hold the presidency. The nation’s highest court threw out the case , hopefully the last of its kind. The Prez scores a rare win … that he’d already “won” several times . Santa Ana-based U.S. District Judge David Carter as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had previously ruled that the plaintiffs did not have legal standing. Putting the matter to rest, the Supreme Court upheld that ruling. Probably because Obama was born in Hawaii … imagine that. More interestingly and legitimately, a report recently suggested Obama may have once lied about being born in Kenya to boost his literary resume.
One thing about Sarah Palin, she has staying power. People on the left and right love and hate her (or both) and as Mitt Romney gears up to choose his potential Veep, it’s hard to imagine whoever it is will have the same cultural impact as Palin. Movies have been made about her including the pro-Palin doc The Undefeated (2011) directed by Stephen K. Bannon which is inspired by her book Going Rogue: An American Life and then there was, of course, the reality show set in her home state where she served part of a term as governor in Sarah Palin’s Alaska . But countless on-TV appearances later another film – this time, made for HBO – brought out star-wattage and more controversy in Game Change , which the filmmaker recently spoke about including his frustration at negative feedback from both sides of the political spectrum. Directed by Jay Roach and starring Julianne Moore as the Palin herself along with Ed Harris (as McCain) and Woody Harrelson, the film followed Arizona Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign from his selection of Palin as his running mate and his ultimate defeat, some would say due in large part to Palin’s much ballyhooed public and media gaffes including her ill-fated interview with then CBS News anchor Katie Couric in which she had difficulty picking a newspaper that she reads daily and taking some geographic liberties with Russia’s proximity to Alaska. Game Change was not Roach’s first foray into campaign controversy. His earlier HBO film Recount , which followed the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore that ended up in the Supreme Court, giving the election to Bush, won three Emmy Awards in 2008. Roach told The Hollywood Reporter he tried on numerous occasions to reach out to Palin to cooperate on the film to no avail. He even tried tracking her down at a string of parties around the time of the White House Correspondents dinner last year. “I really thought I would go up to her and say, ‘Hi, my name’s Jay Roach and I’m doing this film about the McCain-Palin campaign…I’m sincerely trying to get the story right and it’d be great if you want to talk about it and tell a story with even more layers and depth.’ So it would’ve been the world’s most awkward conversation; she’d already said ‘no’.” Roach took heat for portraying Palin as falling apart at the seams in the wake of the Couric interview, though Roach said he and Moore were trying to find empathy for the V.P. candidate, telling THR, “What might that have been like, to have been surrounded by people you don’t trust anymore, to have to experience so much public humiliation and mockery and, you know, widespread judgment?” And what about the heavy response on both sides of the proverbial aisle once the film hit HBO? “I think I was annoyed by the fact that the people who were attacking the film hadn’t seen it, and they said, ‘We haven’t seen it, but we hate it,'” said Roach. He noted that some people thought it was too sympathetic though he said he thinks that crowd had likely expected it to be more critical. And now Roach is taking on the political front again, but this time it will be a fictional story (though one can’t help but speculate there will be ample ‘truth’ to the story). His next film The Campaign will star Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as two opponents fighting it out in North Carolina. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter ] And what’s your feedback on Palin’s media portrayal?
One thing about Sarah Palin, she has staying power. People on the left and right love and hate her (or both) and as Mitt Romney gears up to choose his potential Veep, it’s hard to imagine whoever it is will have the same cultural impact as Palin. Movies have been made about her including the pro-Palin doc The Undefeated (2011) directed by Stephen K. Bannon which is inspired by her book Going Rogue: An American Life and then there was, of course, the reality show set in her home state where she served part of a term as governor in Sarah Palin’s Alaska . But countless on-TV appearances later another film – this time, made for HBO – brought out star-wattage and more controversy in Game Change , which the filmmaker recently spoke about including his frustration at negative feedback from both sides of the political spectrum. Directed by Jay Roach and starring Julianne Moore as the Palin herself along with Ed Harris (as McCain) and Woody Harrelson, the film followed Arizona Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign from his selection of Palin as his running mate and his ultimate defeat, some would say due in large part to Palin’s much ballyhooed public and media gaffes including her ill-fated interview with then CBS News anchor Katie Couric in which she had difficulty picking a newspaper that she reads daily and taking some geographic liberties with Russia’s proximity to Alaska. Game Change was not Roach’s first foray into campaign controversy. His earlier HBO film Recount , which followed the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore that ended up in the Supreme Court, giving the election to Bush, won three Emmy Awards in 2008. Roach told The Hollywood Reporter he tried on numerous occasions to reach out to Palin to cooperate on the film to no avail. He even tried tracking her down at a string of parties around the time of the White House Correspondents dinner last year. “I really thought I would go up to her and say, ‘Hi, my name’s Jay Roach and I’m doing this film about the McCain-Palin campaign…I’m sincerely trying to get the story right and it’d be great if you want to talk about it and tell a story with even more layers and depth.’ So it would’ve been the world’s most awkward conversation; she’d already said ‘no’.” Roach took heat for portraying Palin as falling apart at the seams in the wake of the Couric interview, though Roach said he and Moore were trying to find empathy for the V.P. candidate, telling THR, “What might that have been like, to have been surrounded by people you don’t trust anymore, to have to experience so much public humiliation and mockery and, you know, widespread judgment?” And what about the heavy response on both sides of the proverbial aisle once the film hit HBO? “I think I was annoyed by the fact that the people who were attacking the film hadn’t seen it, and they said, ‘We haven’t seen it, but we hate it,'” said Roach. He noted that some people thought it was too sympathetic though he said he thinks that crowd had likely expected it to be more critical. And now Roach is taking on the political front again, but this time it will be a fictional story (though one can’t help but speculate there will be ample ‘truth’ to the story). His next film The Campaign will star Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as two opponents fighting it out in North Carolina. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter ] And what’s your feedback on Palin’s media portrayal?
While Rush Limbaugh mocks Barack Kardashian, the First Lady of the U.S. is staying out of the political fray and focusing on her new book about gardening. Michelle Obama, who’s been promoting her new book about the White House garden and healthy eating, appeared on the Late Show With David Letterman. Here are her “Top Ten Fun Facts About Gardening” from Tuesday … Michelle Obama Top 10 List Gardening was invented in 1822 by Albert Gardener. Plant avocados, tomatoes, onions and cilantro together and grow a guacamole tree. Eggplants were originally cultivated for use as doorstops. In his lifetime, the average American will eat half a radish. The largest zucchini ever grown contained a Starbucks. Later this year the Supreme Court will finally rule on “tomato” vs. “tomahto.” If you have an actual green thumb, it might be scurvy. Lettuce is 96 percent water and 4 percent lettuce. The White House tool shed contains shovels, trowels and Weed Whacker One. With enough care and effort you can grow your own Barack-oli. Her campaign for home-grown diets and to fight obesity has already shown progress. Earlier this year, Michelle even got Jay Leno to eat vegetables . Not a small feat.
A federal appeals court ruled today that it will not review a three-judge panel’s decision to overturn California’s Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage. Proposition 8 banned gay marriage in California, before it was ruled unconstitutional last year. Proponents plan to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. That would put battle for same-sex marriage on a national stage . The ruling comes after a federal court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which says states don’t have to recognize gay marriages in other states and defines marriage as between a man and a woman for federal purposes, is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court could also decide to hear that case next year. In February, a three-judge panel in California voted 2-1 against the voter-approved gay marriage ban, upholding an earlier decision by Judge Vaughn Walker. The panel said that by denying same-sex marriage rights, Proposition 8 violated the equal protection clause and due process clause of the U.S. Constitution. The court wrote: “Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.” Prop 8 supporters appealed, asking for a larger panel to review the case, and sponsors say they are eager take the matter before the Supreme Court. However, The February decision was narrowly written and focused on the measure in California, meaning the high court may not hear the case. Despite Prop 8 being ruled unconstitutional, and that ruling being upheld twice, same-sex couples in California will not be allowed to marry right away. As long as Prop 8 supporters have a chance to appeal, the measure stands; If the Supreme Court won’t hear the case, that would end the process. Same-sex marriage :
“Do you like it when he’s rough?” With these words, and accompanying visuals, Barbara Walters made Elisabeth Hasselbeck crack up, viewers scratch their heads and Whoopi Goldberg’s “eyes bleed.” The 82-year-old was yammering about sex this morning The View, inspired by the erotic novel series 50 Shades of Grey , in which a 20-something girl starts a relationship with an attractive, wealthy man who’s into bondage and S&M. Suffice to say, it was an awkward: Barbara Walters-Elisabeth Hasselbeck Sex Talk Hasselbeck, a married mother of three, sort of dodged the question by saying she’s on a break right now … but for Whoopi and others, the damage was done. For a less disturbing discussion of this hot topic, follow this link to tell us who you think should play the leads in the upcoming 50 Shades of Grey movie .
Known for her dirty mouth and extreme views, has Sarah Silverman finally gone too far? Some may believe so. The comedian sent out a Tweet over the weekend that included two photos and a caption. In the first image, she’s joined by boyfriend Alec Sulkin and a puffed out belly. In the second, her stomach has returned to its regular size and it’s accompanied by the words: “Got a quickie aborsh in cas R v W gets overturned.” Silverman posted the Tweet in response to Mitt Romney becoming the presumptive Republican nominee for President. He referred to Roe vs. Wade last January as “one of the darkest moments in Supreme Court history.” What do you think of Silverman’s actions? Funny and harmless? Or totally wrong and inappropriate? Did she cross a line?
Obama answered a question today about the possible Supreme Court decision to repeal Obamacare’s unprecedented individual mandate. Obama dared the court to follow the US Constitution and declare the law illegal. The Politico reported: President Barack Obama voiced confidence Monday … Continue reading → Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Gateway Pundit Discovery Date : 02/04/2012 20:41 Number of articles : 2
Today’s the day. The Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments as to the constitutionality of various provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Note that phrase: “Various provisions.” The Supreme Court is not looking at the act as a whole. Rather, it’s considering four separate questions related to separate parts of the law. Here’s my colleague Sarah Kliff with a primer of what they are, and why… Broadcasting platform : Vimeo Source : Ezra Klein Discovery Date : 26/03/2012 01:01 Number of articles : 2
The fight to end segregation was a three-pronged attack. The beloved Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. evoked sympathy from the nation, the militant Malcolm X evoked fear, and Thurgood Marshall evoked the law. While King and X gave blacks the courage to stand up to segregation, it was Marshall who fought for these brave people in court. Through a systematic plan of legal attack, Marshall and the NAACP legal defense fund dismantled a system that had shackled blacks since slavery. Before Marshall won his landmark cases in the Supreme Court, he got a little pay-back as a young attorney in Maryland. In 1936, Marshall won a major civil rights case that’s almost forgotten. The case, Murray v. Pearson forced the University of Maryland to accept its first African-American student. It was a sweet victory for Marshall who was denied entrance to Maryland five years later because he was black. The case caught the attention of NAACP leaders and Marshall joined the legal defense fund. As a lawyer for the NAACP, Marshall won 27 of 33 cases that argued before the Supreme Court. His success also brought international acclaim. The United Nations and the United Kingdom asked Marshall to help draft the constitutions of the emerging African nations of Ghana and what is now Tanzania. Before his subsequent nomination to the United States Supreme Court in 1967, Thurgood Marshall won 14 of the 19 cases he argued before the Supreme Court on behalf of the government. Some of his more recognized triumphs were : Chambers v. Florida , 309 U.S. 227 (1940) Marshall and his team of lawyers persuaded the Supreme Court to overturn a criminal conviction based on a coerced confession. Smith v. Allwright , 321 U.S. 649 (1944) Marshall convinced the Court to strike down a Texas practice which excluded blacks from participating in primary elections. Morgan v. Virginia , 328 U.S. 373 (1946) Marshall convinced the Court to strike down segregation on buses on routes of interstate travel). Shelley v. Kraeme r, 334 U.S. 1 (1948) Marshall convinced the Court to overturn lower court rulings in favor of restrictive covenants which prohibited land from being sold to African Americans. Sipuel v. University of Oklahoma , 332 U.S. 631 (1948) and Sweatt v. Painter , 339 U.S. 629 (1950) Marshall persuaded the Court to require universities in Oklahoma and Texas to integrate their law schools. Marshall’s greatest triumph was in the landmark cases Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), Marshall challenged the constitutionality of “separate but equal.”Marshall’s civil rights lawsuits aren’t the sum of his career. As an attorney and justice, he created new protections under law for women, children, prisoners, and the homeless. Read interviews and more information about Marshall’s career right here .
