A year ago the academic bill of rights lost by one vote in our student assembly here at Cornell. However, this semester the bill finally passed — 10 - 8. I’ve attached a copy of the bill below.
Resolution Regarding the Intellectual Diversity Initiative
Last week I was jealous that I couldn’t hear Fred Thompson’s speech to the National Council for Policy in Virginia. Thompson has released the speech since then, and it’s available here. It’s a very simple speech on a simple theme — focusing on Roberts and Libby as they two intersect in the fight for the rule of law. In my favorite quote Thompson says:
We have always held our federal judiciary in high esteem, even at a time when most of our institutions are under assault. However, if judges continue to act like politicians they will get the respect currently given to politicians. It is already rapidly headed in that direction. The antidote for this, of course, is good judges.
Tom Goldstein from ScotusBlog has some intriguing analysis on the state of the court, especially as we head into the 2008 election. After looking back at the last four presidents who each were able to choose two justices, he writes:
“The next President similarly will have two appointments immediately (replacing Stevens and Souter), and there also is a very substantial prospect that a Democrat would quickly be in a position to appoint a third (replacing Ginsburg). In fact, if a Democrat wins, there will be something of a race for the exits.”
Goldstein further points out that if a Democrat president wins in 2008, and the three replacements (for Souter, Stevens and Ginsberg) will likely be young and able to sit on the court for several decades.
Classes have finally finished here at Cornell. The last tests have been completed, everyone (except the seniors) are packing their bags and heading out. It’s very nice to finally relax and have everything finished.
On the political scene on campus there is sad news. Cornell’s two right of center newspapers — The Cornell American and the Cornell Review — have decided to merge into one paper. The new paper will start publishing next fall, will take the name of the Review and the slogan of the American — Limited Government. Traditional Values. America First.
Several news agencies including the BBC are reporting on some very disturbing news out of Ukraine. From the BBC:
Healthy new-born babies may have been killed in Ukraine to feed a flourishing international trade in stem cells, evidence obtained by the BBC suggests.