Why aren't the Dems defending the judiciary?

[midnight armadillo]

The Repukes are waging an all out assault on the integrity of the judicial system. Next up will be the 'nuclear option' and the packing of the federal benches with right wing whackos. Then the Supreme Court...

So, where are the headlines quoting leading Democrats defending our judicial system and our very system of government? Why are they MIA, again?!? Every time the Repukes hand the Democrats a massive opportunity they blow it. The coalition of social convervatives (now shoved aside by religious fanatics) and business interests has probably never been more fragile now than it has in decades.

The history books documenting the fall of the Republic will surely note the serendipitous combination of the Republicans descending into fascism while the Democrats responded by firmly placing their thumbs up their own rear ends.

[Pirate Smile]

1. Kerry just sent out an e-mail asking people to e-mail their Repub

Senators about this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1699358&mesg_id=1699358

edit to add - I think the real fight will begin next week.

[Cocoa]

16. I got it too

[Pirate Smile]

19. It is too late to edit but he wants people to call not e-mail.

[ewagner]

2. Because

remember that the vast majority of the Judiciary is still hard-core conservative....

we need to reserve the right to criticize in the future......

an old Florida political saying applies:

Keep your words soft and sweeet, for some day you may have to eat them.

[Zenlitened]

4. Blech. If this isn't the time to speak out, I don't know what is. - n/t

[ewagner]

7. More appropriate

for us to defend "the rule of law" as opposed to the judiciary in general......

[Zenlitened]

9. I think you're splitting nearly-invisible hairs, here.

[ewagner]

11. I'll concede the possibility

and, maybe even argue the other side of the fence for a moment....

maybe consistancy isn't important....doesn't seem to bother the Right Wing at all....

maybe we should just take advantage of the moment and not worry about being called down on it in the future...

those seem to be our options and quite frankly, I'm not sure which is best....

[Zenlitened]

12. I honestly don't see where we'd be vulnerable to charges of...

... inconsistency.

As for future criticisms, I think they'll criticize, distort and lie no matter what we do or do not do.

I'm tired feeling like an abused wife, metaphorically speaking, always tip-toeing around worried whether something I'm doing (or not doing) will "upset him."

That's a dead-end, a downward spiral, that leads nowhere good.

[ewagner]

13. Not worried about upsetting

the Repubs....

Intellectually, I'd like to hold onto the virtue of being consistant but, like you, it probably doesn't matter to the Repubs whether we're consistant or not....

Like I said, I can see both sides of this argument....don't know what I would do if I actually had a say in Democratic strategy....

I'm torn between taking the intellectual high ground and being absolutely cynical....and ruthless

on edit: btw: thanks for the civil discussion....

[Zenlitened]

15. Make sure you're not confusing truth-telling with the 'low road'

That's a faulty logic that too many dems have fallen for, in my view.

[Zenlitened]

3. Sen. Kennedy is calling DeLay on the carpet for threatening judges

Describes as "irresponsible and reprehensible."

Frankly, I'd like to see the old lion swat DeLay right on the snout, but I'm a bit edgy these days! :D

Let's hope Sen. Kennedy gets some other Dems fired up and speaking out -- LOUDLY! -- too.

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=Kennedy+DeLay&btnG=Search+News

[quaoar]

5. The Republicans need something new to demonize

and they have selected "activist judges."

This flies in the face of the fact that Judge Greer is a Republican and a Southern Baptist and that the federal courts resisted Republican attempts to do an end run around federalism.

But I have heard and read many comments defending federalism and the integrity of the judiciary's role -- even from quite a few Republican commentators.

[Eloriel]

6. They don't defend anything or anyone, not even themselves n/t

[realFedUp]

8. letter from Sen. Lautenberg to DDT DeLay

(won't this just make it easier for Rethugs to get rid of DeLay?)

From:

http://rawstory.com/exclusives/byrne/lautenberg_letter_delay_schiavo_401.htm

April 1, 2005

Tom DeLay
Majority Leader
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Majority Leader DeLay,

I was stunned to read the threatening comments you made yesterday against Federal judges and our nation’s courts of law in general. In reference to certain Federal judges, you stated: “The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior.”

As you are surely aware, the family of Federal Judge Joan H. Lefkow of Illinois was recently murdered in their home. And at the state level, Judge Rowland W. Barnes and others in his courtroom were gunned down in Georgia.

Our nation’s judges must be concerned for their safety and security when they are asked to make difficult decisions every day. That’s why comments like those you made are not only irresponsible, but downright dangerous. To make matters worse, is it appropriate to make threats directed at specific Federal and state judges?

You should be aware that your comments yesterday may violate a Federal criminal statute, 18 U.S.C. §115 (a)(1)(B). That law states:

“Whoever threatens to assault…. or murder, a United States judge… with intent to retaliate against such… judge…. on account of the performance of official duties, shall be punished ”

Threats against specific Federal judges are not only a serious crime, but also beneath a Member of Congress. In my view, the true measure of democracy is how it dispenses justice. Your attempt to intimidate judges in America not only threatens our courts, but our fundamental democracy as well.

Federal judges, as well as state and local judges in our nation, are honorable public servants who make difficult decisions every day. You owe them – and all Americans – an apology for your reckless statements.

Sincerely,

Frank R. Lautenberg

[Zenlitened]

10. Right on the money!

:thumbsup:

[sellitman]

17. Delay needs a harsher retort than even this well written letter.

Sen. Lautenberg was too polite

[ArtVandaley]

14. For the Schiavo ordeal . . .

Although I realize that isn't what you're getting at, it is a small part of this problem, I think that the Dems were wise to stay the fuck out of it. The repubs self-exploded on the issue, it was a good thing we didn't stick around and get dirty also.

[kerrygoddess]

18. Dem's MIA... NOT!

JohnKerry.com Gears Up to Fight Filibuster Ban

There is an effort on at JohnKerry.com to fight Senator Frist and Vice President Cheney’s proposed ban on filibusters.

"Within a matter of days, the Senate could face a truly momentous decision – one with consequences that will reverberate across America for decades to come."

"Senator Frist, the Republican Majority Leader, has a plan to make President Bush’s judicial nominations immune to a Senate filibuster. If he can convince enough Republican Senators to go along, the nomination and confirmation of judges will become a tightly-controlled, one-party affair."

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=657

[midnight armadillo]

21. That's peanuts

There are copies of the NYT, WSJ, and Boston Globe in the work lunchroom. Not one mentions a Democratic response to the whole fiasco on the front page, much elss anywhere else.

Editing a web page is cheap. How about a speech on the Senate floor? Or a press conference? Or some op-eds?

[BigBearJohn]

20. Delay may have just committed a crime. Let's prosecute him!

[blm]

22. Why do you think they're fighting against ending filibusters? And why do

you think mainstream news media would give headlines to the Dems' fighting to preserve the filibuster?

The GOP controls most of the broadcast media in this country and a great deal of the print media.

You really think they give Democrats airtime for anything they can't spin against them?

Even Kerry has held two press conferences on very important legislation and NO broadcast media and few papers covered either one.

[leesa]

23. Actually, I like the idea of letting the judges speak for themselves

I think the Schiavo fiasco points out that these judges are not going to allow BushCo to simply roll over them. Let the judges get pissed off at being undermined.