The real reason behind the G.O.P.'s opposition to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is not because of her qualifications or her comments made in 2001 about being influenced by her life experiences it's because the Republicans are angry that President Obama once again showed excellent political shrewdness in selecting Sotomayor.
Obama's first Supreme Court nomination was fraught with a lot of potential political danger. His selection of Sotomayor which expands the doors of opportunity for women and Hispanics in the Supreme Court and the strength of Sotomayor's qualifications (she is far more qualified for the post than Clarence Thomas or Bush crony Harriet Miers) are the real motivating factors for the G.O.P. carping.
Personally I find the Republican's insistence that any future Supreme Court nominee must be dispassionate amusing. Ideally we like our judges to be dispassionate and balanced and fair. That is the ideal but in reality all legal officers, judges, lawyers, and police officers alike are ruled by their life experiences. Their judgments are colored by who and what they are and what they feel and how the law is interpreted is based on those feelings and life experiences: for better or for worse. Only machines are dispassionate.
When the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1890s ruled in Plessy vs. Ferguson that racial segregation was legal how many of the justices were dispassionate or unaffected by emotions or prejudices? How many justices based their legal reasoning in mandating racial segregation in deference to the enormous and virulent prejudices of that era?
If anyone thinks the U.S. Supreme Court is dispassionate in its inner dealings and workings then I strongly urge all readers to read Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong's book The Brethren an insider account of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1969 to 1976. Although it is dated a cursory reading of the book will disabuse anyone of the notion that Supreme Court justices are dispassionate. Actually it's the opposite. That goes for both liberals and conservatives.
Sonia Sotomayor will make a fine justice and should be confirmed with all deliberate speed.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Travels with Matt: The Way West
I am struck by the differences that exist in the Western U.S. as opposed to the Eastern part of our country. Being a Easterner (or should I say a Northeasterner) I am required to live amidst concrete, steel and glass, and small pockets of nature surrounded by human civilization. In the West humanity lives in small pockets of concrete, steel and glass totally surrounded by the forces of nature.
In the East one is always confronted by the noise of city and suburban life. In the West (unless you live in a major city) one is struck by the absence of noise. The other day I was hiking alone on a lonely ridge that was the site of the Fetterman Massacre (which took place in December 1866). I could see the lanes of U.S. Route 90 snaking through the Wyoming grasslands yet the freeway seemed so distant as if it didn't even exist. In a sense I felt as if I were in a bubble cut off from modern civilization; as I were communing with the spirit of 1866.
Out West one can sense the antiquity of the land. In some places the terrain hasn't changed since the dawn of time. It is that permanence which lends a magic aura to the natural treasures which makes our country beautiful. Whereas in the East, massive changes in the land make what was a memory we can only imagine.
You have to go to the West to appreciate the true vastness of America. I can travel through five states in six hours if I drive through the Northeast but out West one can remain in the same state for days.
I remember when I vacationed in West Texas in November 2005. I was averaging 100 miles a day in my car while never leaving the state of Texas. Right now as I am vacationing in Montana and Wyoming I am awestruck at the endless rolling grasslands of the Great Plains. What I am experiencing isn't even remotely close to capturing the enormity of the landscape of this part of the American West.
As I experience the terrain, elements, history, and wildlife of the American West I call to mind what the historian Dee Brown told documentarian Ric Burns in Burns' magnificent documentary The Way West. Brown (who wrote Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee) told Burns. "The Western Experience forms a major part of the American mythology. We see it as America."
Standing here in a small town in Wyoming, I see the truth in what Dee Brown said and I find comfort and hope in that truth. Travelling through this land makes you fall in love with your country.
In the East one is always confronted by the noise of city and suburban life. In the West (unless you live in a major city) one is struck by the absence of noise. The other day I was hiking alone on a lonely ridge that was the site of the Fetterman Massacre (which took place in December 1866). I could see the lanes of U.S. Route 90 snaking through the Wyoming grasslands yet the freeway seemed so distant as if it didn't even exist. In a sense I felt as if I were in a bubble cut off from modern civilization; as I were communing with the spirit of 1866.
Out West one can sense the antiquity of the land. In some places the terrain hasn't changed since the dawn of time. It is that permanence which lends a magic aura to the natural treasures which makes our country beautiful. Whereas in the East, massive changes in the land make what was a memory we can only imagine.
You have to go to the West to appreciate the true vastness of America. I can travel through five states in six hours if I drive through the Northeast but out West one can remain in the same state for days.
I remember when I vacationed in West Texas in November 2005. I was averaging 100 miles a day in my car while never leaving the state of Texas. Right now as I am vacationing in Montana and Wyoming I am awestruck at the endless rolling grasslands of the Great Plains. What I am experiencing isn't even remotely close to capturing the enormity of the landscape of this part of the American West.
As I experience the terrain, elements, history, and wildlife of the American West I call to mind what the historian Dee Brown told documentarian Ric Burns in Burns' magnificent documentary The Way West. Brown (who wrote Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee) told Burns. "The Western Experience forms a major part of the American mythology. We see it as America."
Standing here in a small town in Wyoming, I see the truth in what Dee Brown said and I find comfort and hope in that truth. Travelling through this land makes you fall in love with your country.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Jack Kemp: A Gridiron Perspective
It’s interesting (and a tad unfortunate) that the press, when covering the death of Jack Kemp, focused more on his political career as a congressman, Presidential candidate and Vice-Presidential candidate, conservative advocate, and cabinet member of the George H.W. Bush Administration than on his professional football career. Indeed the media treated his career as a minor footnote in Kemp’s distinguished life.
That is unfair to Kemp’s memory. Jack Kemp’s professional football career was an amazing story of perseverance, courage, leadership, and triumph. It was during his pro football career that Kemp developed the characteristics and qualities that launched his political career and led him into a life of distinguished public service which stretched from the 1970’s to the 1990’s.
Kemp was a quarterback drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1957 from Occidental College in California. He was behind NFL Hall-of-Famer Bobby Layne and veteran all-pro Tobin Rote on the depth chart. His stay with the Lions was not particularly pleasant. One time Bobby Layne convened a quarterbacks meeting at the Tiger Stadium bar. (Layne’s magnificent skills as a quarterback were matched by his drinking prowess). Layne and Tobin Rote (who, ironically, would later replace Kemp as starting quarterback of the San Diego Chargers in 1963) were drinking beer while Kemp, a raw rookie was drinking soda pop. Layne and Rote were going over that week’s game plan while Kemp, awed by the two veterans, was content to listen, not saying a word. Layne finished the meeting and ordered another round of drinks for Rote and himself. He stared at Kemp sipping his soda and grumbled, “Kid, if you want to make it in this league, you’re gonna have to learn to drink.” Kemp was eventually cut by the Lions and bounced around for two more years as a taxi squad quarterback for the New York Giants and a brief spell in the Canadian Football League.
It was the creation of the American Football League in 1960 that gave Jack Kemp the opportunity to demonstrate his skills as a starting quarterback. He was signed by the Los Angeles (later San Diego) Chargers. He was the field general leading the offense for Chargers head coach Sid Gillman. Gillman is seen by many football historians as the man who developed the tactical antecedents of what is now known as the West Coast Offense. Kemp had a powerful throwing arm and great receivers and running backs to throw to. Kemp was ranked the best quarterback in the AFL in 1960 and led the Chargers to two AFL Championship game appearances in 1960 and 1961 (losing both times to the Houston Oilers who are now the Tennessee Titans).
Kemp’s world changed in 1962 when he broke his hand and was waived (either accidentally or deliberately) by the Chargers and claimed by the Buffalo Bills for a mere $100. Kemp would remain with the Bills for the remainder of his football career. The Buffalo Bills were an anomaly in the AFL: a team that lived and breathed on its defense. Kemp virtually led a no-name offense. The only Hall-of-Fame player on the offense was offensive guard Billy Shaw. The Bills had no dominant running back and an average receiving corps. Kemp had his work cut out for him.
Amazingly, Kemp overcame the Bills offensive limitations and led the Bills to three consecutive AFL Championship Game appearances in 1964, 1965, and 1966 (winning the title in 1964 and 1965). What’s amazing was that Kemp’s personal stats were hardly championship caliber. During those dynasty years Kemp’s passing percentages were always below 50%. He was never the top-ranked quarterback in the AFL (indeed he wasn’t even among the top five) during those dynasty years. He threw more interceptions than completions. Indeed the Bills offense gained most of its first downs by rushing instead on passing.
And yet Kemp led the Buffalo Bills to the only championship titles in their existence. What Kemp lacked in gaudy stats he made up for in leadership. Kemp provided constancy and stability to the Bills offensive unit. He called and made the plays that needed to be made when leading the Bills downfield. His prior championship game appearances with the Chargers provided him with the experience needed to handle the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the post-season. He was popular with his teammates (many of whom would stand by his side when he later ran for the political office). He was a moving force for the establishment of the AFL players union (which would later merge with the NFL players union). His union organizing experience would hone his advocacy skills that he would later use as a congressman and Presidential candidate. Kemp’s leadership skills illustrate a seldom seen lesson in the annals of pro football: that you don’t need overwhelming stats to become a championship quarterback. There are many examples of quarterbacks who had unspectacular stats leading their teams to titles: Charley Conerly, Kenny Stabler, and Trent Dilfer come to mind. None of them were in the same league as Dan Marino, Joe Montana, or Johnny Unitas yet they led their teams to championship titles. Look at the other great quarterback in Buffalo Bills history: Jim Kelly. Kelly’s passing records dwarf Jack Kemp’s by a wide margin and he led the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances but, unlike Kemp, Kelly could not lead the Bills to victory. Some cynics may suggest that you cannot compare the pre-Super Bowl era title games to the present-day Super Bowl experiences but a title game is a title game is a title game is a title game. You still have win when it counts. Jack Kemp did it. Jim Kelly didn’t.
After 1966 Kemp’s playing career went into decline. Age and injuries sapped Kemp’s and the rest of the Bills’ effectiveness. When he retired in 1969 he led all AFL quarterbacks in pass attempts, completions, and passing yards. Football historian Sean Lahman ranks Kemp at number 52 among all pro-quarterbacks (interestingly he ranks Jim Kelly at number 21). Whatever one thought about Jack Kemp’s political convictions there is one thing which cannot be denied. Jack Kemp was a championship quarterback, a winner.
May he rest in peace.
That is unfair to Kemp’s memory. Jack Kemp’s professional football career was an amazing story of perseverance, courage, leadership, and triumph. It was during his pro football career that Kemp developed the characteristics and qualities that launched his political career and led him into a life of distinguished public service which stretched from the 1970’s to the 1990’s.
Kemp was a quarterback drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1957 from Occidental College in California. He was behind NFL Hall-of-Famer Bobby Layne and veteran all-pro Tobin Rote on the depth chart. His stay with the Lions was not particularly pleasant. One time Bobby Layne convened a quarterbacks meeting at the Tiger Stadium bar. (Layne’s magnificent skills as a quarterback were matched by his drinking prowess). Layne and Tobin Rote (who, ironically, would later replace Kemp as starting quarterback of the San Diego Chargers in 1963) were drinking beer while Kemp, a raw rookie was drinking soda pop. Layne and Rote were going over that week’s game plan while Kemp, awed by the two veterans, was content to listen, not saying a word. Layne finished the meeting and ordered another round of drinks for Rote and himself. He stared at Kemp sipping his soda and grumbled, “Kid, if you want to make it in this league, you’re gonna have to learn to drink.” Kemp was eventually cut by the Lions and bounced around for two more years as a taxi squad quarterback for the New York Giants and a brief spell in the Canadian Football League.
It was the creation of the American Football League in 1960 that gave Jack Kemp the opportunity to demonstrate his skills as a starting quarterback. He was signed by the Los Angeles (later San Diego) Chargers. He was the field general leading the offense for Chargers head coach Sid Gillman. Gillman is seen by many football historians as the man who developed the tactical antecedents of what is now known as the West Coast Offense. Kemp had a powerful throwing arm and great receivers and running backs to throw to. Kemp was ranked the best quarterback in the AFL in 1960 and led the Chargers to two AFL Championship game appearances in 1960 and 1961 (losing both times to the Houston Oilers who are now the Tennessee Titans).
Kemp’s world changed in 1962 when he broke his hand and was waived (either accidentally or deliberately) by the Chargers and claimed by the Buffalo Bills for a mere $100. Kemp would remain with the Bills for the remainder of his football career. The Buffalo Bills were an anomaly in the AFL: a team that lived and breathed on its defense. Kemp virtually led a no-name offense. The only Hall-of-Fame player on the offense was offensive guard Billy Shaw. The Bills had no dominant running back and an average receiving corps. Kemp had his work cut out for him.
Amazingly, Kemp overcame the Bills offensive limitations and led the Bills to three consecutive AFL Championship Game appearances in 1964, 1965, and 1966 (winning the title in 1964 and 1965). What’s amazing was that Kemp’s personal stats were hardly championship caliber. During those dynasty years Kemp’s passing percentages were always below 50%. He was never the top-ranked quarterback in the AFL (indeed he wasn’t even among the top five) during those dynasty years. He threw more interceptions than completions. Indeed the Bills offense gained most of its first downs by rushing instead on passing.
And yet Kemp led the Buffalo Bills to the only championship titles in their existence. What Kemp lacked in gaudy stats he made up for in leadership. Kemp provided constancy and stability to the Bills offensive unit. He called and made the plays that needed to be made when leading the Bills downfield. His prior championship game appearances with the Chargers provided him with the experience needed to handle the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the post-season. He was popular with his teammates (many of whom would stand by his side when he later ran for the political office). He was a moving force for the establishment of the AFL players union (which would later merge with the NFL players union). His union organizing experience would hone his advocacy skills that he would later use as a congressman and Presidential candidate. Kemp’s leadership skills illustrate a seldom seen lesson in the annals of pro football: that you don’t need overwhelming stats to become a championship quarterback. There are many examples of quarterbacks who had unspectacular stats leading their teams to titles: Charley Conerly, Kenny Stabler, and Trent Dilfer come to mind. None of them were in the same league as Dan Marino, Joe Montana, or Johnny Unitas yet they led their teams to championship titles. Look at the other great quarterback in Buffalo Bills history: Jim Kelly. Kelly’s passing records dwarf Jack Kemp’s by a wide margin and he led the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances but, unlike Kemp, Kelly could not lead the Bills to victory. Some cynics may suggest that you cannot compare the pre-Super Bowl era title games to the present-day Super Bowl experiences but a title game is a title game is a title game is a title game. You still have win when it counts. Jack Kemp did it. Jim Kelly didn’t.
After 1966 Kemp’s playing career went into decline. Age and injuries sapped Kemp’s and the rest of the Bills’ effectiveness. When he retired in 1969 he led all AFL quarterbacks in pass attempts, completions, and passing yards. Football historian Sean Lahman ranks Kemp at number 52 among all pro-quarterbacks (interestingly he ranks Jim Kelly at number 21). Whatever one thought about Jack Kemp’s political convictions there is one thing which cannot be denied. Jack Kemp was a championship quarterback, a winner.
May he rest in peace.
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