Sen. Lee Offers Opening Statements on Day 1 of Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings
WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) participated in the first day of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings. His opening remarks, in part and as prepared, were as follows:
“Over the next few days, Senators will ask you questions about Supreme Court cases, your record, and your qualifications. Some of these questions will be fair. Many others will be unfair. And some of these unfair questions will ask you to promise to vote a certain way in particular cases that are likely to come before the Court…
…Nominees, for the most part, have resisted trading confirmation in exchange for promises on how they’ll vote. To give two famous examples: Justice Scalia refused to say whether Marbury v. Madison was settled law, on the ground that it could come before him. And sure enough, last term in Ortiz v. United States, the Supreme Court considered a case implicating the scope of Marbury. Likewise, Justice Ginsburg created the so-called “Ginsburg standard”—no previews, forecasts, or hints. Every current member of the Supreme Court has adhered to a similar principle.
Even though nominees have not caved to the pressure, I still believe the Senate’s approach does a disservice to the country. If Senators repeatedly ask nominees about outcomes, the public is entitled to think that judges are supposed to be outcome-oriented. This undermines the legitimacy of the courts. Over time, no free people would accept a judiciary that simply imposes its own preferences on the country, absent fidelity to legal principle.
There’s a better way for the Senate to approach its work. This process should be about your qualifications, your character, and your approach to judging. It should not be about results in a select number of cases.
You are obviously qualified. Even your staunchest critics would not claim otherwise.
You are independent. You’ve written that “some of the greatest moments in American judicial history have been when judges stood up to the other branches, were not cowed, and enforced the law.” You’ve said that judges “cannot be buffaloed, influenced, or pressured into worrying too much about transient popularity when we are trying to decide a case” and that “one of the most important duties of a judge” is to “stand up for the unpopular party who has the correct position.”
And you’ve lived-up to those words during your time on the bench. Everyone knows you served in the Bush administration. Yet when you became a judge, in only two years, you ruled against Bush a total of 8 times. For you, it simply does not matter who the parties are. The only thing that matters is correct application of the law.
As far as your approach to judging, you have appropriate respect for precedent. You co-authored an 800-page book on precedent that, among other things, explains that a change in a court’s membership alone “should not throw former decisions open to reconsideration or justify their reversal.” You’ve explained that, for a precedent to be overruled, it must be “not just wrong but a case with serious practical consequences.” You’ve voted to overturn circuit precedent only four times during your time on the D.C. Circuit—and each of those cases were unanimous. And you follow binding precedent even if you believe it’s wrongly decided.
You decide cases on the legal merits, not based on the identity of the parties or your political beliefs. We’ve already heard that your nomination will be bad for women, the environment, labor unions, and civil rights. I have a laundry list of cases in which you’ve ruled for each of these groups.
But there’s a more fundamental point: The judiciary’s decisions are legitimate only if they are based on sound legal principle. And ruling for a preferred party is not a sound legal principle. Jury-rigging decisions and backfilling legal reasoning to reach a particular result—no matter how desirable—is not a legitimate mode of judicial decision-making. No free people would accept it.
So my plea to my colleagues is that we ask Judge Kavanaugh hard questions. I believe we are required to. The Senate is not and should not be a rubber stamp. But if you disagree with an opinion he’s written, make a legal argument. Explain why you think it’s wrong. Don’t complain about the result as if it’s proof that he’s wrong. And don’t ask him to make promises. If it’s unacceptable for the president to impose a litmus test, it’s surely unacceptable for the Senate to do so.”
A full transcript (as prepared) and video of Sen. Lee’s remarks can be found here.
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Trump-Level Arrogance from Utah's Attorney General Sean Reyes. Polygamist-owned company accused in $511 million fraud. $50,985 given to Reyes’ campaign. When the Tribune asked about the cash, Reyes' money man, Alan Crooks said, “I’m giving you zero comment, nothing, not even a ‘no comment,’” Crooks added. “It’s a ridiculous question.” After Swallow and Shurtleff, you call that draining the swamp Reyes?
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AMUSE GROUP
GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT POWERHOUSE
Signs Crimson Apple
For Management and
Recording Deals
Joining Roster of Artists Including
BABYMETAL, ONE OK ROCK and Perfume
September 4, 2018 - Los Angeles, CA- Japanese entertainment powerhouse Amuse Inc. (ONE OK ROCK, BABYMETAL, Perfume) and it's U.S subsidiary Amuse Group USA, Inc. is thrilled to announce the signing of pop-alternative quartet Crimson Apple for management and recording deals. On the signing, the band shares "Signing with Amuse, Inc. marks the beginning of a brand new chapter for Crimson Apple. We are so excited to work with such a great company, and are looking forward to everything we can accomplish together!" Fans can expect new music coming from Crimson Apple this Fall and should stay tuned to http://www.amusegroupusa.com/ and https://crimsonappleband.com/ for more updates.
Established in 1978, Amuse Inc. is one of Japan's largest leading entertainment production companies and provides management services for Japan's top artists and actors. Amuse Inc. with world-wide subsidiaries and affiliates, eleven of which are located in the U.S.A., France, Shanghai, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Beijing, and Hong Kong with 8 locations. In 2014, Amuse Group USA, Inc. (Amuse USA), wholly owned subsidiary of Amuse Inc., had been established to provide artist management and tour support for bands in the United States- including BABYMETAL (Metal Dance Unit), ONE OK ROCK (Alternative rock), and Perfume (Electronic) - as well as growing Japanese talent globally, discovering local U.S. talents, and producing & investing in local film/TV projects. In spring 2016, Amuse USA launched a breakthrough Japanese content matching project, J-CREATION: A FIRST LOOK SHOWCASE, uniting Japanese IP and Hollywood producers & studios in their shared mission to adapt into English language films and TV series. Recently Amuse Group USA collaborated with Z2 Comics releasing BABYMETAL's graphic novel APOCRYPHA: THE LEGEND OF BABYMETAL.
Tatsuro Hatanaka (President of Amuse Inc. and Amuse Group USA, Inc.)shares "We are delighted to welcome Crimson Apple to the Amuse Group family. We look forward to working together, ushering in the band's new era, and bringing their music to the global audience."
Hailing from Hawaii, four sisters known as Crimson Apple relocated to California in 2015 to further pursue music. Since the move, the band has performed in numerous venues in California, Nevada, and Colorado. Six days a week you can find the sisters rehearsing, tightening up their performances, writing songs, listening back to shows, or hunched over the computer perfecting arrangements on self-recorded demos. Always wanting to put their best foot forward, the women of Crimson Apple have worked with A-list instrument and vocal coaches who have worked with such artists as Avenge Sevenfold, Gwen Stefanie, Chester Bennington, and Rhianna, among others.
For Crimson Apple's next release, the Benson sisters are currently collaborating with producer's who they trust aesthetically from the State, Japan, and UK. bouncing ideas back and forth and being open to fresh perspectives. In addition, the sisters will be touring regionally and nationally including a stop at The Satellite in Silver Lake, CA next month. The band will also be joining the upcoming High School Nation tour hitting cities across the country through the October and November months.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
September 10 - The Satellite, Silver Lake CA
October + November - High School Nation Tour Dates (IL, DC, VA, MD, FL, TX)
Crimson Apple is Colby Benson, lead vocals/keyboards; Shelby Benson, guitar/vocals; Carthi Benson, bass/vocals; and Faith Benson, drums. Since the band's inception in 2012, Crimson Apple has shared the stage with such venerated artists as Will Champlain, Switchfoot, All Time Low, The Green, Hawaiian music legends, HAPA, and One Republic. The group's 2015 self-released debut album, Hello, garnered commercial airing in Hawaii, and across the internet, including earning spins on iHeartMedia and Star 101.9. The year of its debut, the sisters also earned nominations for Alternative Album of the Year, Most Promising Artist of the Year, and Group of the Year at the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, Hawaii's equivalent of the Grammy Awards.
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For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/crimsonappleband
