SCOTUS: Total Betrayal of Democracy

[babylonsister]

Vote for our President, it it THAT IMPORTANT!!!

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2012/6/25/125741/150

SCOTUS: Total Betrayal of Democracy

by BooMan
Mon Jun 25th, 2012 at 12:57:41 PM EST


As you probably know, I did some work with Democracy for America to raise awareness of and build support for an effort by our country's state attorneys general to file an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in favor of hearing the American Tradition Partnership, Inc. v. Steve Bullock, Attorney General of Montana case. Ultimately, twenty-three attorneys general signed on to the brief (you can thank them here). Personally, I want to thank all of you who stepped up to the plate to lend your hands to the effort. Sadly, however, we were not successful.

In a brief per curiam (unsigned) opinion, the five conservatives on the Court summarily overruled the Montana Supreme Court's decision to defy Citizens United and refused to receive briefs or hear arguments. Justice Breyer, writing for the minority, issued a terse d issent.

This is tragedy for Montana, but it is also a tragedy for our whole country. The conservatives didn't even have the intestinal fortitude to sign this death sentence for our democracy. They were completely unmoved by the spectacle of billionaires deciding who would become the Republican nominee or the opinions of nearly half the attorneys general in the country that Citizens United has a corrupting influence on their home state's politics.

This is utterly shameless and totally destructive. The only way to fix this now is to replace one of the five conservatives on the Court with an Obama nominee.

[spanone]

1. k&r...

[Skittles]

2. heck, that was true when they installed bush as "president"

this latest "betrayal" is part of the long-term repuke plan

[HowHasItComeToThis]

13. IT IS THE ENEMY WITHIN... LED BY THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

COUNT ON ANOTHER WAR

[clang1]

3. Yep

"This is utterly shameless and totally destructive. The only way to fix this now is to replace one of the five conservatives on the Court with an Obama nominee. "

Some house cleaning is needed. This stuff is just a cancer.

[Auntie Bush]

4. But who?

I don't see one of them leaving any time soon.

[upi402]

5. who would obama nominate?

some of his choices have kicked people like me in the brains.
i'd like to think he wouldn't piss away a SCOTUS pick but he is an utter disappointment and betrayal (unless it's politically useful)

[Scootaloo]

6. So how do we fix the problem?

The Supreme Court has the power to do this, and that's why SC seats are partisan footballs. As much as I probably wouldn't mind hte results of the Democrts doing the same in a reversed situation, I can't in good conscience advocate such a thing; just by the power vested in it, the Supreme court MUST be above partisanship...

Which it has clearly failed to be.

So what's the fix? What are the regulations for impeaching a sitting justice? Would expanding the bench dilute the problem?

[clang1]

8. re: Would expanding the bench dilute the problem?

Last edited Tue Jun 26, 2012, 09:30 AM - Edit history (1)

Yes in the sense of the same problem is still there and then just spreading it around more. Does not really solve anything. They should foreswear allegience to any political party and pledge their allegiance to the country. Make them like the church of the Constitution. Hah, if only it could be.

While I am no doctor, look at it like cancer of the body, 'diluting' it spreads it, then it is even more difficult to treat.

[Gregorian]

7. Or as Rachel was saying to night, a constitutional amendment.

I don't even know what that would entail.

[flamingdem]

9. Meanwhile the Democrats will be undercut in elections

so it will be harder than ever to entertain that possibility
with Citizens United in the mix.

Wait.. there must be a silver lining, well there might be but I don't see it yet

[clang1]

10. Disaster in my opinion: Citizens United

I feel that they know it to. It's why they did it.

[RobertEarl]

16. Gregorian doesn't know how? No clue?

Go to http://movetoamend.org

There is a very large, very grassroot movement afoot in the US.

It is having great success. Hope from here is that it leads to impeachment of one or several of the justices now seated. We the people need to make clear who the real boss is.

[ibegurpard]

11. is one of the conservatives in danger of retiring?

not that protecting Ginsburg's slot isn't important

[SunSeeker]

12. Scalia is all about state sovereignty when it comes to immigration...

but when it comes to states trying to protect their sovereignty from marauding billionaires, Scalia is all about federal power. He is such a hypocrite.

Scalia has no legal philosophy--he just has a right wing political philosophy and uses that to determine how he will rule on cases. Then he turns to one of his Ivy League law clerks to find him legal support for the conclusion he wants to make. And legal precedent is much like the Bible. You can find a quote to justify anything.

[mick063]

14. Remember all of the GOP talk about "Activist Judges"?

Now that the shoe is on the other foot.....

Why isn't this a main talking point for the so called "leftist" mainstream media?

Why are they not hammering this into our brains on a nightly basis ala Fox News?

Why isn't it the focus of this political season?

Why do conservatives dictate the conversation and why is it about the economy with our social/political fabric being ripped to pieces around us?

Why is America handing our Democracy over to a handful of billionaires without a fight?

What the hell is going on around here? Where is that famed social media clout?

Last I checked, Rush is still blabbing away, political office is still for sale to the highest bidder, legislation is still being written for Congressmen by the 1%, Clergy are sending us back to the Dark Ages, and the Supreme Court is creating law as opposed to interpreting law.

Excuse me while I go make my "The end is near" sign. Those Mayans were one smart bunch. They predicted the year down to the gnat's ass. The terrible world we are going to live in may just as well be destroyed so that some other evolutionary sentient can have a shot. The incoming Tea Party world will be Hell on earth.

[CleanLucre]

15. let's all thank Senator Russ Feingold

for being the only one with guts to question these bogus W nominations to SCOTUS