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Jolley on Cass Sunstein

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Anonymous

Guest
Latest News View All Jolley: Five Minutes With The Myth That Is Cass Sunstein
09/17/2009 02:56PM

Time to clear up a few things about Sunstein. First, he’s a bright guy. You might not like his politics but you don’t get to be a constitutional law professor at Harvard if the old gray matter isn’t fully functional. He does have some off beat ideas about animal rights, though.

A few days ago, Sunstein was confirmed as the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. As Obama's "Regulatory Czar," he will be responsible for approving all the rules and regulations proposed by federal agencies. Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association quickly expressed disappointment. A few other animal ag organizations also raised a red flag.

"TSCRA is very concerned that Sunstein, a vocal animal rights activist, will allow his personal feelings against animal agriculture to shape federal regulations that will ultimately harm the cattle industry," said TSCRA President and rancher Dave Scott.

Important distinction #1: He is responsible for approving rules and regs, not writing them. Quick sigh of relief.

Fox News host Glenn Beck, who has been known for occasionally doing a great impression of Chicken Little on things that fall on the left side of the political aisle, said this a year-and-a-half ago: "The day may not be far off, animal lawyers say, when animals are not only present in the court room but participating in the proceedings."

Beck floated the idea that a rancher might be dragged into court by a disgruntled cow. Beck's worst fears are based on a paper Sunstein wrote in 2002. He argued that individuals as well as the state should be able to file suit for animal cruelty – meaning your neighbors might be able to get after you if they think you’re too harsh with the herd. .

What Sunstein said is animal-cruelty laws are enforced only when a public prosecutor files charges. He thinks it’s an "enforcement gap" that should be closed by allowing anyone to file civil lawsuits.

"The very idea might seem absurd," he wrote, "but it is simpler and more conventional than it appears. Just as a child might be represented by an adult human, so, too, would an animal.”

Important distinction #2: The folks at HSUS/PETA and their fellow travelers have already begun playing that card, using undercover video to prod the local D.A. into action. Nothing new here.

Still, a fearful writer for the Center for Consumer Freedom said this about Sunstein: “As the individual about to assume “the most important position that Americans know nothing about,” Sunstein owes the public an honest appraisal of his animal rights goals before taking office. Will the next four years be a dream-come-true for anti-meat, anti-hunting, and anti-everything-else radicals? Time will tell. For now, meat lovers might want to stock their freezers.”

What led directly to the Sunstein fear was a book called Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions, edited by him and Martha Nussbaum. You should take a few hours to read it. Sunstein’s real or imagined influence notwithstanding, it’s a blueprint for the future of the animal rights movement.

Sunstein clarified his thoughts in a 2007 speech at Harvard University: "[Our] willingness to subject animals to unjustified suffering will be seen as a form of unconscionable barbarity… morally akin to slavery and the mass extermination of human beings."

Important distinction #3: That horse is already well out of the barn; long gone down the trail, never to return. We’ve all survived with rules about dog fighting (just ask Michael Vick), beating a horse and cockfighting. Most animal ag people were serious practitioners of proper animal care, anyway. Again, nothing new here.

If you want to worry about something, listen to this Sunstein quote: "We ought to ban hunting, I suggest, if there isn't a purpose other than sport and fun. That should be against the law. It's time now."

So Sunstein would play Duck, Duck, Goose with your hunting season, gradually putting everybody out of that game. Ducks Unlimited, Whitetails Unlimited and United Sportsmen of America should be very careful here. No more long walks out to the marsh on a frigid morning, no hiding out in a blind, waiting for a deer to stroll by – the ‘season’ will be gone forever.

Beck's panic isn’t shared by other conservatives. Obama’s boys pointed out that Sunstein was endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, C. Boyden Gray and the Wall Street Journal. Forbes magazine, the foremost chronicler of all things conservative, got behind the Sunstein nomination, calling him ‘Neither an easy ally, nor a wilting lily.”

Writers Richard L. Revesz and Michael A. Livermore said “The painful costs of under-regulation are widely apparent: from a real estate bubble built on bad lending practices, to the looming threat of climate change. Some business leaders may not admit it, but good regulation saves society money by setting the rules of the road. Without wise regulation, economic growth too often comes with a price tag that is more than it is worth.”

Revesz and Livermore called him not a friend of the extreme right or left, but a compromiser; a good thing in these days of marginalizing politics. “Today, it is not ideological purity that will save us, but sound judgment and a pragmatic spirit willing to take what we need from all perspectives, and leave the rest.”

Bottom line: Sunstein isn’t the cleverly disguised devil Beck would have you believe. Unless, of course, hunting is your passion. Then you better keep an eye on him.
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
You know R2, you keep talking about CRUSHES.
CRUSHES as in HIGH SCHOOL...get over it. Grow up.
I'm a mature woman, I don't have crushes.
Obviously you have a problem...maybe you should GET OVER
YOURSELF.


I'm interested in my country...and hope it can survive what's
currently happening to bring it to its knees. These guys are passionate
about the message they bring to those who are interested.
And Hannity is no joke, he's very concerned. Letterman doesn't deserve to have his name mentioned in the same sentence.

You keep shooting the messenger. If you bring up me and CRUSHES one more time, I'll just pass it off as some kind of fixation you have...poor disturbed you...
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
Well, hopalong, you'll have to repost that. Something happened to
it. I was about to reply that "now that you mention it, I think you're
absolutely right."

Amazing that a simple post could disappear so fast.
What's up with that?
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
Faster horses said:
Well, hopalong, you'll have to repost that. Something happened to
it. I was about to reply that "now that you mention it, I think you're
absolutely right."

Amazing that a simple post could disappear so fast.
What's up with that?


Must of had a moderator "johnny on the spot" :roll:

Maybe the moderator could put in some time and remove the useless "Pie" posts of badaxe and reader.That wouldn't be censorship it would just be picking up litter.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
reader (the Second) said:
FH - your behavior yesterday required an apology. Teasing you doesn't hold a candle to your stepping out of character and libeling me.
And your encouraging pornographic, rabid rantings of sad old men is pathetic frankly.

Ranchers HAS already started and implemented tort reform r2. Sorry you have no case. Next case pleaseeeeeeee. :wink:
 

hopalong

Well-known member
NO worse that you sweetie alice and the PRi%k word and a$$hole word she uses yet you applaud her waht bout nono and his some people gay and worse??

You seem to condone that hypocrite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
reader (the Second) said:
Pig Farmer and hopalong post vile gutter talk and you appear to be applauding it. If this is the case, you should be ashamed. It's totally out of character.

R2This is the thired post you have accused me of vile talk you best cease and desist. Or I intend to seek an injuction against you in a Hamas or Palestenian court.

Dont think for one moment they wont hear the case. I will seek as punishment for your false and malicious statements that you must wear muslim apparel for no less than 12 months. You have been warned. :mad: :wink:
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Faster horses said:
Last night Hannity listed the 10 most dangerous people that are
Obama's advisors. Cass Sunstein was number 2.

Yep-- but I agree with Jolley- I don't think he's worth all the cases of Depends that some of cultist followers of Beck, Rush, and the Hannitys, etal have used up because of him...



Beck's panic isn’t shared by other conservatives. Obama’s boys pointed out that Sunstein was endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, C. Boyden Gray and the Wall Street Journal. Forbes magazine, the foremost chronicler of all things conservative, got behind the Sunstein nomination, calling him ‘Neither an easy ally, nor a wilting lily.”

Writers Richard L. Revesz and Michael A. Livermore said “The painful costs of under-regulation are widely apparent: from a real estate bubble built on bad lending practices, to the looming threat of climate change. Some business leaders may not admit it, but good regulation saves society money by setting the rules of the road. Without wise regulation, economic growth too often comes with a price tag that is more than it is worth.”

Revesz and Livermore called him not a friend of the extreme right or left, but a compromiser; a good thing in these days of marginalizing politics. “Today, it is not ideological purity that will save us, but sound judgment and a pragmatic spirit willing to take what we need from all perspectives, and leave the rest.”

Bottom line: Sunstein isn’t the cleverly disguised devil Beck would have you believe. Unless, of course, hunting is your passion. Then you better keep an eye on him.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
reader (the Second) said:
Pig Farmer - every post that you post that is racist or gutter talk I will call out. Be warned.

Your threat is totally inappropriate and the fact that you don't understand that is scary.

R2 if my post is scary to you you should apreciate everyone one on here that is demanding the constitution be implemented. If people like hopy mike hypo and all the other birthers dont take a stand not to long in the future sharia law will be implemeted in this country.

The jews will be the first the muslims attack then they will go after the weak kneeed lilly livered cowards.

Now a person of your ethnic background should tremble at the thought of these muslim radicals getting stronger in this coutry. But either your ethnic background is not as you psot or you think you are above anything that might be tosssed at you under sharia law. :wink:
 

Buckeye

Well-known member
I didn't bother reading past #1, since the TRUTH is:

Specific OIRA responsibilities include:

DEVELOPING and overseeing the implementation of Administration policies in the areas

– Statistical policy;
– Information technology;
Privacy; and
– Data quality.
This means that Cass Sunstein will have as much input into policy as Obama Hussein Obama wants him to have, and since Barack Hussein Obama has no idea how to be President and delegates everything to a hand-picked group who he is in ideological agreement with there is no reason at all to doubt that Sunstein will get to implement some of his whackjob ideas.
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
"There is no reason to believe that in the face of statutory ambiguity, the meaning of federal law should be settled by the inclinations and predispositions of federal judges. The outcome should instead depend on the commitments and beliefs of the President and those who operate under him," argued Sunstein.

This statement was the central thesis of Sunstein's 2006 Yale Law School paper, "Beyond Marbury: The Executive's Power to Say What the Law Is."
 
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