Sue Me Sue You Blues (or, Do You Have to Make a Federal Lawsuit Out of It?)

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Inspired by On role of federal lawsuits to AG’s term, Cuccinelli and Democrats agree (WashingtonPost.com 4/27/10), A law Arizona can live with (George Will, Washington Post 4/28/10), Justice Department considers suing Arizona to block immigration law (Washington Post 4/29/10), and Arizona immigration law hit with its first 3 lawsuits (AZCentral.com 4/30/10).

“The attorney general stands to defend the laws of Virginia and the interests of Virginia citizens against potentially unconstitutional actions by the federal government.” – VA Attorney General Cuccinelli press release bragging about his two “top initiatives,” pending lawsuits against the federal government over health care reform and the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of greenhouse gases

 

“Attorney General Cuccinelli has gone rogue pursuing his own far-right ideological crusade and funding it with taxpayer money.” – VA Democratic Party press release

 

“If officers enforce the act, they’ll be sued. If they don’t enforce the act, they’ll be sued.” Phoenix Officer David Salgado’s attorney Stephen Montaya, who is suing to overturn the new law as unenforceable and unconstitutional

States suing the Feds and the Feds suing states

Doesn’t bode well for the United States.

Something’s not unconstitutional just because you disagree.

Since I’ve applied that to you, I guess I better apply it to me.

Yes I’m against the Arizona Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act

Which liberals (and some conservatives) have roundly attacked.

And I do suspect that part of it won’t pass Constitutional review,

But that doesn’t mean everything’s unconstitutional that we don’t want people to do.

Murder and burglary and prostitution

Are all not against the Constitution.

They’re against the law, it’s true,

But being in the country illegally is too.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t be alert

To attempts the Constitution to skirt.

I’m just reminding both sides of the aisle

That not everything has to go to trial.

I do think that the GOP

Cries “unconstitutional” to a much greater degree.

They constantly are using this canard,

The left with claims of “unconstitutional” to bombard.

There’s probably a correlation

Between constitutional claims and minority affiliation.

(One doesn’t need to resort to judicial authority

When one is in the political majority.)

I’m not saying all lawsuits are bad

Or that they should be forbad.

But I do think their prevalence is a function

Of our increasing political disfunction.

Why, in 2000, SCOTUS even had to decide a presidential election.

When things get that litigious, we need some introspection.

It’s like two siblings having an argument

And then having to resolve it by running to a parent.

Am I saying politicians are immature?

Of that fact, we can be sure.

Of course, some are more immature than others

(I’m talking about you, my GOP brothers).

Is there hope for our disfunctional political system?

Remember how people complained about Clinton, but after he left missed him?

I think the same thing will happen with Obama,

And I’m not looking forward to seven more years of extreme partisan drama.

(Though it’s currently not expected,

I do think he’ll be re-elected.)

So Republicans (and Dems), can you try something, just for me:

Try to sue each other a little less frequently.

***

Speaking of everybody suing everybody, here are Rachel’s 4/26/10 report (including bonus commentary on the recent climate change legislation setback) and 4/29/10 interview about the role a white supremacist group and the anti-immigration group FAIR played in the law’s drafting. Coincidentally, FAIR may be the chief beneficiary from the provision allowing groups to sue the state if they believe the law isn’t being adequately enforced.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here’s Rachel’s 4/29/10 report about how Cuccinelli is using the VA lawsuits as a political and fundraising stunt.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here’s your theme music for today, a very cool acoustic steel guitar version of Sue Me Sue You Blues by George Harrison (followed by the more common electric version).

Here’s another appropriate song, Say You, Say Me by Lionel Richie (with scenes from the movie White Nights). Check out my modified lyrics below. Do you want to be famous? Then download the karaoke MP3 from our Amazon store (or for free with the Real SuperPass trial offer), record the new lyrics (or lyrics of your own, if you want), email me the Youtube link or video file at newsericks.@gmail.com, and I’ll post your song here.

Original lyric	“Sue You, Sue Me”
Say you, say me	Sue you, sue me
Say it for always	Sue me whenever
That’s the way it should be	We disagree.
Say you, say me	Sue you, sue me
Say it together	We both think we’re right
Naturally	Naturally
I had a dream,	I had a dream,
I had an awesome dream	I had an awesome dream
People in the park	People in the Congress
Playing games in the dark	Working to make progress.
And what they played,	But what they played,
Was a masquerade,	Was a masquerade,
From behind the walls of doubt	From behind their walls of doubt
A voice was crying out	A voice was crying out
Say you, say me	Sue you, sue me
Say it for always	Sue me whenever
That’s the way it should be	We disagree.
Say you, say me	Sue you, sue me
Say it together	We both think we’re right
Naturally	Naturally
As we go down life’s lonesome highway,	As we go try to solve the country’s problems
Seems the hardest thing to do	It seems the hardest thing to do
is to find a friend or two	is to find a friend or two
Is to find the	Is to find the
That helping hand,	That helping hand,
Someone who understands	Someone who understands
When you feel you lost your way	When the country’s lost way
You’ve got someone there to say:	You’ve got someone there to say:
I’ll show you	I’ll show you
Say you, say me	Sue you, sue me
Say it for always	Sue me whenever
That’s the way it should be	We disagree.
Say you, say me	Sue you, sue me
Say it together	We both think we’re right
Naturally	Naturally
So you think you know the answers,	So you think you know the answers,
Oh, no	Oh, no
Well, the whole world’s got you dancing, that’s right, I’m telling you.	Well, you’ve got the whole world dancing, that’s right, I’m telling you.
It’s time to start to believe,	It’s time to start to believe
oh yes,	oh yes,
Believe in who you are,	Believe in who you are,
You are a shining star.	You’re not such a shining star.
Say you, say me	Sue you, sue me
Say it for always	Sue me whenever
That’s the way it should be	We disagree.
Say you, say me	Sue you, sue me
Say it together	We both think we’re right
Naturally	Naturally
Say it together	Sue me whenever
Naturally	We disagree.

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Tags: America, AZ, Courts, Cuccinelli, George Will, Immigration, Karaoke, Republicans, SCOTUS, VA, What ails us
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