California, and other political news
May. 27th, 2009 09:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pegkerrA lot of significant political news.
The case in California went the way that legal scholars expected it would, from everything I've read. At least the 18,000 marriages weren't annulled, but that's cold consolation. I'm angry but hardly resigned. I do think time is on our side on this one, folks. I've heard there's talk of putting the measure up on the ballot again for the next election. I really wonder if the tide will change in time for the 2010 election (and I'm sure that Californians are rather sick of the issue) but I do think eventually the law will change, and gay Californians will be allowed to marry. In a generation, everyone will wonder what the hell was all the fuss.
As for Sotomayor, my initial impression is favorable. It sounds as though the Republicans would have a tough time turning her down, but there are certainly those who are going to try.
Other political reaction: Although on the whole I'm pretty happy with what Obama's doing on the environment, and willing to take a wait and see attitude on his action on the economy, I was really REALLY alarmed by Obama's speech last week outlining his proposals on 'preventative detention,' from a civil liberty standpoint. I think there was not quite as much incredulity as there might have been since he had the advantage of the Prince of Darkness (Cheney) making a speech more or less simultaneously, which at first somehow managed to make Obama's proposals look almost reasonable. If you look at them more closely, however, they are not. I'm indebted to the careful analysis of Glen Greenwald [greenwaldsalon] (see here here and here), and he pointed to Rachel Maddow's analysis, which just nailed it:
C'mon, Obama. You can do better. And you should.
Oh, and one more thing. I LOVE Doonesbury's panels this week depicting Obama trying to get the hang of appearing in his cartoon:
The case in California went the way that legal scholars expected it would, from everything I've read. At least the 18,000 marriages weren't annulled, but that's cold consolation. I'm angry but hardly resigned. I do think time is on our side on this one, folks. I've heard there's talk of putting the measure up on the ballot again for the next election. I really wonder if the tide will change in time for the 2010 election (and I'm sure that Californians are rather sick of the issue) but I do think eventually the law will change, and gay Californians will be allowed to marry. In a generation, everyone will wonder what the hell was all the fuss.
As for Sotomayor, my initial impression is favorable. It sounds as though the Republicans would have a tough time turning her down, but there are certainly those who are going to try.
Other political reaction: Although on the whole I'm pretty happy with what Obama's doing on the environment, and willing to take a wait and see attitude on his action on the economy, I was really REALLY alarmed by Obama's speech last week outlining his proposals on 'preventative detention,' from a civil liberty standpoint. I think there was not quite as much incredulity as there might have been since he had the advantage of the Prince of Darkness (Cheney) making a speech more or less simultaneously, which at first somehow managed to make Obama's proposals look almost reasonable. If you look at them more closely, however, they are not. I'm indebted to the careful analysis of Glen Greenwald [
greenwaldsalon] (see here here and here), and he pointed to Rachel Maddow's analysis, which just nailed it:C'mon, Obama. You can do better. And you should.
Oh, and one more thing. I LOVE Doonesbury's panels this week depicting Obama trying to get the hang of appearing in his cartoon:
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