Senator Vitter’s Office Finally Comments On Judge Who Denied Interracial Marriage
Okay, you may have heard that GOP Senator David Vitter of Louisiana has come under fire for refusing to comment on or condemn Keith Bardwell, a white justice of the peace from his state who refused to preside over the nuptials of an interracial couple.
I’ve now gotten comment from Vitter’s office, and it won’t make his critics any happier. His spokesman tells me Vitter thinks “judges should follow the law.” But he didn’t directly comment on Bardwell or pass judgment on what he did, even though Governor Bobby Jindal and Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana have both called for the judge to resign or have his license revoked.
Vitter’s spokesman also seemed to suggest that asking for comment on Bardwell isn’t legit, and took a hard shot at blogger Mike Stark, who has been publicizing widely-circulated video of Vitter dodging questions about the judge. Vitter spokesman Joel DiGrado emails me this:
“First, Sen. Vitter thinks that all judges should follow the law as written and not make it up as they go along. Second, it would be amazing for anyone to do a story based on this fringe, left-wing political hack’s blog — he’s been handcuffed and detained in the past over his guerrilla tactics.”
I asked DiGrado in a follow-up email whether Senator Vitter agrees with Jindal and Landrieu that Bardwell should be removed. Will update if I hear back.
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Greg,
Just a reminder: The murder of a census worker in Kentucky?
I bet you don’t hear back.
This is just as dumb as that attempted hit on Steele for his “inadequate” comment regarding what Beck said. This is a silly game.
sbj — Jindal didn’t think it was “dumb” to be asked for comment, did he?
@greg: I guess Jindal is just too smart to give you any ammo? (”Dumb” refers to the attempt to portraying the response as inadequate and write “it won’t make his critics any happier.”)
Either a) Senator Vitter is politically tone-deaf, or else b) it’s seen as politically damaging to endorse interracial marriage in a Louisiana Republican Primary. I fear what the latter would say about Louisiana — although David Duke almost did win a Senate seat in that state a few years back.
sbj: do you believe that the response is adequate?
That response raises the interesting question of whether Vitter thinks that the Court was following the law when it issued Loving v. Virginia.
Hey SBJ,
Did you hear the latest audio from Bin Laden?
He mentioned you in it.
He said that he has been following your calls for America to stop attacking his terrorist compounds in Pakistan. He said that, even though you describe yourself as being “old, fat, and gay”, he still appreciates all your efforts to protect him, and his terrorist brethren.
He went on to say: “That SBJ guy sure is my favorite old fat gay Infidel”, and he then concluded by saying “death to The Yankees, and Go Philiadephia Phillies”.
OT:
Obama Announces Small Bank Bailout, Calls For Bigger SBA Loans
…today, we’re announcing new steps to support more lending to America’s small businesses – steps that will lead to more jobs, more growth, and a stronger economic recovery.
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/obama-announces-small-bank-bailout.php
Read Obama’s full statement on TPM. Brilliant.
I assume David Vitter is still just protecting the sanctity of his own marriage.
@Greg: You see Vito’s response above about interracial marriage? This is what happens when you write “it won’t make his critics any happier.”
Is the response adequate? Seems to be. Does Vitter have jurisdiction or any ability to remove this guy? Reminds me of Obama commenting on that Gates incident…
sbj
You’re so right. Why should a sitting Senator have any opinion on people being denied their basic legal rights in his home state. SUCH a gotcha question, the wise thing to do is not to comment on it. After all, there are two sides to every issue.
“Why should a sitting Senator have any opinion on people being denied their basic legal rights in his home state.”
I believe the Senator responded…you’re upset that he hadn’t issued any public statements before this?
Another ginned up “controversy”…
Folks,
Just to show you what a pathetic buffoon this SBJ guy is:
Here is what he just posted:
# sbj | October 21st, 2009 at 03:33 pm
Bush did not block stem cell research.
I’m sure that even liberal progressives here can see that my statement is literally true.
Liam must be thinking of government-funded research into umbilical stem cells obtained from non-approved lines?
Nancy Reagan and her Son Ron campaigned to reverse Bush’s decision to block all new lines of embryonic research to seek cures for many debilitating, and life shortening diseases.
President Obama reversed the Bush ban, and Nancy Reagan attended the signing event at the White House.
Nancy sure went to a lot of trouble to get something unblocked, that SBJ claims was never blocked.
The Reagan Family said that Bush was blocking essential stem cell research, so SBJ is calling them liars.
So SBJ,
Did you, or did you not hear the latest audio from Bin Laden?
He mentioned you in it.
He said that he has been following your calls for America to stop attacking his terrorist compounds in Pakistan. He said that, even though you describe yourself as being “old, fat, and gay”, he still appreciates all your efforts to protect him, and his terrorist brethren.
He went on to say: “That SBJ guy sure is my favorite old fat gay Infidel”, and he then concluded by saying “death to The Yankees, and Go Philiadephia Phillies”.
I’m thinking of starting my own blog called “Bin Laden’s favorite old fat gay Infidel.”
Whaddya think?
Another strong reason why we need a robust Public Option, and a ban on limiting what is covered, and on being able to drop people from coverage.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_OVERHAUL_SHIELDING_EMPLOYERS?SITE=FLROC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
THE INFLUENCE GAME: Firms resist new health rules
“What the firms want is to be able to keep extending health insurance to their workers free of many insurance regulations, such as those governing what services must be covered by a policy and when a person can be denied coverage.
That means that despite Obama’s pledges that people will no longer be subject to the most egregious aspects of today’s health care system – being denied insurance because of a health condition, shouldering crippling out-of-pocket costs, or facing limits or high costs for basic services and treatments – a wide swath of workers wouldn’t enjoy the same guarantees.
Several big business groups have banded together as the National Coalition on Benefits to preserve their special status, originally granted in the early 1970s for employers that take on the risks and costs associated with insuring their own workers. They’ve been bringing executives from companies large and small to Capitol Hill for meetings with lawmakers to drive home their slogan: “Don’t erode what works to fix what’s broken.”"
All Forty Republican Senators vote to stick it to Doctors.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/21/democrats-lose-vote-to-stop-steep-physician-payment-cuts/
“The AMA issued a statement Wednesday expressing its disappointment with the vote.
“As we work to improve the health system, permanent repeal of the payment formula is essential to ensuring the security and stability of Medicare,” said Dr. J. James Rohack, president the AMA.
“The formula is broken and needs to be repealed. Congress created the Medicare physician payment system, and Congress needs to fix this problem once and for all to fulfill its obligation to seniors, baby boomers and military families.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters that once the health care overhaul bill is off the floor, he will try again to pass a multi-year “doc fix.”
In the meantime, the Senate health care bill will include a one-year fix, assuring doctors they won’t face a dramatic 21 percent rate cut scheduled for 2010.
Reid said he was “stunned” when GOP support for the Stabenow bill dissolved. At one point, he said, he was told 27 Republicans were in favor of the bill.
He blamed what he called GOP obstructionism for the defeat.”
To follow up on my post about how all Forty Republicans voted to stick it to Doctors;
Senator Snowe has returned to the Obstructionists’ fold.
I’m tired of questions being labeled “gotcha” or not… especially when they clearly are not. This is not a hard question to answer… whether or not you believe the guy should keep his job doesn’t have to be part of the answer, but if you believe it is within human rights for interracial couples to marry, then say so. Unless he doesn’t… in which case, well, here we are, possibly…
The point is… on a fairly innocuous subject, why would you want a question hanging out there? Sure, it isn’t a question in the minds of his conservative supporters, but it will take more than their support for him to hold his seat. Moreover, he did nothing to put the question to bed.
Inadequate response.
HotAir: “The Baucus bill…uses the cuts in Medicare reimbursements as a baseline to get its CBO scoring of deficit neutrality. Reid deliberately hid these payment changes — which, to be fair, are entirely necessary to keep doctors in the Medicare business — to keep the CBO from delivering a damning verdict on the Senate’s version of reform.”
FDL: “Permanently fixing the SGR formula is a top priority of the American Medical Association (AMA). Harry Reid and the White House plans to introduce a $245 billion bill to do just that. The fact that the SGR fix is not paid for does not sit well with some conservative Democratic senators….
“It needs to be done but I couldn’t vote for something that is going to raise the deficit by $245 billion, not at a time when we are already hemorrhaging red ink,” Bayh said. “I am for the fix but I don’t think we should blow the roof off the deficit — not at a time when we are already running record deficits.”
“Failure to fix the SGR could cost Obama’s health care efforts the support of the AMA. Passing the fix will test Majority Leader Harry Reid’s and President Obama’s abilities to twist the arms of conservative Democratic senators into voting for cloture on a bill they object to.”
Does this tell us something about Reid’s ability to obtain a cloture vote for a Senate bill that contains a robust PO?
http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2009/10/16/harrys-other-headache-the-245-billion-medicare-payment-fix-to-buy-off-the-ama/
All Forty Republicans voted to deny adequate Medicare medical payments to Doctors. The entire lot of them, including Senator Snowe. She has resumed being a Republican Stepford Senator.
Democrats need to spread the word to all Seniors, that Republicans are trying to get Doctors to stop treating Medicare patients.
Why do Republicans hate Senior Citizens, and Doctors!
Hey Liam – don’t forget those thirteen Democratic Senators who also hate seniors and doctors!
Forty Seven Democrats voted to pay the Doctors proper levels of compensation. All was needed was just four Republicans Senators, who do not hate Senior Citizens and Doctors to vote for the bill, and it would have passed. Instead:
All Forty Republicans voted to deny adequate Medicare medical payments to Doctors. The entire lot of them, including Senator Snowe. She has resumed being a Republican Stepford Senator.
Democrats need to spread the word to all Seniors, that Republicans are trying to get Doctors to stop treating Medicare patients.
Why do Republicans hate Senior Citizens, and Doctors!
“Maneuvering to boost prospects for sweeping health care legislation, Senate Democrats hope first to win quick approval for a bill that grants doctors a $247 billion increase in Medicare fees over a decade but raises federal deficits in the process, officials said Wednesday.
“By creating a two-bill approach, Democrats intend to claim the more comprehensive health care measure meets President Barack Obama’s conditions — that it will neither add to deficits nor exceed $900 billion in costs over 10 years.
“Lawmakers frequently draft budgets that assume payment rates for doctors treating Medicare patients will fall rather than rise, part of a sleight of hand set of assumptions to make deficits appear smaller than they actually are. They then convene the following year and restore the money.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091014/ap_on_go_co/us_doctor_dollars
Another horror story about how Private Health Insurance Administrative Vermin denied a Woman coverage, because she had been given medicine to protect her from contracting AIDS, after it was feared that she had been raped.
The Insurance companies denied her coverage because they claimed her taking that treatment, was considered a pre-existing condition. Those bast@rds should be in gaol, instead of making decisions on peoples lives.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/21/insurance-companies-rape-_n_328708.html
Excerpt:
“Turner, 45, who used to be a health insurance underwriter herself, said the insurance companies examined her health records. Even after she explained the assault, the insurers would not sell her a policy because the HIV medication raised too many health questions. They told her they might reconsider in three or more years if she could prove that she was still AIDS-free.”
Shouldn’t the followup question to vitter be, “Did bardwell follow the law?”. If you’re going to give a pathetic non-answer (um DUH, of course judges have to follow the law – in and of itself, that’s a really stupid answer). The answer to that question is “No, bardwell did NOT follow the law” It wasn’t up to bardwell to pass his moral judgment on the couple; the law is clear on this issue. It the not-very-bright-vitter doesn’t want to address whether bardwell should be removed from office, okay, be a pathetic stooge and avoid the very simple issue. However, at least pretend that you believe in the rule of law and that Justice’s and Judges should be responsible for upholding those laws.
I sent the following email to Sen. Vitter’s office:
There are many issues I take umbrage with about this “statement”. First is does not address the issue at hand, which is that a Justice of the Peace (not a Judge as JOP’s are not and do not always have a formal legal education) did not perform his duties and clearly has a problem with interracial couples due to obvious racist beliefs. There is no ambiguousness here; he should be resoundly and specifically condemned for his actions and summarily dismissed post haste.
Second, the bulk of Vitter’s released statement focuses on what your office calls “fringe, left-wing political hack’s blog”. This man merely asked a legitimate question on why Mr. Vitter has not commented on what is a cut and dry case. To question his legitimacy by trying to generalize him as a “:”blogger”, “left wing”, “hack” and other infantile name calling speaks more about your administration than it does about Mr. Stark.
I can only help but wonder why Mr. Vitter would protect a racist. Is he worried that he might upset his racist base of constituents? For Shame Senator. I close in saying I am glad you do not represent my state.
What a ****** Greg is,the sad part is his hate just spreads to those lemmings that follow him.He probably has kids too that he teaches to hate other that ook or think differently then he does.What as *******,e proably raped his own mother too,along wth his younger brother.Child Molesting puke need to go to Jail!!!!Big ***** like him ill get his *** filled with the same **** he spws out of his moth ,,that s *** from his lover Obama !
LOL big poosie even practices censoring.Figures the racist scum is a facist dickless mofo too.
Why is this Vitter’s problem. The JP was a Democrat until recently. So does that make the Democrats racist?
Tempest in a thimble.
I see Obama name is brought up. Which this article is NOT about OBAMA at all. This is about VITTER and the JUDGE. Vitter is an idiot and we all know it. This judge should be let go from his duty. He was elected to up hold ALL LAWS. Even though this judge is a REPUBLICAN and come from a REPUBLICAN state. This judge has to lay his party down when he sitting on the bench. Of course REpublican stands for party of NO and party of HATRED. Now that is something to be proud of. The only reason the Republican took Steele o board is to spice things up llittle. Or else the party won’t any blacks in the party. That is the reaon they are called the “old white man club”. Hell they don’t want Palin in the group. Won’t much longer they will throw her under the bus for good.
Republican frauds like Vitter just keep getting reelected by the Republican base.
Republican Vitter is guilty of consorting with prostitutes and after the scandal was reported the Republican leadership gave him a standing ovation.
Republican Values = Vitter’s Prostitution Ovations.
And now Republican Vitter got caught with his moral pants down again.
First Republican Vitter voted for rape and now Republican Vitter couldn’t make a simple statement condemning a clearly racist right wing activist Judge.
And Republicans? Apparently they still plan to vote the guy back into office again.
Republicans are backing a racist whoremonger who voted for rape.
It’s impossible to even caricature Republicans any more.