Comments on: Of fads and sunlight

By: Trending in Action: “Ideas for Change in America” « Classroom to Capitol

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:30:17 +0000

[...] There is a certain ‘trendiness’ here: for example, one of the ideas that was originally sent to me was to require television of Supreme Court cases. I, for one, would really like to watch the Supreme Court, and it would be a cool teaching tool, but there are also some concerns about how such publicity might change the tenor of deliberation. What’s more interesting to me, really, than the pro and con of this issue is what it reflects: our current emphasis on transparency. [...]

By: melindaklewis

melindaklewis — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:27:10 +0000

Great to hear from you, Jason! And I’m glad that we can still ‘talk’ on here, at least! I hope that your classes are going well this semester, too! Thanks for sending the NYT link; I’m even more convinced about the need for Senate reform, obviously. I’d take several more bad laws passed between 1994-2006, if we could get something good through now. I don’t know if getting something rammed through now is possible, given the considerable distance between the House and Senate positions, or certainly wise, given the common view that the MA vote was a ‘referendum’ on universal health care (from the one state with it!). All that said, it may be the only option. The Supreme Court ruling is, to me, a symptom of the problem, not the problem itself. It’s totally logical and morally necessary if you view corporations as sentient beings deserving of the same constitutional protections as individuals. If you think that’s crazy, then, of course, the decision is really concerning, even dangerous. It’s that way of looking at corporations that drives policies like NAFTA’s rulings that corporations can sue governments for ‘appropriating profits’ with their environmental rulings, and it underlies the rationale for the decision yesterday.

I love to hear your thoughts, and I so appreciate the chance to bounce things off you–let me know what else is on your mind!

By: Jason Gerig

Jason Gerig — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:11:40 +0000

Oh, Melinda. I wish I still had your class so I could ask you all the things I want to get your perspective on…. Health Care: the current bill has to get to the President as soon as possible, yes? At least that’s what I just told Rep. Cleaver; SCOTUS: WHAT!? How much more power will we give corporate America? Will McCain do something? Will Obama do something?; Jay Leno’s hosting the Correspondent’s Dinner and Conan O’Brien’s leaving NBC!!??

What’s wrong with the world!!!???

(On a semi-related note, I thought this NYT op-ed did a fantastic job of summarizing what you commented to me on here a couple of weeks ago… http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/opinion/11geoghegan.html?scp=4&sq=filibuster&st=cse)