What a week... Or ten days as it were...
-Republicans siding with President Obama on the Pacific trade pact
-Confederate Flags being removed from state houses throughout the South
-The Supreme Court uploading a provision of Obamacare, essentially saving it
-ISIS orchestrating three near simultaneous terror attacks in three continents - Tunisia, Yemen and
France
-The return of the Supreme Court to render that marriage equality is the law of the land
-President Obama delivering an inspired foundation-grounding eulogy for Reverend Clementa
Pinkney leading the congregation through "Amazing Grace"
And those are even come close to covering it... Welcome to the world.
The moderator, Chuck Todd, had it correct that these past ten days cement President Obama's legacy and also bring it into distinct focus, the good and the bad.
The two Supreme Court decisions were to be expected, frankly. The Obamacare challenge should have never even come up, but that it had and now that the court has issued its ruling, repeal mentioned by Governor Bobby Jindal in his interview today (R-LA) is not a political reality. And the only thing that Republicans are gathering consensus is a feeling of relief. Now that the court has ruled they can continue to rhetorically oppose the law without the responsibility of coming up with a viable alternative. Obamacare may be flawed, for certain, but the truly disingenuous political games that Republicans have been playing - e.g. wasting time and tax payers' money with 50+ votes for repeal in the House - make you want to root for the law's success.
Though Justice John Roberts said that people across the country can celebrate the decision but not the reading of the Constitution that brought the decision about. Once again we turn to Mr. Jindal who said that he strongly opposes the Supreme Court's ruling because it's an attack on religious liberty and how it could man redefine an institution created by God? Obviously, five justices disagreed with Judge Roberts but even given the conflict of interpretation, in a less binding but equally significant document, the Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal," which we now rightfully include women, understanding that it means both. For Mr. Jindal's part, the notion that religious liberty is being thwarted in some way is ridiculous because when you consider and equate religious liberty to religious tolerance, the United States is more religiously tolerant than ever before. And marriage is a man-made tradition inspired by a belief in God, but still man-made which can be changed.
Mr. Jindal also explained that when it comes to race relations in the United States, he has spoken many times on the subject and is a strong advocate of racial equality. This is great that Mr. Jindal believes that no one in the United States should be discriminated against based on race, but gender and sexual identity is a completely different story? He mentioned the first amendment and if his reasoning for being against marriage equality is because it goes against God then that's a potential attack on that very amendment, which says that no law shall be made with respect to religion. (Our first amendment is quite pliable.)
It may seem like a lot of rapid social change going on a once, but the reality is that both racial and sexual-orientation justice have been a long long time in the making, as Newt Gingrich pointed out in the case of gay rights with the riots of Stonewall occurring 46 years ago. He also said that once same-sex marriage started happening in one state, there was no going back and that it was a just a matter of time before all states recognized it.
It has been all those little unrecognized transformational moments, drawn from pain from agony, that have come before to deliver 'just another one' like those delivered upon this week.
As for the Confederate Flag, we think you know where we stand. In the laws of social physics, there's only so much pressure that can build up before things blow [read: change dramatically].
With regard to Mr. Obama's presidency, his legacy and the credit to be given, the panel considered the term 'transformational.' His presidency is hyper-historic and his legacy, two defining aspects will be the Affordable Care Act and the significant social change that happened during his two terms. Kathleen Parker posed the question as to how much credit President Obama should receive for all this. We'd come down on the answer of 'a lot' but not 'all.' The president gets the credit because it is his administration that sets the tone, makes the arguments, presents the agendas and forces its position requiring others to respond.
Senator Ted Cruz's (R-TX) response was to call this week's one of the darkest in our history. Mr. Jindal said that if the country wanted to save money, it should get rid of the court as it is reading neither the Constitution nor the dictionary; if so, what makes him think they are reading the Bible either? It's not required reading for the justices. Mr. Todd asked him why Louisiana is the only state not to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple, Mr. Jindal responded by trying to dismiss this fact and half-heartedly gave a few 'procedural' answers.
But the real reason is that he doesn't like it hence the state is dragging its feet, a passive aggressive move not good if you're running for president; all because he believes it goes against the teachings of the Bible. Now that's taking religious liberties.
Panel: Charles Ogletree, Harvard University; Kathleen Parker, The Washington Post; Michael Eric Dyson, Georgetown University; Newt Gingrich, Republican at Large
Quick Note...
Governor Jindal and Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) for that matter getting into the presidential race will bring the official count for the 'why not me' primary to 14, and this number doesn't include probable entrant Governor Scott Walker (R-WI). First, at 15 hopefully the party will feel it's reached its quota for candidates. We sit and hear the argument for Mr. Walker, but Mr. Jindal and Mr. Christie? Please, why? They must be running for cabinet positions, in which the joke would be on us when Mr. Christie is appointed Secretary of Transportation. Secondly, this many candidates with bomb-throwing tempers could have a gladiatorial political death effect on some careers. But what ever, why not me?
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