Court Nominations, the TSA, and Climate Change Biases
President Obama nominates left-leaning Goodwin Liu to the Ninth Circuit court.
President Obama chooses retired Army Gen. Robert A. Harding to lead the Transportation Security Administration.
The New York Times publishes a story about how climate scientists are fighting back against Climategate accusations.
1. LEGAL
President Obama nominates left-leaning Goodwin Liu to the Ninth Circuit court.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Counsel Hans Bader on why Liu is a bad choice.
“Liu also believes in ‘a constitutional right to welfare’ (perhaps echoing Obama, who has expressed regret that the Supreme Court ‘didn’t break free’ from legal constraints in order to bring about ‘redistribution of wealth’). Liu is also a big user of politically-correct psychobabble, writing that a judge is supposed to be a ‘culturally situated interpreter of social meaning’ rather than an impartial umpire who interprets the law in accord with its plain meaning or its framers’ intent.”
2. SAFETY
President Obama chooses retired Army Gen. Robert A. Harding to lead the Transportation Security Administration.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Warren Brookes Fellow Ryan Young on why the social costs of TSA policies often outweigh the benefits.
“Terrorists are so rare that they can’t win by killing people. There are too many of us and too few of them. Terrorists can only win by scaring people. Making them overreact. Making them trade away their freedom for the illusion of security. The TSA, which is based on exactly that, represents the terrorists’ greatest victory yet.”
3. ENVIRONMENT
The New York Times publishes a story about how climate scientists are fighting back against Climategate accusations.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of Energy and Global Warming Policy Myron Ebell on how the New York Times and other media outlets are barely camouflaging their bias toward climate change alarmists.
“[New York Times columnist John] Broder’s analysis follows the party line that has been worked out among the leading alarmist climate scientists since the scandal broke on November 19, 2009. And Broder makes no effort to conceal where his sympathies lie. He writes: ‘But serious damage has already been done,’ and then discusses polling data that shows increasing public disbelief in the global warming crisis. From my perspective, that’s serious good that has been done, not damage, but then I’m not an unbiased, fair-minded Times reporter.”