until the DNC operatives in the government start going through Ricci's tax returns and all kinds of private information? I'd say not too long.

Anyway, Ricci could testify how hard he worked, how much he studied - and then how devasted he, and his family were when the city refused to promote him solely because he was white.

Surely, he is quite an expert on this subject - unlike, say, Julia Roberts who testified before congress.

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Meh, no need to even get to the tax returns BS. The fact that Ricci is a "professional litigator" is enough to sink his boat.

Plus it's not like the GOP isn't combing through Sonia's personal past trying desperately to find something - ANYTHING! - that will derail what will be a certain, quick approval.

These kinds of "dirty tricks" really kicked in under Nixon and are an unfortunate facet of modern American political life.

Meh, no need to even get to the tax returns BS. The fact that Ricci is a "professional litigator" is enough to sink his boat.

Does it strike you as peculiar that a man, whose profession is a "litigator" according to you takes a fireman's exam and passes it - while not a single professional black fireman manages to do this? Explain...

Plus it's not like the GOP isn't combing through Sonia's personal past trying desperately to find something - ANYTHING! - that will derail what will be a certain, quick approval.

We 've seen Joe's private information being illegally accessed by liberal operatives in the government and illegally distributed to the press. You think same thing will happen to Ricci? BTW, can you remind me - which liberal witness saw same level of government unlawful treatment?

These kinds of "dirty tricks" really kicked in under Nixon and are an unfortunate facet of modern American political life.

So, you say that modern day liberals are like Nixon. Okay. Care to give me any examples of repbulicans doing this in the last 20 years to anyone? No? Case closed, comrade.

Oh get over yourself, please. You pretend like the GOP is as pure as the driven snow and doesn't engage in the "character assasination" when they have plenty of surrogates in the media (Limbaugh, Hannity, etc) do it for them. Democrats don't engage in it either - they have their forces (KOS, Move On, etc) who keep up with these attacks on the other side. Again, this is an unfortunate, disturbing facet of modern political life that I would like to see go away but then I'd like to date Angelina Jolie and I don't see that happening any time soon.

Face it, Ricci is the kind of person that Limbaugh, Boortz, et al would normally demonize but he's proving a point for them so it's OK. No need to even go as far as his tax returns and that's my point. His boat is sunk because he isn't nearly the "regular guy" that got screwed out of a job but rather someone who has repeatedly used the court system to advance his career - the irony of this is astounding when you really think about it.

when republicans illegally accessed private information on individuals in the government files and then illegaly distributed it among journalists. Very good. So why then you claim that everyone dose it? This is a lie....

Secondly, if you want to undermine Ricci, an ordinary firefighter - go ahead. I am sure plenty of hard working folks will be thrilled to know that liberals hate the working man.

Lastly, you said that Ricci was a "professional litigator". You failed to explain how he could pass the fireman exam when no professional black fireman did. Care to do this now?

1. No it's not a lie. EVERYONE does it (character assassination) nowadays - that goes for both conservatives AND liberal extremists. I don't like it but it's a bit like Pandora's box and just a sad fact of modern political life.

2. Ricci is hardly an "ordinary firefighter". I doubt there are many firefighters that have filed multiple lawsuits in order to gain employment or promotions. Your statement simply stretches credibility here and so your silly strawman argument about how "liberals hate the working man" (yawn) falls flat.

3. I've never seen the exam nor ever met any of the black firefighters that took it and therefore chose not to comment on your baited question. I do know that it is clear to me that Ricci has repeatedly used the court system to achieve his employment goals. That used to bother "conservatives" but instead it's just ignored. Of all people they can put before the Judiciary Committee, Ricci is poor example of behavior they despise. Is that clear to you at all?

There seems to be a problem with some Americans who believe that getting a job promotion on merit - your performance and hard work, is wrong and that instead you are owed a job promotion because of the color of your skin. Promoting people to jobs that do not deserve the promotion is dumbing down the quality of work that company produces and it's one reason why China and India and other countries are beating the hell out of us in the world markets. Promoting incompetent, unqualified people may satisfy some on the left but in the long wrong it is hurting our country.

You want an explanation?

How about this: that he's not really all that dyslexic and his demand for SPECIAL ADA treatment was maybe just a tad bit fraudulent... do you like that?

"Joe" lent himself to the Repugs as a poster child, supposedly an example of the poor little guy trying to make it in spite of the mommy state. His PUBLIC records made those claims laughable, but he still has a career as a TV pitch man, thus proving that morons will buy anything. And liberal witnesses who have been illegally slimed? Do you remember Anita Hill?

Examples of Republicans doing this in the last 20 years? Are you kidding?

KARL ROVE's entire career is built on that stuff. How about the black-baby rumor he used to sink McCain on super tuesday? How about the Swift Boat attack? Remember that? What are you, fourteen?

Also, what is the PRIVATE INFORMATION on Ricci that's being leaked to impugn his character as a witness?

As far as I can tell, it's all public record.

Just wait. It will probably come to everyone's attention just before he testifies. That's the current MO for both varieties of sleaze (Repub and Dem).

Anyway, I'm pretty sure he's current on his taxes. If he wasn't I'm sure Obama would have tapped him to be Fire Extinguisher Czar by now.

Try Thomas Eagleton and Valerie Plame.

One of the biggest myths is that no black firefighters passed the exam and therefore the exam should have been tossed out. That's not true though. Many blacks passed the exam and were deemed qualified for promotion. What is true is that no blacks were in the top 10, and there were only seven positions open at the time. What is true is that blacks passed, but didn't pass at the same rate as non-blacks.

As far as I am concerned, this makes tossing out the test even more problematical, and it also makes the framing of the results -- no blacks passed therefore racism was at play -- much more egregiously bullshit.

Since 2003 no one has been promoted. If the test results had been kept, it turns out (as expected) that with the additional openings since 04, there would have been several blacks promoted.

So what did affirmative action race baiters get? No promotions for anyone and a defeat in the Supreme Court. Contrast that to promotions for qualified firefighters including African Americans.

Good jorb race baiters!

oxboggle:

How about the Swift Boat attack? Remember that?

Wait, so you've found evidence that Kerry actually was in Cambodia?!? Please share it, the world has been waiting for this.

Atlanta Bob:

Oh get over yourself, please. You pretend like the GOP is as pure as the driven snow and doesn't engage in the "character assasination" when they have plenty of surrogates in the media (Limbaugh, Hannity, etc) do it for them. Democrats don't engage in it either - they have their forces (KOS, Move On, etc) who keep up with these attacks on the other side. Again, this is an unfortunate, disturbing facet of modern political life that I would like to see go away but then I'd like to date Angelina Jolie and I don't see that happening any time soon.

Face it, Ricci is the kind of person that Limbaugh, Boortz, et al would normally demonize but he's proving a point for them so it's OK. No need to even go as far as his tax returns and that's my point. His boat is sunk because he isn't nearly the "regular guy" that got screwed out of a job but rather someone who has repeatedly used the court system to advance his career - the irony of this is astounding when you really think about it.

I got news for you, buddy. The conservatives on this thread do not have to answer for everything Rush Limbaugh has ever said. We can speak for ourselves and are responsible only for ourselves.

Many of us are disgusted at Dahlia Lithwick's smear job on a fireman who has had the balls to stand up to the bullies of the liberal intelligentsia.

MisterPerson:

I got news for you, buddy. The conservatives on this thread do not have to answer for everything Rush Limbaugh has ever said. We can speak for ourselves and are responsible only for ourselves.

Many of us are disgusted at Dahlia Lithwick's smear job on a fireman who has had the balls to stand up to the bullies of the liberal intelligentsia.

So you won't admit that under almost any other circumstance you would be trashing someone who continued to file lawsuit after lawsuit to get a job or promotion....hey, suit yourself.