Religious rightists using scary tactics to pad courts (read and forward)

[baby_bear]

This article is specifically about examples in the Northwest, but it's absolutely excellent for anyone anywhere in this country, IMHO.

Religious rightists using scary tactics to pad courts

Friday, April 15, 2005

by JOEL CONNELLY
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER COLUMNIST

<snip>
With a customary disregard of history, and the usual purpose of crushing dissent, America's conservative propaganda machine is revving up the "nuclear option" to get right-wing judges confirmed to federal appellate courts.
...
It's part of a two-pronged strategy, aiming at both packing and cowing our federal courts. Judges are the chief remaining brake on one-party government, and efforts by the likes of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to assert state power from the bedroom to the courtroom to the emergency room.
...
They refused to let the Senate Judiciary Committee hold hearings on these nominees.In this Washington, recent history points to the rank hypocrisy of what the right aims to do. In the past three years, the U.S. Senate has confirmed 205 of Bush's nominations to the federal bench. Just 10 nominees have been held up by Senate Democrats. Ninety-five percent of federal court seats are filled, making for the lowest vacancy rate in 13 years. In contrast, in the late 1990s, Republicans, with control of the U.S. Senate, were blocking as many as 50 Clinton judicial nominations. They refused to let the Senate Judiciary Committee hold hearings on these nominees. As many as 10 seats on the 28-member 9th Circuit Court of Appeals -- which covers much of the West -- were vacant. Five of the court's judges sit in Seattle.
...
Our religious rightists would subject an independent judiciary, in a free society, to mob intimidation and tyranny of the majority.

We must resist these people.
</snip>

b_b

[rodeodance]

1. please give us a linko--thanks

[Technowitch]

2. Yes, what rodeodance said - link pls, so we can read the rest?

Thanks!

[teach1st]

3. Link

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/220211_joel15.html