There's a story out tonight that President Obama may pick a Supreme Court nominee as early as this week, which doesn't surprise me much (and I still think, more than ever, that it will be federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor). What does surprise me, a little, is this bizarre interview with Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, recounting his phone conversation with the president:
Hatch raised concerns initially that Obama was using “buzz words” for a liberal activist justice by suggesting he wanted someone who had “empathy” for the country’s problems. But Obama told Hatch “that was not what he meant, and I take him at his word ... and that he assured me that he would not be picking a radical or an extremist for the court that he was very pragmatic in his approach and that he would pick somebody who would abide by the rule of law.”
Really! I mean heaven forbid we had someone up there in a black robe actually caring about the problems and everyday concerns of Americans, as opposed to the button-down corporatist toadies we mostly have in there now. Did you know that "empathy" is an evil code word for "socialist," because I did not know that. In fact, here is the definition of "empathy" from Wikipedia:
Empathy is the capability to share your feelings and understand another's emotion and feelings. It is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes," or in some way experience what the other person is feeling.
Good God! It's true -- Obama is going to destroy the social fabric of this nation, and in just 110 days, no less. Appointing judges who are able to see things from someone else's perspective! Seriously, haven't Orrin Hatch and the rest of the GOP heard of multi-tasking, that maybe it's possible to follow the rule of law and have "empathy" at the same time? You have to wonder how the party leaders can have a successful "listening tour" when they think "empathy" is from a foreign language.
Yes! For once I get to preempt every psychotic poster on your blog with a rational, agreeable response about how empathy does not, in fact, indicate radical liberalism. Let the rest of philly.com's troglodytes have at it!— arvcondor
Comment removed.- Didn't know that the GOP still exisited. Clearly "empathy" ranks right there with re-distribution, peace, and Spector as fightin' words.— ClarkU
- It was reported that upon hearing the word "empathy" the "founders" reached for their whips.— ClarkU
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- Doing what you and your brood do best, Will, calling people names...nyah nyah...get some class for a change.— AngryWhiteMale
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- In related news, the Obama administration announced plans for the new "Empathy" economy. No longer will the downtrodden be forced to work 40 hour weeks to pay reasonable prices for goods and services. With the new economy, people will work when they "feel like it", as long as they "feel" is necessary. When purchasing goods and services, people will pay what they "feel is fair". The Obama administration also revealed a new "Empathy Best Seller" list for books. For example, instead of the 3 copies of Will Bunch's book actually sold, it will be listed as a "Empathy #3 Best Seller with a politically incorrect gunpowder based projectile", and Bunch will be compensated accordingly, because he "feels" it should be.— JingoGuy
- Hey Will and comrades- how does your definition of "empathy" square with your abortion dogma? It doesn't look like you all have too much feelings for the baby being ripped apart limb from limb. Oh right, it was going to occur anyway, so let's make the murder of a baby safe and legal. Just like we do with prostitution, gambling, drug use and the like. Phony hypocrites.— WriteWinger
So, you could be a plaintiff, in the right and with the law on your side, and a SC Justice "feels" for the defendant and decides in their favor based on "feelings"...and that's OK with you? That's "fair"? That's ridiculous!! Grow up.— rudytbone- ---}}} what does "empathy" have to do with interpreting the constitution, {{{--- Ah yes. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the kind of thinking that brought us --snip-- Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) The Court upholds segregation and the constitutionality of the "separate but equal" doctrine. The ruling was intended only to keep Plessy, a notorious womanizer, away from Ferguson, whose wife was quite comely. However, in one of the wackiest mishaps in judicial history, it was used to keep an entire race of people down for half a century. --snip-- See, without that icky empathy stuff, we can pass laws to enforce "separate but equal." Watching the far-right loonies strangle what little life is left in the Republican Party is a sight to behold. Pass the popcorn.— Talking point sleuth
- LOL! Will, you did it again. Mentioning something as outrageous as "empathy" in the same sentence with "Supreme Court" is inevitably going to get the lunatic far-right Attytood Republican toadies lining up at their spittle-soaked computer screens. To top it off, they'll probably tell us yet again about how much they hate you (as they come back every day to tell us on every thread, every day), and how your politics have ruined the news industry (apparently unaware of how they're contributing to the DN by reading your blog obsessively).— Talking point sleuth
- The GOP has so totally "jumped the shark!"— ratbag
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
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