I met Sandra Day O'Connor today

[Okla-homey]

Listened to her talk for an hour and a half. She's a cool old broad. I marveled at her intellect and good sense.

She was born on a ranch out in Arizona and was sent away to school in El Paso when she turned seven,

Incredible lady. For the record.

[Flagstaffsooner]

There used to be alot of people with good sense in AZ, ie, Barry Goldwater.

[VeeJay]

She's a cool old broad.



Not only that, she was the first Supreme Court Broad.

[Okla-homey]

Not only that, she was the first Supreme Court Broad.

Thanks to Ronaldus Maximus. Gawd how I miss that man.

[VeeJay]

Yep - there ain't been nuttin close since 1989.

I heard Bush 43 referred to as "the brush cutter in chief" today. He's trying to be Reagan, but it ain't working for him.

[Widescreen]

Susan Estrich has shunned O'Connor (read this yesterday).

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276574,00.html

Apparently Estrich thinks O'Connor should've stuck it out for the rest of this administration. And, I suppose if a Republican wins again in '08, she would expect O'Connor to continue for another 4 or 8 years. What a yainch.

[Okla-homey]

Susan Estrich has shunned O'Connor (read this yesterday).

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276574,00.html

Apparently Estrich thinks O'Connor should've stuck it out for the rest of this administration. And, I suppose if a Republican wins again in '08, she would expect O'Connor to continue for another 4 or 8 years. What a yainch.

Susan estrich isn't fit to take out Justice O'Connor's trash.

[VeeJay]

Estrich couldn't carry O'Connor's sports bra.

Smoke another pack of Camels, Susan. That voice is sooooo sexy

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

We're one turnaround short of judicial sanity up there. It may be as close as we're going to get!

[AllAboutThe'O']

Listened to her talk for an hour and a half. She's a cool old broad. I marveled at her intellect and good sense.

She was born on a ranch out in Arizona and was sent away to school in El Paso when she turned seven,

Incredible lady. For the record.
For the record, I hope you didn't pull a John Riggins and tell her to "loosen up.";)

[47straight]

90 minutes? Must have been just enough time for her to outline half of one of her 20 part balancing tests.

[Okla-homey]

90 minutes? Must have been just enough time for her to outline half of one of her 20 part balancing tests.

The thing that stands out about her for me, is her consistent view that states should be left alone as "laboratories" to try out new social experiments. IOW, if a state wants to try some progressive or controversial thing like gay marriage or allowing a certain amount of morality training in public schools, they should be allowed to do so. Only that way, can the rest of the country decide if its right for the broader nation.

Here's the full Tulsa World article this morning about her talk at TU. BTW, she took lawyers to task who treat the practice of law like a business all about making moolah.

Also, she insists our kids must be taught US History in skools. It is vital for our collective national consciousness. I quite agree. I would add, it must be taught with the warts on, including the "unpleasant" stuff and it should NOT be totally date and fact focused -- which is what makes so many hate it. It should focus on important themes and how our past made us what we are today.


Former Supreme Court Justice Speaks at TU: Constitutional liberties at risk, O'Connor says

MICHAEL WYKE / Tulsa World

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor speaks Friday at the University of Tulsa. She said lawyers do not seem to enjoy practicing law as much as they did when she started.

Funny and matter-of-fact, retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor advocated for keeping the court system independent, giving states the first crack at addressing problems and teaching law students to be professionals, not business people merely out to make money.

O'Connor spoke Friday afternoon at the University of Tulsa in a discussion that was open to the public.

O'Connor quoted the criticism that judges are "godless, secular and activist," digging into the latter like it was a dirty word.

She rattled off proposed legislation in various states and the federal government to punish judges who make decisions that other government officials do not like.

She hypothesized that the criticism of judges stemmed from the Terri Schiavo case, in which courts ruled that a feeding tube should be removed from Schiavo, who was brain-damaged, at the request of her husband and against the wishes of her parents.

After the court rulings, at least one member of Congress spoke of impeaching judges involved in the case.

Constitutional framers wanted judges to be able to make decisions fairly, impartially and to the best of their ability, O'Connor said.

"The courts have meant so much to the American people. We have a bill of rights that's . . . precious," she said.

"The idea we would place those (constitutional protections) in jeopardy is beyond my understanding."

She said the country should ensure that schools are teaching students government and U.S. history so students understand the value of constitutional rights.

O'Connor, who served in all three branches of government in Arizona, said she thinks those who wrote the U.S. Constitution intended for states to have first dibs on working out issues such as taxes, welfare, public programs and more.

She cautioned that states are not always right or perfect.

O'Connor had plenty of advice for lawyers in training and those already in the profession.

She lamented the rise of salaries, saying young lawyers have to work nonstop to get enough clients to justify their pay.

"I don't think lawyers have nearly as happy a time practicing law today as when I was first out trying to practice law," she said.

She later said of lawyers, "We have obligations of civility and respect for the process and each other."

Lawyers should try to make the world a better place, she said.

O'Connor encouraged law stu dents to work in public service, and she said she hoped TU would find donors to subsidize new graduates who want to work in low-paying public service jobs, as some colleges are doing.

She also said: "As a judge, I learned, don't try to look back constantly and ask, 'Did I get it right?' . . . For heaven's sake, don't second-guess yourself. You'll just be unhappy if you do."

[47straight]

The thing that stands out about her for me, is her consistent view that states should be left alone as "laboratories" to try out new social experiments. IOW, if a state wants to try some progressive or controversial thing like gay marriage or allowing a certain amount of morality training in public schools, they should be allowed to do so. Only that way, can the rest of the country decide if its right for the broader nation.

Sometimes. She also said that because an issue is controversial it MUST be decided at the federal level. Which triggered the "imperial judiciary" crackback by Scalia. Speaking of Scalia...

"Here's the full Tulsa World article this morning about her talk at TU. BTW, she took lawyers to task who treat the practice of law like a business all about making moolah."


Scalia said the same thing when I heard him speak earlier this year.

I'm glad TU got such a good speaker.

[okienole3]

She spoke at OCU back in my first year of law school. She is definitely a cool lady. I remember her telling a story that in law school, Rehnquist was ranked number 1 and she was ranked 3. I wonder who was 2?

Susan Estrich can suck an egg.

http://www.foxnews.com/images/272881/0_62_Estrich2007.jpg

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Okla-homey]

SDO is also in the national Cowgirl Hall of Fame and once hit a hole in one.

She told us yesterday she hit balls for five years before she ever played a round. She believes in doing your best no matter what you do. She also doesn't suffer duffers lightly who jam up the course to the chagrin of people who practice and are trying hard to play the best round they can.

Therefore, I bet she could take Susan Estrich.

[Widescreen]

SDO is also in the national Cowgirl Hall of Fame and once hit a hole in one.
See? Holes in one are NO BIG DEAL. Certain people around here need to hear that.



;)

[47straight]

She spoke at OCU back in my first year of law school. She is definitely a cool lady. I remember her telling a story that in law school, Rehnquist was ranked number 1 and she was ranked 3. I wonder who was 2?

The joke I have heard many times is that the number 2 grad is probably a jillionaire partner at a law firm now lounging on a beach somewhere.

[47straight]

She also doesn't suffer duffers lightly who jam up the course to the chagrin of people who practice and are trying hard to play the best round they can.

If I had a 6 figure salary job with life tenure that only worked 10 months out of the year I'd have time to practice hard too. :texan:

[Okla-homey]

The joke I have heard many times is that the number 2 grad is probably a jillionaire partner at a law firm now lounging on a beach somewhere.

she told a story about that. It seems the whole thing was made up by a journalist because at that time, Stanford didn't calculate class rank...altho they all agree Rehnquist was brilliant and he had to have been number one. O'Connor was his study partner, and no slouch herself, so they just kinda let the number #3 thing go for her.

Anyhoo, at her 25 year Stanford reunion, they put small gift boxes at everyone's place at the dinner table. When they opened them up, they all contained a little gavel with a brass ring engraved "You are Number Two," except for Rehnquist's which substituted #1 and hers which of course, said #3.

[Frozen Sooner]

Heh. Sounds like a cool lady. I'd have loved to be at that talk.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Yep - there ain't been nuttin close since 1989.

I heard Bush 43 referred to as "the brush cutter in chief" today. He's trying to be Reagan, but it ain't working for him.He's emulating Reagan only on a few things, and certainly not on one of the the issues most dear-growth of the welfare and entitlements state.

[okienole3]

she told a story about that. It seems the whole thing was made up by a journalist because at that time, Stanford didn't calculate class rank...altho they all agree Rehnquist was brilliant and he had to have been number one. O'Connor was his study partner, and no slouch herself, so they just kinda let the number #3 thing go for her.

Anyhoo, at her 25 year Stanford reunion, they put small gift boxes at everyone's place at the dinner table. When they opened them up, they all contained a little gavel with a brass ring engraved "You are Number Two," except for Rehnquist's which substituted #1 and hers which of course, said #3.

nice.