What on earth does the Schiavo case have to do with federal judgeships?

[wyldwolf]

Having made a disgraceful mess of an attempted intervention in the case of Terri Schiavo, there are signs that congressional Republican leaders and conservative activists are about to use the case in a "pivot" to a long-threatened effort to radically change Senate procedures for confirming federal judicial nominations, known as the "nuclear option" because of its extreme nature and the havoc it will wreak.

What on earth does the Schiavo case have to do with federal judgeships? Good question. And here's the answer offered by Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard magazine: The Schiavo case shows it's time for Americans to "rise up against our robed masters" and demand judges who are "respectful of democratic self-government and committed to a genuine constitutionalism." Indeed, Kristol suggests this drive for a Bush-dominated federal judiciary be dubbed "Terri's revolution."

So here's Kristol's argument in a nutshell: It is a national imperative that we run roughshod over the traditions of the democratically elected U.S. Senate in order to let George W. Bush make life-time appointments to the federal bench to save us from democratically elected state judges applying the laws of a democratically elected state legislature. Who's showing a lack of respect for "self-government" and "genuine constitutionalism" here? And who's really aiming at the wholesale creation of "robed masters?"

http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=131&subid=192&contentid=253258

[journalist3072]

1. "Activist Judges"

The Repugs love that term. And they will use the Schiavo case to say we need conservative judges on the bench from here until eternity. They don't like the fact that the Schiavo case has been litigated practically to death, and every judge has sided with the husband.

[adwon]

2. This makes me think of Truman

His comments on Eisenhower and Nixon seem especially appropriate.

He didn't think Eisenhower had ever read the constitution. When asked if he thought Nixon had, Truman said, "He might have read it, but if he did, I bet you the son of a bitch didn't understand it."

This pack of nimrods is nothing more than Bricker and Jenner resurrected. I'd say McCarthy, but he was more an opportunistic drunk than anything. Bricker and Jenner actually believed their own hype.

[creeksneakers2]

3. I listen to the RWs on the radio

They want to take almost all power from the judicial branch. They use the frame/code words "judicial tyranny." The Schiavo case wasn't the beggining of the RW advocating that the executive branch just stop obeying the judicial branch. They've been selling this idea for a while and its big. I think a majority of the folks on the right now want to do away with all our rights and protections.

[DIKB]

4. yuck

they're going to try to get "moral" judges who will vote according to their beliefs and not according to the law. can you say "HELLO THEOCRACY!!!"