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Transcript of O'Connor Speech Blasting Republicans

Raw Story has the transcript and audio link to the NPR segment this morning in which former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor attacks Republicans for threatening our constitutional freedoms and the judiciary.

In an unusually forceful and forthright speech, O'Connor said that attacks on the judiciary by some Republican leaders pose a direct threat to our constitutional freedoms

O'Connor singled out Tom DeLay, although not by name, for his Justice Sunday diatribe against judges.

Then, she took aim at former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. She didn't name him, but she quoted his attacks on the courts at a meeting of the conservative Christian group Justice Sunday last year, when DeLay took out after the courts for its rulings on abortion, prayer, and the Terry Schiavo case. This, said O'Connor, was after the federal courts had applied Congress' one-time-only statute about Schiavo as it was written, not, said O'Connor, as the Congressman might have wished it were written. The response to this flagrant display of judicial restraint, said O'Conner, her voice dripping with sarcasm, was that the congressman blasted the courts.

It gets worse, she said, noting that death threats against judges are increasing. It doesn't help, she said, when a high-profile senator suggests there may be a connection between violence against judges and decisions that the senator disagrees with. She didn't name him, but it was Texas Sen. John Cornyn who made that statement after a Georgia judge was murdered in court and the family of a federal judge in Illinois murdered in the judge's home.
Now, the kicker:

Attytood says her interview was so forceful it needs to be heard by all.

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    Well isn't that special. She should've thought of that before she helped install the idiot king on the throne. No madness of king george, no worries. Look in the mirror sandy.

    Re: Transcript of O'Connor Speech Blasting Republi (none / 0) (#2)
    by desertswine on Fri Mar 10, 2006 at 10:15:14 AM EST
    And delivered with all the force and authority of a retired judge. When she had the choice, didn't she actually vote against democracy? Is she now trying to save face? Too late.

    Re: Transcript of O'Connor Speech Blasting Republi (none / 0) (#3)
    by Peaches on Fri Mar 10, 2006 at 10:23:38 AM EST
    Come on, Sandy Baby, Lighten up. You're too tight.

    Re: Transcript of O'Connor Speech Blasting Republi (none / 0) (#4)
    by Che's Lounge on Fri Mar 10, 2006 at 10:26:31 AM EST
    Spoken by the biggest enabler of them all. Hope you enjoy your cushy job as college chancellor. You left us to hang by these vigilantes. Do us another favor Sandra and STFU. You took yourself out of the game so you have nor reason to b****, b****.

    Re: Transcript of O'Connor Speech Blasting Republi (none / 0) (#5)
    by ntnelson on Fri Mar 10, 2006 at 10:39:17 AM EST
    I'm so glad she has retired!! If only Stevens could now step down.

    Re: Transcript of O'Connor Speech Blasting Republi (none / 0) (#6)
    by Che's Lounge on Fri Mar 10, 2006 at 10:49:30 AM EST
    See Sandra, the rightards (like ntnelson above)are very gratefulto you. Thanks for nothing.

    Posted by Peaches March 10, 2006 11:23 AM
    Come on, Sandy Baby, Lighten up. You're too tight.
    Johnny Riggins rides again! Way to go, Peaches! Boy, he could never play today. He liked to go left every now and again. These clowns are gonna be nothin' but young republican student body right, young republican student body right as far as the eye can see. Then they'll wonder how we know what they're gonna do all the time. Jim and his clueless clown posse will whine about the NYT and they'll blame it all on the media.

    Scumlia should be removed for all his improprieties. Refusing to recuse himself from cases, hunting trips with cheney on his aircraft, year in, year out, more outside income than any other justice. Yes, Antonin, I do think you can be bought off that cheaply? I think your integrity comes free with every happy meal. And Clarence, tell me what I think again, Antonin, Thomas, never should've been there in the first place. Rehnquist, now that he's gone, had a Summer place on a lake about 30 miles North of here. He did a book signing at a local bookstore in the Summer of 2001 for a book he did on the history of the court. Absolutely No questions on Bush V Gore. Non Negotiable. Most folks were pretty clear on Marbury v Madison, Dred Scott and Plessy 'though nothin' was a sure thing with Rehnquist once you got into the 20th Century except his open hostility to Civil Rights and Roe. He wasn't sick then. At least it wasn't evident that he was. He could come off as reasonable, as nice enough. Truthfully, I didn't have the best vantage point. I was down a row of books with a bunch of other people straining to see him like everyone else. I've seen him interviewed on C-SPAN. People know his Miranda stories and his record of harassing minority voters. He went to Stanford He was a smart guy. Give him his due. The nazis had some first rate generals. Good thing hitler got in their way.

    Yeah, Peaches, maybe you're right. When you put it that way, I can't help but think of that classic episode of Seinfeld with the guy with the records and the woman with the goiter and the Gandhi stories.

    Great timing, Sandra. This coming from little miss "I won't resign unless there's a Republican president?"

    I am not a lawyer, don't have a 4 yr degree, no real training in politics, but here is my take as a humble American. Sandra Day O' Conner admitted her mistake about 2000. She is standing up about the cause of justice, the one thing she couldn't do while sitting on the SCOTUS. While I don't know if she would do it, age and family after all, running as VP on the democratic ticket could be interesting.

    Re: Transcript of O'Connor Speech Blasting Republi (none / 0) (#13)
    by Sailor on Fri Mar 10, 2006 at 06:43:11 PM EST
    Peaches, great post! I'll try to keep it in mind when I resent changing his bedpan. et al, re SDO'C remarks; yep, too little, too late.

    Re: Transcript of O'Connor Speech Blasting Republi (none / 0) (#14)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Mar 10, 2006 at 08:40:16 PM EST
    Peaches - And you want to pick a fight with an old man? Ha. You couldn't engage in a battle of wits without demanding a 10 insult handicap. As for charlie, if he ever masters the art of linking, he may be taken seriously. As for now he is just boring. As for Sandra.... hey baby, you don't count count anymore. Welcome to retirement.

    Charlie, I'll be getting the Velveeta from Tulare, you need to bring a bottle of whine to table 6............ .. hey baby, you don't count count anymore. Welcome to retirement. Passing on a compliment, PPJ? How typical of you.

    Re: Transcript of O'Connor Speech Blasting Republi (none / 0) (#16)
    by Che's Lounge on Fri Mar 10, 2006 at 09:42:03 PM EST
    iihot, O'Connor's timing could not possibly be worse. At least Rhenquist had a legitimate excuse. For O'Connor to relenquish THE balancing force on the SC to the hands of ... I'm sorry. I've nearly run out of civil descriptives for the man. ...is inexcusable.

    Posted by JimakaPPJ
    March 10, 2006 09:40 PM Peaches - And you want to pick a fight with an old man? Ha. You couldn't engage in a battle of wits without demanding a 10 insult handicap. As for charlie, if he ever masters the art of linking, he may be taken seriously. As for now he is just boring.
    As for Sandra.... hey baby, you don't count count anymore. Welcome to retirement.
    He said to himself out behind the dumpster in the parking lot of the 7-11 as the kids skateboarded around him and their girlfriends cringed at this weird old dude. Jim, as long as you keep linkin' to the same old dreck, I'll never have to put on a defense. It may be slop comin' in, but it's shredded wheat soon enough. Someday, I may even sweat. Someday in July.

    Sure thing, DA. Jim, cut the crap. Ya never did, still don't, never will.

    Thanks, charlie.

    Re: Transcript of O'Connor Speech Blasting Republi (none / 0) (#20)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Mar 11, 2006 at 10:52:21 AM EST
    Dark Avenger - To you? "compliment" No. BTW - Did you mean, "Passing on a complaint?" Wait and find out. sailor - Glad to know you have some training. Hope they don't let you do anything else. charlie - For you I'd give a handicap of 20. As for linking, I think you're just too lazy to try and prove a point.

    Re: Transcript of O'Connor Speech Blasting Republi (none / 0) (#21)
    by jondee on Sat Mar 11, 2006 at 11:07:07 AM EST
    Just make sure it isnt a site with an agenda or an ax to grind or a combination of the two, which would be a "clear cut agenda." Right Jim?

    Re: Transcript of O'Connor Speech Blasting Republi (none / 0) (#22)
    by jondee on Sat Mar 11, 2006 at 11:10:25 AM EST
    Btw, I realize that the above is proof that I have an agenda.

    Well, Lord knows, I am lazy. So it's a damned good thing that with you around to do the heavy liftin' for me, Jim, I'll never have to. What a guy!

    Dark Avenger - To you? "compliment" No. Actually, I asked if you were 'complimenting' O'Connor, but I wouldn't want to assume a no in this case, as you know full well that when you assume you can easily make an ass of u and me :) BTW - Did you mean, "Passing on a complaint?" Wait and find out. Well, you do seem to be doing that most of the time, so my confusion would be understandable, unlike the type you frequenly display here........