Supreme stats: 106 white males among 110 justices

Today, more than 200 women hold federal judgeships, along with 88 African-Americans, 60 Hispanics and eight Asian-Americans.

All but four of the 110 Supreme Court justices in the nation's history have been white men. Two are African-American men, Clarence Thomas and the late Thurgood Marshall, and two are white women, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O'Connor.

There has never been a Hispanic, Asian-American or Native American justice.

Ginsburg is the only female justice at the moment and most of the candidates whom Obama is considering are women.

The president also has a much wider range of experienced lawyers to draw from than Reagan did when he reached down to a midlevel appeals court in Arizona to nominate O'Connor.  Read more....

California faces its day of fiscal reckoning

By JULIET WILLIAMS

The governor's cutbacks could include ending the state's main welfare program for the poor, eliminating health coverage for about 1.5 million poor children, halting cash grants for about 77,000 college students, shortening the school year by seven days, laying off thousands of state workers and teachers, slashing money for state parks and releasing thousands of prisoners before their sentences are finished.

"I understand that these cuts are very painful and they affect real lives," Schwarzenegger said. "This is the harsh reality and the reality that we face. Sacramento is not Washington — we cannot print our own money. We can only spend what we have."

He also has advocated selling state assets to raise cash, including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and San Quentin State Prison.  Read more...

Jay Mohr on Michelle Obama: Dude Looks Like A Lady

Womanist Musings

Once again Michelle's femininity is challenged in the name of comedy. What can be more hilarious than over privileged white men displaying their racism, sexism and transphobia for the world to see.

The black woman has historically been constructed as the ultimate “unwoman” to justify the exploitation that we have been subjected. These same white men who find it acceptable to label us as overly masculine, have no problem repeatedly violating our bodies sexually. I wonder if Mohr was channelling a slave owning ancestor when he made his remarks. Read more...

Jay Mohr on Michelle Obama: Dude Looks Like A Lady

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Colin Powell to Republicans: Listen to moderates, too

The conservative vs. moderate split threatening to rupture the Republican Party played out across the airwaves Sunday, with ColinPowell and Tom Ridge denouncing shrill and judgmental voices they say are steering the GOP too far right. Karl Rove challenged Powell to lay out his vision and "back it up" by helping elect Republicans.

At stake is the GOP’s status as a major party, Powell and Ridge suggested. Read more...

Colin Powell On Face The Nation Calls Republican Plays While Wearing An Obama Jersey