There is a little reported story out of the Democratic National Convention where two Sanders delegates have been barred from attending the event. The problem was not their credentials or their conduct. State Sen. Tim Ashe (right below) and Ken Dean are men and the DNC ruled that there were simply too many of that kind in the delegation. Vermont was ordered to replace them with women, any women, so long as the delegation was equal. Ashe and Dean have filed challenges for good reason.
Coupled with a growing controversy over the determined effort of the Democrats not to release a list of donors to the media, this is hardly a good story to trigger days before the opening of convention. The national party appears to be imposing a quota system on delegates based on gender despite the fact that such delegates can claim that they are qualified through the democratic process. After all Dean and Ashe were elected as delegates on June 11. Then, on July 5, the state party was ordered to remove them due to their gender deficiency.
Of course, the infamous superdelegates remain untouchable. It is just those elected by the people that can be negated solely on the basis for their gender. Notably, eight of 10 Vermont superdelegates are men.
The Democratic party leadership appears to be moving away from the fight against gender discrimination in guaranteeing equal opportunity to the fight for gender equality with the use of quotas to force gender balance. Ironically, it was Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in United States v. Virginia (1996) who warned that “Today’s skeptical scrutiny of official action denying rights or opportunities based on sex responds to volumes of history.” Not only are these delegates saying that they are being denied position due to their gender, but the DNC is negating the choice of Vermont voters — male and female. There is such a thing as individual achievement and choice. The Vermont voters are allowed to select people on the basis for their individual merits rather than categorical exclusions based on race, gender, religion, or other immutable characteristics.
This point was made by the Supreme Court in University of California v. Bakke (1978):
[R]ace, like gender and illegitimacy, . . . is an immutable characteristic which its possessors are powerless to escape or set aside. While a classification is not per se invalid because it divides classes on the basis of an immutable characteristic, see supra at 355-356, it is nevertheless true that such divisions are contrary to our deep belief that “legal burdens should bear some relationship to individual responsibility or wrongdoing,” . . . and that advancement sanctioned, sponsored, or approved by the State should ideally be based on individual merit or achievement, or at the least on factors within the control of an individual.
Those concerns are heightened in my view when alleged gender discrimination negates the results of a democratic process like delegate selection.
What do you think?
Laughing Presser…
Did it strike you as odd that Nick said the press laughed with the president. Well, Nick was right. They did laugh. But it wasn’t the press. The audience was cops – LEOs. Now since when do cops laugh at jokes when discussing shootings?
Watch the damn tape and see the Spinelli Spin on this one!
Squeeky, Trump has insulted legal Mexican immigrants plus Mexicans that were born here including a sitting judge.
Rose, Don’t think people with disabilities will be voting for him. Vets don’t care much for him either after the way he insulted McCain plus they think he is too crazy to become commander in chief.
Swarthmore
I thought the mocking of the disabled reporter was pretty illustrative of Trump’s character. Nothing like your President failing his arms and mumbling his words to imitate a man afflicted with cerebral palsy.
About that Laughing Presser…
Here is a link to the CSPAN full tape. Context is everything. I can’t write anything that will convince the Nick Spinelli’s of this world. Perhaps your own eyes will allow you to understand just how this unfolded and then you can determine whether Obama was uncharacteristically heartless in speaking about this attack.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?413103-1/president-obama-pledges-support-germany-wake-mass-shooting
@swm
Hmmm. Sooo if insult Nazis, am I insulting people of German heritage??? I think not. Likewise, if I insult illegal immigrants who take American jobs, am I insulting people of latino heritage???
I know, that is too deep a thought for you. Hell, if Martin Luther King was running as a Republican, the Democratic party slobbering mob would call him a racissst!, too.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
“Nixon won fairly easily and would have won bigger if Wallace didn’t take almost 14% of his vote. “Law and order” worked in 1968 and we heard that a lot last night. Hillary is a lot like Hubert, a cackling loser.” nick S. Keep campaigning like it is 1968. The country is a lot more diverse than it was in 1968. See no reason that the Obama coalition will not hold. The coalition dislikes Trump more than it did Romney. Romney did not constantly insult people of Latino heritage.
Autumn
You know who else will be delighted to see TPP go down?
China.
Now you tell me something specific about the TPP that you don’t like. Be specific.
You know, boys eight years of age giggle and smirk over lesbians. Once beyond puberty, most boys get over it.
Some boys just never reach sexual maturity and forever giggle and smirk over women they think are lesbians.
Autumn
The issues are a liberal lead military coup?
The Democratic party is dead?
That Jill confirms that I read CounterPunch?
That DWS screwed with the debates?
All nonsense.
But I do appreciate your serious approach to the issues.
Best regards,
Sad pathetic brain dead exemplar swine like Democratic partisan.
@Nick
Who the hell cares whether HRC is a lesbian or not?! Let’s focus on the issues — there are far better examples of her hypocrisy.
Again, “lesbian attack.” Does anyone here doubt Hillary is a lesbian? Really?? Well, she is. The only problem I have w/ her preferring vaginas over penises is she is A HYPOCRITE and doesn’t just acknowledge her sexuality. I care less who of what people choose to screw, as long as it’s not kids.
During the Munich presser Obama was joking about his daughter going to college and the sycophant press chuckled w/ him. Unbelievable. Imagine if a Republican prez did that. All presidents become insular, this prima donna came in insular and now lives in his own universe. I have to believe the smart people in Hillary’s campaign are screaming “STFU!!” Maybe not. The Dems don’t get it. Things are really screwed up in the world and this country. The old 60’s radicals like SWM always wanted us to get back to those days. “Be careful what you wish for” is what comes to mind. And in the wake of that turmoil, remember who was elected. Nixon won fairly easily and would have won bigger if Wallace didn’t take almost 14% of his vote. “Law and order” worked in 1968 and we heard that a lot last night. Hillary is a lot like Hubert, a cackling loser.
Jill,
Pearls before swine comes to mind.
Rose,
you are a sad, pathetic exemplar of a typical brain dead Demoncrat partisan. No response about issues at all. Well, continue to support your corrupt morally bankrupt candidate all you want — ever heard of Tulsi Gabbard – D-representative from Hawaii?? A woman of integrity, a combat vet who stood up against the DNC and I’m sure those losers are actively working to destroy her. My main focus is the TPP so I will do everything I can to ensure that HRC is not in the WH.
Swarthmore
Absolutely. I don’t know how they can crawl out of bed each day to face the bile from Republicans.
And I don’t know that HRC will have much joy during her administration, either. Those people are hateful.
Jill
I don’t doubt some fools while sitting in front of some big teevee cameras have said they will lead a military coup if Trump wins.
Such threats are ridiculous. To believe them is ridiculous.
Nothing personal.
I see we have floated the ‘lesbian’ attack. Time to prepare for cankles.
Rose/Rosie S. I mentioned the publication where this is written about. You could go read that article but you won’t do so. Therefore, what is the basis of your dismissal of the idea if you won’t even read an article about this very proposal?
Rose, I think Barack and Michele can’t wait to get out of the white house.