Harvard wasn't founded by John Harvard. It's a common misconception that I'm sure any of his staffers could have corrected by using Google or even visiting the Harvard website. John Harvard was the first principle donor, so he got his name on the school.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_University

Rep. King should do his research -- there is a competence problem:

"Seven years ago, 60 percent of the class of 1999 -- Goodling's class -- failed the bar exam on the first attempt. (Goodling's performance was not available, though she is admitted to the bar in Virginia.) The dismal numbers prompted the school to overhaul its curriculum and tighten admissions standards."

Scandal puts spotlight on Christian law school
Grads influential in Justice Dept.

By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff | April 8, 2007

Religion is not a problem unless it is being used as a test for office which is unConstitutional. If attendance at some Christian denominated institution such as Regent's is being used as a requirement for office this would be illegal. Regent currently has some 150 graduates in the Bush Administration which is disproportionate to both the size of the institution and the quality. It may go a long way to explain the general incompentence of the Bush administration.

I'm getting sick of these ridiculous remarks twisting the truth and insulting the intelligence of the American public. Fellow citizens in Iowa 5th district, next time when congressman election comes up, be sure to vote against this Steve King guy.

Someone who is a better researcher than I may be able to prove me wrong, but I can find no evidence on the internets that Harvard was founded as a religious institution.

"Rep. King should do his research -- there is a competence problem:

"'Seven years ago, 60 percent of the class of 1999 -- Goodling's class -- failed the bar exam on the first attempt. (Goodling's performance was not available, though she is admitted to the bar in Virginia.) The dismal numbers prompted the school to overhaul its curriculum and tighten admissions standards.'"

Savage's article goes on to say that Regent's standing has greatly improved in the eight years since. In any case, I'd suggest that the easy identification of "competence" with "Harvard" implicit in this line of argument isn't a good one for liberals to wed themselves to. Why give the Republicans populist ammo?

As I watch the Monica Goodling testamony, "I don't remember this, I don't remember that, I don't remember who, where, what, when, how, why", I continually get one feeling, she's lying and covering up.

You don't have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.

Harvard's webpage indicates that the university originally taught in accordance with a Puritan ethos, but was never affiliated with any particular religious denomination. Link here.

captcha word: school

Sorry -- click on my name for the link.

"Let me tell you what I can remember . . ."

That sounds like obstruction, to me.

Well, if nothing else--and it looks like it really might be nothing else--Ms. Goodling has shown her chops are really good at gumming.

Many of her answers are quite slippery. I just don't understand why they've allowed her to frame the discussion and why they aren't hammering her--unless, of course, they don't much care or they are worried about a backlash. And, yes, there will be some backlash. Today's testimony isn't going to end her career. I fully expect she'll resurface soon and be treated as a hero--those mean old Dems tried to take down a good woman and she survived.

Nowthis is getting good. I had to listen all day for this. Remember how the AG repeatedly claimed that he had no discussions about these matters because of the investigation. Especially with Sampson and Goodling. I seem to remember him claiming that many, many times. If so, this would once again directly contradict his testimony.

It appears that republican congressmen are spending more time figuring out ways of covering the White House's butt regardless of the level of corruption. The deeper the corruption, the deeper congressmen go to stifle these hearings.

When a dem asked how many times she interfered she could not remember. He was like, give me a rough estimate. Was it ten times or 100 times. Monica,"I can't recall that." Surely if you do something you would know the difference between a couple of times and dozens of times. Monica you are a worse liar than Gonzales.

Also - FYI Republican reps comparing Harvard to Regent. Harvard was founded 350 YEARS AGO!!! In 1636. Regent was founded in the 1990s. And you compare their founding documents?!? Appearently to the Republicans, 350 year old human though is good enough for their kids. Amazing.

It appears that republican congressmen are spending more time figuring out ways of covering the White House's butt regardless of the level of corruption. The deeper the corruption, the deeper congressmen go to stifle these hearings.

When a dem asked how many times she interfered she could not remember. He was like, give me a rough estimate. Was it ten times or 100 times. Monica,"I can't recall that." Surely if you do something you would know the difference between a couple of times and dozens of times. Monica you are a worse liar than Gonzales.

It appears that republican congressmen are spending more time figuring out ways of covering the White House's butt regardless of the level of corruption. The deeper the corruption, the deeper congressmen go to stifle these hearings.

When a dem asked how many times she interfered she could not remember. He was like, give me a rough estimate. Was it ten times or 100 times. Monica,"I can't recall that." Surely if you do something you would know the difference between a couple of times and dozens of times. Monica you are a worse liar than Gonzales.

From Rep. King's offical bio:

"He has long been dedicated to adding value as close to the corn stalk and bean stubble as possible, as many times as possible. The Fifth District ranks first in the nation for hogs and pigs..."

Is the line about bean stubble an inside agro thing or what?

Someone ask Steve King if he were on trial for obstruction of justice or war crimes or whatever would he want his attorney to have graduated from Harvard or Regent?

Everyone should yield all their time to Arthur Davis, clearly.

I'm happy to see that Conyers is taking his nap and placed the "very" spunky Ms. Lee in his place.

Does anyone know if Monica has ever passed a bar exam and, if so, where?

I missed Schiff's questions. Was it as good as or better than Davis's??

I think the republicans were grunnting into the microphones to distract Elison(sp).

She testified that she passed the bar on her first try, contrasting herself with most of the Regent graduates.

Did the Harvard of 300 years ago produce such astute minds as this?

"I don't know what I think about the topic."

-- She actually did say that.

Whether or not she passed the bar on her first try is a moot point. After this testimony, she will be disbarred.

From what I've heard, Goodling was a glorified secretary. She probably even brough the guys their coffee.

Has anyone else noticed that she was not able to answer a single question on points of law? I was waiting for a Democrat to point that out. Every time she was asked whether she thought something was legal, her answer was "I don't know."

Is it too much to expect that lawyers working for the DoJ might know the law? I guess so when you're a Trinity graduate who does filing and sends emails asking people if they'd like to attend a bill-signing.

How long before Bush nominates her for the Supreme Court?

From what I've heard, Goodling was a glorified secretary. She probably even brough the guys their coffee.

Has anyone else noticed that she was not able to answer a single question on points of law? I was waiting for a Democrat to point that out. Every time she was asked whether she thought something was legal, her answer was "I don't know."

Is it too much to expect that lawyers working for the DoJ might know the law? I guess so when you're a Trinity graduate who does filing and sends emails asking people if they'd like to attend a bill-signing.

How long before Bush nominates her for the Supreme Court?

Funny that the Congressman would use Harvard as a comparison, as that is, I believe, the law school attended by AG Gonzales. One has to wonder at Mr. Gonzales' ability to matriculate through such an esteemable institution with such a faulty memory, rather than Ms. Goodling's ability to spring from mediocrity to prominence. Might it be attributed to affirmative action. Most certainly his 'ambulance chaser' credentials - so aptly displayed in the Ashcroft affair - were obtained somewhere beyond Cambridge Commons.

Leave Harvard out of it. The 60% bar passing rate of theRegent Law School reflected their teaching and their choice of students. It was the lowest in Virginia.

The American Public wouldn't want a third rate doctor and they shouldn't want a third rate hack running the DoJ and choosing other third rate lawyers.

It is time that we start insisting on competence in government rather than buying into the Republican meme that competence is elitist.

The format of the hearing doesn't really give anyone a chance to grill her. I would love to see a skilled trial attorney cross-examine her without the time limitations the sheer size of this committee necessitates.

It is also interesting to see how the Republicans are using their time to eat up time, thus shortening the time available to the Democrats to grill her. They REALLY want to limit her testimony as much as possible.

Harvard is Unitarian-Universalist and that would hardly be considered "religious" in the sense that anything to do with Robertson is "religious". Boston is the headquarters of the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation and most of our founding fathers considered themselves Unitarian. Harvard has a first class divinity school that would be appalled at being compared to anything Pat Robertson is affiliated with.

Harvard was founded the week after Anne Marbury Hutchinson's trial in 1636 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The trial was held in Newton, at the prodding of John Winthrop, and after three days of testimony against 40 magistrates and 9 ministers, no one could touch Anne on theology, knowledge of scripture, etc.

Newton was renamed Cambridge and Harvard was born, so men would be more learned the next time.

Anne was banished anyway, and her and Hutchinonians (followers) founded Portsmouth, RI.

8th great granddaughter thereof

Re American Univ as top tier law school:

US News and World Report has it tied for 47th in 2008 (48th in 2007). This puts it in the middle of the top tier (top 100 or so).