The war on the independent judiciary is launched

Post by **Relbeek Einre** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:17 pm

http://www.stopactivistjudges.org/

Their keynote speaker was going to be Tom DeLay, but DeLay left the country to attend the pope's funeral (or maybe to duck the growing litany of charges against him, such as using his charity to fund his campaign).

I'm sure some people think this conference is to the good. But it's nothing less than an open declaration of war on the independent judiciary of this country, and is another move towards the consolidation of power in this country.

Kulaf · Post by **Kulaf** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:31 pm

I am confused here. If there is such a thing as an "independant judiciary"......why are Democrats threatening to filibuster 10 "activist" judge nominations? Or are only the judges that back your beliefs......"independant"?

vaulos · Post by **vaulos** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:33 pm

By "independent" people always mean "rule like I believe they should". And by "activist" they always mean "rule differently than I believe they should". That generalization doesn't work everywhere, of course, but it does work when applied to Keebler's statement.

Post by **Relbeek Einre** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 7:06 pm

Boy, you guys are off base.

Kulaf · Post by **Kulaf** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 11:51 pm

No I think we are pretty spot on.

Post by **Ddrak** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 12:11 am

The way I see it, it is the job of congress to draft the law as general statements and the job of the judiciary to interpret that general law as it pertains to specific cases. Neither side should get pissy at the other so long as congress sticks to the general and the judges to the specific.

While I can't speak for previous administrations (because I didn't take as much interest), the whole "activist judge" thing from this administration is bullshit whining that the constitution doesn't give all the power to the legislative and executive branches and the judiciary holds at least some of the checks and balances. Suck it up fools - that's the constitution.

Dd

Post by **Relbeek Einre** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 6:54 am

Kulaf, there's a difference between exercising discretion over who gets appointed to the bench, and trying to threaten and control those who sit on the bench.

Harlowe · Post by **Harlowe** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 8:04 am

Kulaf wrote:No I think we are pretty spot on.

You aren't even paying attention. You are so caught up in your "If Relbeek says it = wrong" mentality you fail to even notice the actual points.

The whole "if it's a liberal poster = wrong or if it's a conservative = wrong" type of knee-jerk posting that goes on is just fucking tiresome.

Aabe · Post by **Aabe** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 8:16 am

Nah, sometimes the liberals are right, sometimes the conservatives are right, its those darned libertarians that are whacked and ALWAYS wrong.

Post by **Relbeek Einre** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 8:50 am

Heh heh. Score one for Aabe.

Akhbarali · Post by **Akhbarali** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:13 am

I just find it hard to get worked up every time a group of crackpots from the left or right put up a fund raising website and hold a conference to collect some speaking fees. OMG Roy Moore, Alan Keyes and a bunch of their fucknut pals are trying to raise money by talking up their agenda! Do you really think this stuff gains any traction outside the small group of people that are already nodding their heads every time these people speak?

Looks to me like they had to create a "political organization" so someone would pay their speaking fees which is really kind of pathetic. Hardly a credible assualt on the underpinnings of our government and no more worthy of concern than if Al Sharpton, Maxine Waters, Micheal Moore and the asshole that equated the WTC victims with Eichmann decided to put up a fund raising website and hold a conference on their agenda.

Akhbar

Post by **Relbeek Einre** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:21 am

Tom DeLay is, for now, the majority leader of the House, Akhbar. That's not just "some crackpot."

Kulaf · Post by **Kulaf** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:25 am

Relbeek Einre wrote:Kulaf, there's a difference between exercising discretion over who gets appointed to the bench, and trying to threaten and control those who sit on the bench.

What are they threatening them with?

Post by **Relbeek Einre** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:35 am

That's why you read the link, Bubbles.

Kulaf · Post by **Kulaf** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:41 am

Relbeek Einre wrote:Kulaf, there's a difference between exercising discretion over who gets appointed to the bench, and trying to threaten and control those who sit on the bench.

Don't think I need to point out here that the nominees are by in large......already sitting on a bench. They are just being considered for promotion to a higher court. So if they are already part of this phantom......"independant judiciary", what's the problem with allowing them to move up?

Kulaf · Post by **Kulaf** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:43 am

Relbeek Einre wrote:That's why you read the link, Bubbles.

OMG!

I just read the link. Imagine the nerve of people getting together to exercise their first amendment right of free speach to try to motivate people to vote in a democracy!

Post by **Ddrak** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:45 am

Actually, DeLay hasn't threatened anything specific, but I've never heard a successful argument that a threat has to be specific or it's not really a threat. Effectively DeLay has just been saying that "Activist judges are gonna get it":

DeLay wrote:"Our next step, whatever it is, must be more than rhetoric,"

source

That is a threat. It specifies that an action will happen against judges that do not follow DeLay's agenda. However, the fact that both Cheney and Frist are starting to back well away from this lunacy is pretty telling that nothing is going to happen, at least in Congress, and if DeLay tries anything the GOP will probably just toss him at the Dems to have their way with him.

Now, if you're ok with the house minority leader making open threats against the judiciary then that's fine. Personally I think it's significantly overstepping the bounds.

Dd

Post by **Relbeek Einre** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:50 am

Nice Rsak impression, Kula.

Harlowe · Post by **Harlowe** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:51 am

Aabe wrote:Nah, sometimes the liberals are right, sometimes the conservatives are right, its those darned libertarians that are whacked and ALWAYS wrong.

You are a bad man. I love it.

Akhbarali · Post by **Akhbarali** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 11:22 am

Relbeek Einre wrote:Tom DeLay is, for now, the majority leader of the House, Akhbar. That's not just "some crackpot."

I would point out that DeLay didn't speak at the event but you know that already. Did DeLay himself ever state that he planned on speaking there or is the only reference you have the statement on the website that he intended to? Even if he did, it still wouldn't change my opinion. DeLay is a far right winger, that is simply not news to me. You claim they are "launching the war on the independent judiciary" which is nonsense. If you look at their "agenda points" they have been fighting (and mostly losing) on every one of these for years. OMG, Alan Keyes and buddies are holding a fund raiser to talk about their opposition to abortion, news at 11!

Simply put, this is nothing new, it is no more dangerous than every other time these people hold a fund raiser and no different than those held by people on the left that I hold in contempt (I get to hear about them from my extreme leftist mother in law regularly). I guess you can get worked up about it all if you like but my take is that we are better off if these people are in some hotel talking about their agenda (and collecting speaking fees) than out in the streets actually trying to promote it in some meaningful way.

Akhbar