Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), a member of the Judiciary Committee that held hearings on Justices Roberts and Alito, said Democratic senators were “duped” into voting for the two’s appointment to the Supreme Court. Schumer, in a speech to the American Constitution Society, said, "We were too easily impressed by the charm of nominee Roberts and the erudition of nominee Alito." Schumer asked. "Their decency and intelligence should’ve tipped us off that they weren’t to be trusted.”

Schumer’s comments came just days after Sen. Arlen Specter (RINO-Penn) voiced concerns about Roberts and Alito. “It was our expectation that these appointees would shift to the left, like Souter, Stevens, and O’Connor did, once they were elevated to lifetime jobs on the Court,” Specter said. “They were all appointed by Republican presidents, but became solid bulwarks of liberal jurisprudence once they got on the Court.”

In a series of 5-4 rulings in the past year on topics such as abortion and racial integration, the court's conservative majority, bolstered by Roberts and Alito, showed what Schumer called “undue respect for the views of ordinary people. We have counted on the courts to overturn laws issuing from the biases of the electorate and their representatives. With the edition of Roberts and Alito, though, the Court is neglecting its traditional role as the nation’s supreme governing authority.”

Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer, spoke with Specter earlier this month, telling him that the court term that ended in June was notable for rulings that reversed some long-standing decisions. “The new ‘conservative bloc’ is undermining the authority of the judiciary.” Breyer complained. “If this trend is allowed to continue unchecked, the Court’s ability to rule this country will be seriously compromised. We can only hope that the Democratically controlled Senate will prevent any of Bush’s further nominees from being approved.”

Schumer opined that his “greatest regret” was not doing more to kill the Alito nomination. “Alito shouldn’t have been confirmed,” Schumer said. “I should have done a better job. My colleagues said we didn’t have the votes, but I think we should have twisted more arms and ‘borked’ him when we had the chance.”

Schumer concurred with Breyer’s assessment and vowed that the Senate will never confirm another Bush nominee. “The Supreme Court is dangerously out of balance. We cannot afford to see Justice Stevens replaced by another Roberts, or Justice Ginsburg by another Alito,” Schumer said. “Senator Barack Obama’s (D-Ill) pledge that his first Supreme Court nominee will be a gay, black homeless person is looking like the medicine we need to restore a proper balance of perspective to the Court. Regardless of which Democrat is elected president in 2008, I think we can look forward to more acceptable jurists being appointed to the courts.”

Arkansas State University Picks New Mascot

In accordance with the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s directive banning what it considers ethnically or racially hostile or abusive nicknames, mascots and imagery at championship events, Arkansas State University Chancellor Robert Potts announced that the school will be changing its team nickname. Formerly known as the “Indians,” the ASU teams will now be known as the “Weasels.”

Potts said the decision to change the nickname was not an easy one. “We thought we were honoring Native Americans by naming our team the ‘Indians,’” Potts said. “We even had testimonials from local tribes endorsing our perception. But the lure of money from televised NCAA sporting events is a persuasive one.”

Potts acknowledged that the new name was ironically fitting. “Weasel is an apt name for a school that knuckles under to pressure and greed,” Potts admitted. “Still, it's better than the alternatives on the list submitted by the student committee charged with coming up with alternative nicknames for our athletic trams. At least with ‘Weasels’ our mascot will have a decent and recognizable costume.”

Other prospective nicknames on the list included: “Wimps,” “Pussies,” “Worms,” “Wusses,” “Sissies,” “Jellyfish,” and “Great-White-Fathers.”

Leftwing Professor to Sue over Dismissal

Ward Churchill, the University of Colorado professor who has spent much of the last six years justifying al-Qaeda’s attacks on 9/11, has vowed to sue over his dismissal from his post by the Board of Regents. The regents voted 8-1 to dismiss him on grounds of academic misconduct and plagiarism.

Churchill's essay, titled "Some People Push Back: On Justice of Roosting Chickens," compared victims of the World Trade Center to Nazi Adolf Eichmann, who played a key role in the Nazis’ systematic murder of the Jews in the Holocaust. That comparison sparked a national outrage and ended up forcing reluctant school officials to closely scrutinize Churchill's academic writings and research.

Churchill's lawyer, David Lane, said he will file a First Amendment retaliation lawsuit. “My client may have cited bogus sources, invented ‘facts,’ and plagiarized the work of others,” Lane said. “But it is our contention that these are all forms of expression protected under the First Amendment. The fact that he is a despicable human being is of no consequence. The First Amendment is for the benefit of all Americans—good, bad or indifferent.”

Murtha Says it’s Time to Bring Our “Murdering Scum” Home

Rep. John Murtha (D-Penn.), a leading Iraq War critic said he’s pushing legislation that would order U.S. troop withdrawals to begin in the Fall and predicted Republicans will support it. “As I’ve been saying for some time, the troops deployed in Iraq have shown themselves to be ‘murdering scum,’” Murtha asserted. “Keeping them there only serves to perpetuate the slaughter and atrocities.”

Under Murtha’s plan, troop withdrawals would start in November 2007 and take about a year to complete. A vote on Rep. John Murtha's proposal likely will come in September, after Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus is expected to deliver a promised assessment on the war.

The House passed a similar proposal a few months ago, but President Bush vetoed it. But Murtha said he predicts this vote will be different because of polls indicating mounting voter frustration with the war. “It doesn’t really matter what Patraeus has to say,” Murtha added. “We all know this war is lost. The polls confirm it. It’s time to cut our losses.”

Bush has insisted that US troops need to remain engaged in Iraq to fight al-Qaeda and has repeatedly appealed to lawmakers for more patience. However, Murtha says his bill will be the president’s final chance to escape judgment. “If the president won’t agree to the withdrawal we will have to move House Resolution 333,” Murtha said. HR 333 is the impeachment resolution sponsored by presidential candidate Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio).

Venezuela Says It Has Outlawed Unemployment

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has issued a decree requiring that private businesses obtain government permission to fire or demote most employees. The Decree—“Organic Law on Worker Stability”—has been enacted using the Enabling Law powers granted to Chavez by the legislature earlier this year. The Enabling Law allows him to issue decrees that have the force of law without seeking approval from the National Assembly.

The new worker stability decree restricts private firms from firing, reassigning or demoting employees who have been employed by any firm for at least three months. Prior approval from a government labor inspector is required before such actions can be taken.

The law is being defended as a way to ensure job security. “With this new law, we will effectively abolish unemployment,” Chavez declared. “The days of capitalistic exploitation of labor are over for our country. The workers’ paradise is at hand.”

Chavez dismissed forecasts that workers protected from sanctions for poor performance would likely become less productive. “Productivity is not the be-all, end-all of everything,” Chavez pointed out. “Less stress on the job and more leisure time are much to be desired too. Look at what’s been done in Cuba. I will be happy if we can do half as well as Castro has for his country.”

Counterrevolutionaries, capitalist running dogs, and dissidents were warned to think twice. “It’s a lot longer than 90 miles to America from Venezuela,” Chavez observed.

Muslims Mellowing According to Survey

The Bush Administration has cited a Pew Research Center poll as a justification for its decision to fund armaments for the Fatah faction of the Palestinian government. According to the poll, “only” 70 percent of Palestinian Muslims now believe suicide bombing is justified. This is down from the 94 percent figure from last year’s poll. The Administration also took encouragement from the poll showing that the United States' image in Muslim-majority countries has risen to "abysmal" from last year’s “horrible.”

Guard Numbers on Border to Be Cut

According to the Bush Administration, the number of National Guard troops along the U.S.-Mexico border will be trimmed in half by the end of August. The Bush Administration characterized the move as “payback” for the people’s opposition to its immigration reform bill. “I can play ‘hardball’ too,” Bush said. “There’s more than one way to ensure the continued flow of much needed immigrants to America.”