Who heckled Attorney General Michael Mukasey?
Before Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapsed during his Federalist Society speech on Thursday night, someone in the audience disrupted the remarks. The heckler reportedly shouted “Tyrant!” Lawyer Wendy Long reported on Fox News last night that the heckler was Washington State Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders.
I dearly hope this is not true.
I knew, respected, and greatly admired Justice Sanders when I worked at the Seattle Times in the 1990s. I was alone on the editorial board in supporting his judicial candidacy (judges are elected in Washington state) and defended him when bitter detractors tried to haul him up on bogus judicial misconduct charges because he had the nerve to briefly address a crowd of pro-life activists at a state Capitol event. Here’s what he said:
“I want to give all of you my best wishes in this celebration of human life. Nothing is, nor should be, more fundamental in our legal system than the preservation and protection of innocent human life. By coincidence, or perhaps by providence, my formal induction to the Washington State Supreme Court occurred about an hour ago. I owe my election to many of the people who are here today and I’m here to say thank you very much and good luck. Our mutual pursuit of justice requires a lifetime of dedication and courage. Keep up the good work.”
He was later cleared of those ridiculous ethics violations.
I lost touch with him after leaving Seattle. But while I was there, this is the Justice Sanders I knew:
He was a staunch defender of life, liberty, and the state Constitution — and a brilliant thinker on private property, Second Amendment, and free speech rights. He was deeply committed to individual rights, unafraid to challenge liberal orthodoxy, and always thoughtful and gracious in his demeanor. He’s been elected three times to the high court and has been one of the most prolific writers on the bench.
The Federalist Society is renowned for bringing together the sharpest conservative and libertarian legal minds and fostering the highest order of intellectual exchange.
It is no place for emotional Code Pink-style protests — let alone injudicious outbursts from sitting judges.
I sent Justice Sanders an e-mail last night asking him if he was indeed the heckler. I’ll let you know the outcome.
In the meantime, the Federalist Society has posted full video of AG Mukasey’s appearance. Watch it here. Mukasey sent a follow-up note to FedSoc members after his collapse:
Dear Friends,
Well, as I was saying…
Let me please begin by underscoring what an honor it was to speak to you last night. I am, as you might imagine, quite embarrassed to have collapsed last night. I hope that embarrassment is not the product of undue human pride, or at least not principally so. I am embarrassed in part because I fear I ruined your evening and caused you concern – for that I am truly sorry. Equally important, I hope the shortened conclusion of the speech did not detract from the message I hoped to convey: Specifically that the issues of law and policy relating to our continuing national security are real, and are worthy of the most careful thought and deliberation so as to keep the American people safe.
The Federalist Society has spent the last 25-plus years promoting thoughtful and fair debate concerning the critical legal and public policy issues facing our nation. It was an honor to address you last night, and I urge you to continue the fine efforts of the Federalist Society in the future.
Finally, I was truly humbled to hear all of the prayers and well wishes sent on my behalf from attendees at the dinner. Thank you all. I am, fortunately, well, and I too pray for all of our good health and for the future of the Nation we all love.
Very Truly Yours,
Michael Mukasey
***
Update 2:15pm Eastern: Still no response, but this essay from Justice Sanders decrying the Bush administration’s “War on Liberty” is telling.
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It’s too bad that Michael Mukasey wasn’t President Bush’s Attorney General pick eight years ago. He seems to think very clearly.
***
Politically correct Alberto Gonzalez didn’t work out too well–and he was still savaged by the LWM (not MSM).
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The president should always pick the best people–he should not pander to special interest groups. Condi Rice and General Colin Powell seemed like very good picks to me–based on their accomplishments and character–not on their race. Harriett Miers was a truly bad choice.
John Bibb
Justice Sanders was ONCE admired amognst Washington state conservatives until he went over board on I believe it was an issue with respect to a redefinition by the court on a specific felony interpretation that resulted in dangerous peole getting let go…that made a lot us and prosecutors in the state angry.
Justice Sanders was later repudiated by an emabarassed radio talk show host that you amy remember, Michelle, that is John Carlson of KVI radio…
Would the justice Sanders of today make a ding-dong statement like that? oh yeah…
He is the Ron Paul of the judiciary here. Started off as libertarian and becomes an unhinged liberal.
excuse me the previous should read: “He started off as a libertarian and he became an unhinged liberal once on the bench”
For shame.
Hmmm. If they can identify the heckler, and Mukasey actually had a stroke, they might be able to indict the guy for attempted murder. After all, as the previous thread notes, it isn’t the intent, it’s the effect on the recipient.
Attorney General Michael Mukasey is a class guy and handled this well. I would guess he had a TIA-transient ischemic attack (TIA) a mini – stroke. I have had several and they are freightening to be sure.
Hopefully the heckler was NOT Washington State Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders-such a high official should have a little more class. If it WAS State Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders he needs a beating.
ArizonaNeanderthal:
Have attitude.
Will travel.
I had heard that “a judge shouted TYRANT”. I must say, I laughed. These are supposed to be intelects. I also immediately thought that the shouter hasn’t seen what tyranny is yet. Wait until Obama gets his power with all those nice domestic anti-terror laws. Then we can all be very scared, if Joe the Plumber was just a warm up.
Tyrant? His message to the group in the aftermath certainly negates that label.
If your old friend the judge was responsible I hope you give him the treatment right here!
What the hell is this world coming to? It’s sickening, but nothing shocks me any more… I am completely desensitized to the daily antics and ramblings of the crackpots.
“I sent Justice Sanders an e-mail last night asking him if he was indeed the heckler. I’ll let you know the outcome.
”
If the judge was indeed the one who shouted “tyrant” and if the Attorney General is a tyrant, then you will not be hearing from the judge or, if another, heckler because obviously the tyrant has taken care of the situation.
Post the e-mail address you used so we can all ask-politely until we know the answer.
If the heckler really was Justice Sanders it sounds like they are putting a little something more than just fluoride in the water in the Puget Sound area.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE (mo-lone lah-veh) Translation: “Come and Take Them!”
The guy has changed a lot since you knew him in the ’90s in Seattle..I do remember the other issues you, Michelle have brought up from that time period in which he was unfairly pilloried by libs here.
But as I said, could he say something like that now? yes. Let’s find out if he actually said it.
Fortunately, for other than my bad grammar this morning, I remain unaffected.
How very shrewd of you, txvet2. For far too long we’ve behaved like the reasonable rational folks we are. It’s time to fight back like the left — lawsuits and “hate crime” prosecutions.
A civilized society must have judges and officers of the court who both respect the law and the office which they hold.
I do not agree with many decisions but understand that to change those decisions, working within the constucts of the system is how to turn those bad decisions around.
That is done long term, through education and elevation of ideas.
The liberal mind set is exactly opposite, they agitate to extract change from an over-stressed society. The constant drumbeat of grievance and ever louder and louder outcry, often will overwhelm good sense. This is why the liberal uses these tactics, with an easily lead citizenry, it works.
To counter this, the conservative must teach their children to not be overcome with emotionalism, which is the precursor to liberalism. Then that done, a conservative must immerse themselves in education and ideas. Too often we the conservatives turned form formalized education and ceded that ground to liberals. Having done that, I am amazed by conservatives who then decry the liberal institutions of higher educations.
Who did we think would be teaching our children when we turned our backs on these institutions? If you are the parent of a school age child, you are on the front lines of this battle. And enough of us must encourage our children to enter the teaching profession, especially at the university level, and take back our share of that battleground.
If this sounds like it is not going to be easy or happen any time soon, then my job is accomplished. Because it will take decades and even then the battle is not won, only engaged.
The decision is yours. If it is too much of an assignment, get used to the alternative.
Is anyone really surprised, we are talking about deep dark blue northwestern U.S.A. I would not be surprise me if this judge went from the shining lite to the dark side, not at all uncommon up this way.
In Portland we have judges now ruling, nude bike riding is legal…I DON’T THINK SO. Left wing judges writing law…plain and simple.
That wouldn’t be right and it’s not necessary, AzN, Michelle can handle it just fine since she actually knows him. Besides, she always gets the job done!
Sandy -
The problem with that is, at least in this case, none of us have any say in the matter. Legally, that is. We can – correctly – say that it’s wrong and disgusting, but that’s about it.
I’m not sure who Wendy Long is.
She’s the opposite of Wendy Short.
That’s the long and short of it.
Going by the writings on his website, Justice Sanders does seem to have at least a touch of BDS.
Example:
“War on Liberty”
I was not very familiar with Michael Mukasey until this happened. I am now. Thank God for people like him. I have added him to my prayers for the good folks of this country.
I once used to be very proud to say, “I am an American”. Having been all over the world, I had no problem with this little statement, regardless of the company I was with.
Obama’s election and the absence of fair coverage of anything democrat has me for the first time in my life, not very proud of my country.
Reminds me of East Berlin, wall and all.
I have been nasty sick since last weekend and just starting to feel like a human being again. Bronchitis, larangytis, etc. Your post was my first laugh in over a week…I loved it! Thank you.
Sounds like a justice who cherishes the 10th amendment as well as the rest of the Constitution and recognizes the tyranny of the federal government to me. What’s there to be upset about?
Take care, Scrapper – it’s that time of year when all kinds of bugs make their miserable rounds!
Glad you got a giggle.
I just read “War on Liberty”. It disappoints me to see Justice Sanders fancies himself to be a clever little performance artist. This kind of pseudo-intellectual tripe is designed to fill empty heads in a left-leaning audience. “War on Liberty” sounds very close to the screwy observation made of Gov Palin: “How can she see the turkeys being slaughtered when she can’t see the slaughter in Iraq?” What a load of baloney.
Yeah. Silly snipes at Bush, like the snide “decider” crack, does sound more Olbermann than serious State Supreme Court material.
It may be as some here who are more familiar with him say – the guy started out as a reasonable libertarian, but the noodles slipped off his plate somewhere down the line.
Thanks, Purplepeep! Things will get better here in Minnesota as soon as it gets cold enough to kills those dang bugs. Probably by next week. Winter isn’t all bad.
Yeah, I think y’know I’m Minnie-soo-tan, too. Too many people indoors this time of year spreading germs – stores offices, school, clinics etc., it’s a heyday for the bugs!
Well, it is one of our two Minn seasons. The other being “Pothole Repair”, of course.
I was surprised to hear the snowplows out this early morn. Barely a wisp of snow, by noon it’s only hanging on in the shade.
Here are a couple more links regarding Judge Sanders rougue behavior
Ethical rules
Judicial conduct
His article on the War on Liberty is very telling. I am always left wondering why our courts try to apply the tenants of the US Constitution to aliens/enemies at war with us as if they were citizens.
The nexus between American rights being at jeopardy and these aliens at war with us is not clear at all.
For all the noise about the loss of liberty of Americans due to the Patriot Act or FISA, I have yet to see one individual American be denied any right
whatsoever. However I see the activists screaming at the top of their lungs about this.
I do see terrorists, and illegals gaining rights they shouldn’t be entitled to, and I do see the very same people screaming about the alleged loss of liberty using Stalinist tactics to deny Joe the plumber his rights!
When did “We the People of the United States” include “and everyone else!”?
It isn’t the Puget Sound water( I’m fine), it must be the university water here!
Ha!! Good one purple.
Does she have red hair done up in pigtails? (just had a burger for a late lunch)
So, maybe now he’s not the Justice Sanders you knew.
Where have I heard that before…?
I expect most on this board have the intelligence to understand the underlying sarcasm of my post – what Rush describes as illustrating the absurd by being absurd. I may have erred in your case. Of course, I may be misreading your intent as well.
I wouldn’t hold items from the two links you gave against Judge Sanders, DadIS. What they mention is within reason to my thinking.
But if he is the person who rudely interrupted AG Mukasey’s speech, that obviously is not acceptable behavior from a judge. If so, he doesn’t need to be tarred and feathered and run out of town. He does needs to be shamed if he can’t find it in himself to feel ashamed and to personally apologize to the AG for the outburst (if he were the one who did it).
But I agree with you that certainly his position on enemy combatants is wrong and troubling, that’s why I pointed it out earlier.
Unfortunately for Judge Sanders, and a disappointement to those who respect(ed) him, his crime here – if the report is correct – is in being a disrepectful, total jackass in such public way.
You’ll have to count me among the dummies, TexVet. I thought you were a little overboard there – but serious, lol. I’m that guy you’ve heard about, the one who laughs last because he was the last one to get the joke.
Purplepeep…Geez, I had forgotten you were a Minnesotan. I should have remembered by your name, for goodness sakes! Go Vikings! My husband just left for the last Gopher game in the dome. I am happy the U of M will finally have their own stadium on campus, something every big ten college should have. We have season tickets to the Gophers and will have good seating in the new stadium. I wish I could have gone to the game tonight, but even the Gophers can’t get me off my sick couch! Fortunately, it is televised. Go Gophers!
“Condi Rice and General Colin Powell seemed like very good picks to me–based on their accomplishments and character”
They were both Affirmative Action tokens and contributed almost nothing.
I’m especially interested in hearing about Condi Rice’s accomplishments.
Enabling the rearming of Hezzbollah and their subsequent take over the Lebanese government doesn’t count.
If I had my druthers, Scrapper, the Vikes would still be playing at the now-gone good ol’ Met Stadium. In the snow and ice and all. Now, those were the days!
I haven’t followed college football as much as pro, but I’d probably have kept Memorial Stadium for the Gophers, too, lol.
New paintjob, hammer in some nails, add spit and polish and they both would’ve been good to go, I say!
This is one of the things I really fear. These near assaults or insults create chaos – and an individual with a heart condition or a woman with child could easily suffer injury or even death. I have no problem with orderly protests as that is a first amendment free speech right, but free speech also comes with consequences. If the shout of “Tyrant” precipitated the collapse in any way, then the individual uttering that comment should be forced to deal with the coming consequences – which certainly could be severe.
Not long ago, James Buchanan (Nobel Prize winning economist) stated, I’m paraphrasing, there is a huge hole is libertarian thinking in regards to security issues, particularly national security. They never dealt with it, presuming like everything else the market would take care of the unseemly business. Like the elephant in the room it’s something libertarians are aware of but refuse to discuss. Sanders, like O’Rourke and others — they are hardly alone — appears to have gone off the deep end into fantasy, unable to handle the post-9/11 world as they revert to leftist doctrine in its crudest forms. Yes, you are a racist if you disagree with them. Sanders has been unable to square the circle of libertarian doctrine with security of nation and citizenry, presuming he even attempted to do so, and so made a fool of himself (he shouted it out in public so it had to be intelligent, right?). I sincerely hope he did not but right now I believe he is guilty of the repulsive behavior noted.
That is the primary reason I left libertarianism and am glad I did. What will it take to make these people wake up? I shudder to think.
Great analogy MM, the bankers playing Monopoly with congress…”Banking Error”, I’d say. One big difference, in this game and Monopoly, everyone has a “get out of jail” card…and the tax payers bought ‘em all.
When we were first married, we lived just down the street from the Met Stadium. We could sit out in the yard and hear the crowds cheering and actually see the stadium with the sky lit up above it. Yes, it was a grand time, including the tailgating which is no longer the same or even fun. I don’t miss the cold, however. My perfect stadium would have a retractible roof for the rainy and extremely cold days. A perfect solution which would pay for itself in no time.
Me too, but infortunately, that wouldn’t work in today’s competetive market for big ten colleges. Not big enough to draw the crowds. It definitely had character, but was just not adequate any more.
So, what, now some want to go all “Bill O’Reilly”, and sic the FBI on this ill-mannered judge?
I guess all I can say about all this is…. things and people change, what you thought this judge to be, he may no longer be… It’s what life is… sometimes good and sometimes bad. I moved to Minnesota in 1979. It was the worst of times politically, but the people here were so nice and I loved working with them. Things were well in Minnesota until I got to learn the politics and life philosophy of the people here. Now, I hate the people of this state, save a few, because of their cowardice, their soft belly thinking. I am ashamed to call my self a Minnesotan because of what I see going on here and that no matter what I do, I can’t change things. What keeps me going is my wife and my son( serving in the Air Force and soon going to parts overseas) who consist of the island I call home.I built my house here and cannot move anytime soon, but I believe I shouldn’t have to move. So I guess my rant is this..I will be the John Galt of this area….. I must and will fight against all that is socialistic, PC correct…. I have to..
Don’t give up on Minnesotans, David. I agree, we have always been a DFL, Hubert Humphrey kind of state. And it has gotten so much worse. But consider this…we elected a great Conservative Governor, and there are still pockets of good folks around. You, Purplepeep and myself come to mind, and there are plenty more. I know we feel outnumbered, but just stick to your own, and keep up the fight. Contribute, if you can, to organizations like The Heritage Foundation, etc. There is still much we can do. I have lived here all my life and remember the beautiful upbringing I had in the “Happy Days” of the 1950’s. It will never be that way again, but we can hold on to our own faith, culture, friendships and ideals. NO ONE can take those away!
It would be interesting to know how many Minnesotans do posting on Michelle’s blog.
For a judge to do what is described here would be, I’d think, highly unusual to say the least. It would should such a profound lack of judicial temperament, that it would in and of itself render the individual unworthy of the Bench.
There must be something in the water here, as this state is rabidly liberal. Very few conservatives get elected to office here, so any changes they wish to make ever see the light of day. This is a one party state, and that party is nothing like the party of Scoop Jackson.
As to the judge, he walks in the circles of the above mentioned looney-gooney’s, no surprise. He obviously didn’t have the deep-seated principles needed to survive the Washington State propaganda patrol.
Thanks Happyscrapper
I won’t give up, just tired of all this liberal crap. Thanksgiving day I’ll have a house full of young nimrod level thinking college nieces and nephews along with rich MN liberals… I will be at my wits end but will survive. Heck, this state needs rabble rousers like you, purplepeep and me.
The judge refers to the “war on terror” as a metaphorical war. Well, we could quibble over terms, but our people don’t get killed in metaphorical wars. The judge seems to want to arbitrarily define wars as needing two or more nation-state participants. If an enemy is able to attack us, but is not a formal or technical nation-state, the judge just declares himself in checkmate, tips over his king and folds up the chessboard.
Most of us are not ready to declare the game over because of a semantic maneuver by our enemies.
What a crappy letter about the “War on Liberty.” Not one item in it is factually true. Just plain old dissembling. Nothing true.
Before this war that happened… Before that war this happened… etc. and yet here America is all these wars later, still around and still a democracy. And up until 9/11 or a little after still the power and respected in the world.
By now history has shown those fears to be for naught (if, in fact, his history is accurate) because after those wars ended America righted itself and is still here. And I’ve never heard anybody ever say that America has done everything politically correct throughout it’s history.
Not attempting to allay anyone’s fears or change anyone’s mind in a few sentences, but this guy sounds like a lefty loon.
I will say this: Obama’s circle of friends, political rants about socialist wealth redistribution, leaning farther left than anyone else in congress, even Kennedy if that were possible, and his lack of presidential birthright scare me a lot more.
In the late 90’s my son was participating in the YMCA Youth in Government program. Our family traveled to Olympia to watch them present their bills in the State Senate Chambers. As part of this program we attended a Q&A session with the State Supreme Court justices in their chambers. At that time it was clear from Judge Sander’s answers that he would ignore any laws directed at illegal aliens. (He bristled at the use of that term.) I assumed then that he was a flaming Lib.
I suspect Michelle thinks “too many!”, Scrapper.
But you can get some stats on her visitors in general by clicking on the “sitemeter” button on the right panel. To find out where her recent visitors are from you can check this sitemeter stats page:
Recent Visitors By Location
Hope you’re feeling on the mend today!
Oh yeah, things were a bit different in “Old School” Minnesota. Especially in the TC area. Gangs moved in during the 80s and that didn’t help much, either. If I could have frozen time in a bottle with my magic wand, it would have been at about the 1970-MTM era. (Errr, MTM = “Mary Tyler Moore”, the show was set in Mpls).
But still a great many fine and friendly folks to be found. Might all be gone by the next gen if parents don’t bring their kids up right and if the idiot political elite (whom I think you had more in mind) are in power.
Purplepeep…thanks for the information. You sure do know your way around this website! I am feeling better today, despite the Gopher’s humiliation last night! As we say in Minnesota, I’m not too bad…could be worse.
The Federalist Society RULES!!
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
Michelle, thank you for the link to this piece, “War on Liberty” by The Hon. Richard B. Sanders Justice, Washington Supreme Court. He has a twisted view of the role of the courts in helping to protect my liberty as a citizen of the United States if he plans to protect illegal combatants picked up (by his own admission) on the (I might add, illegal) battlefield.
And, by what amazing logic, would Sanders agree with a statement that the rule of law cannot keep us free…
Since our courts appear to be more and more populated by those who would assign the rights of American citizenship to every Tom, Dick and Harry living around the world, I’d have to agree with Sanders. But the fact of the matter is that, I could hold dear to my liberty until the cows come home, but if the courts were not FAIRLY interpreting the laws of the United States, there would be no Liberty to be found.
Say “Goodnight Liberty”
I appreciate your heartfelt input on this judge, but as you have shown in his writings, he has moved to the judicial rule by fiat side.
For some reason, he has abandoned his judicial impartiality. He has taken the view that terrorists have the rights given lawful combatants. That is quite a legal jump.
Sounds like you know “How to Talk Minnesotan” , Scrapper!
Yes, purplepeep…I am a true dyed-in-the-wool Minnesotan, ragardless of all the loonies up here! I have to get back to the Vikings, now! Quite a fabulous start, don’t you think? Hopefully, they won’t find yet another way to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.
The major problem I see with Judge Sanders thinking (as well as many of his peers, both left and right) is they can’t seem to differentiate between citizens and legal resident aliens who have Constitutional rights and foreign terrorists, who don’t even have any rights under the Geneva Conventions, (since their activities are outside the laws of war), let alone have rights under the U.S. Constitution.
When judges start to think they have more wisdom than the people and their elected representatives, and that judges are the final arbiters of right and wrong, that is when our liberties and Country are most at risk. There have been more than a few examples of the kind of judicial thinking lately, both in the war on terror and the war on marriage and traditional values.