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The city of Norwood, Ohio used its power of eminent domain to take an 11 acre site in a deteriorating neighborhood and turn it over to a private developer.  The plan was to build a 125 million dollar shopping and office complex.  Seventy homeowners sold but three fought the case in court.  A lower court offered 3 times the appraised value of the houses but the homeowners fought on to the Ohio Supreme Court.

The U.S. Supreme court had ruled in favor of similar economic takings in Kelo v New London, Connecticut.  The Ohio Supreme ruled in favor of property rights, unanimously rejecting the U.S. Kelo ruling. 

The homeowners castles have been returned.  After a three year court battle, the three dilapidated structures are the only houses still standing on the site next to a busy highway.

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The Supreme court upheld the Solomon Amendment, which allows the federal government to withold federal funding to universities if they don't permit military recruiters on campus.
A coalition of 36 law schools had sued claiming the legislation harmed free speech.   They were also offended by the military's don't ask don't tell policy.

Speaking of free speech, one of the coalition schools, Yale, recently admitted a former spokesman for the Taliban. 

The court ruling was unanimous.  Should make for interesting case studies at the law schools.

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I was surprised to see Anna Nicole Smith show up at the high court.  The case was about federal jurisdiction in probate court, but we know what it was really about.  The Supremes are very choosy about which cases they pick up, and so is Anna Nicole.  She likes them about 85 and up.  A perfect match.

Gawaine's comment sounds like a good idea for a pop-up ad. (grin back)

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This cartoon was inspired by a funny front page article by Elisabeth Bumiller in Wednesday's New York Times. It was about the way the Judiciary Committee hammed it up in front of 50 + cameras in the hearing room. Senator Biden had the highest words per question vs words per answer ratio at nearly 4-1. The ratios for all the senators were presented in a spiffy graphic. Senator Hatch, meanwhile, acted like he was Alito's lawyer. Schumer responded by having a chart held near Hatch's head showing all the times Roe v Wade had been upheld.

I hit the cartoon daily double around  2pm when I checked the Washington Post site and saw that Kennedy had demanded that the committee subpoena records of Alito's membership in the Concerned Alumni of Princeton University. Specter stood up to the bullying by saying that Kennedy was making the request for the first time in public in front of the cameras. Kennedy claimed Specter had a request in writing that he had mailed December 22.  Specter told Kennedy he didn't know what he was talking about and that he was chairman, not Kennedy.

The New York Times pointed out today that it had reviewed those records in a November story and that Alito wasn't active in the group and wasn't a major donor. Kennedy must be partly responsible for declining circulation since he evidently doesn't read the paper.

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After Democrats whacked Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork his name became a verb. Instead of whacking someboody you Bork him. Now that Miers has been Bushwhacked we have a new verb.  Krauthammered.
In his column last Friday Charles Krauthammer sketched out the script for dumping Miers. Republican senators would demand to see Miers' White House documents. In order to protect the principle of executive privilege the only honorable choice would be to dump the nominee. Bush followed Krauthammer's script to the letter. And you thought the president was being led around  by a dark Cheney cabal. 

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