IT'S HAPPENED: "POWER SHIFTS IN SCALIA'S FAVOR ON SUPREME COURT"

[DeepModem Mom]

LAT: Power shifts in Scalia's favor on supreme court
By David G. Savage, Times Staff Writer
February 19, 2007



WASHINGTON -- It has been two decades in the making, but this is the year Justice Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court's most outspoken dissenter, could emerge as a leader of a new conservative majority among the justices.

Between now and late June, the court is set to hand down decisions in four areas of law -- race, religion, abortion regulation and campaign finance -- where Scalia's views may now represent the majority.

In each of those areas, the retirement of centrist Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and her replacement with Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. figure to tip the court to the right. That would give 70-year old Scalia the chance to take on a role that has largely eluded him: speaking for the court in major rulings.

Scalia is not known for seeing shades of gray in legal disputes; instead, he has favored clear rules and broad decisions.

A series of broad-brush rulings could put Scalia's stamp on some key social issues in the United States. A Scalia-led majority would be likely to outlaw the use of racial guidelines to achieve integration, allow a greater role for religion in public life, uphold stricter regulation of abortion and strike down campaign-funding laws on free-speech grounds.

It is a prospect dreaded by liberals but eagerly awaited by many on the right....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-scalia20feb20,0,2904604.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[Nikki Stone1]

1. God help us!

Really.

[Erika]

4. W and the extremists had their run thru Armageddon & fear

The GOP won't come back into power for decades. They showed they couldn't lead the way thru a back alley without paying millions of taxpayer dollars to GOP contractors.

[Monkeyman]

2. He hates free speech

[Erika]

3. Scalia supports minority conservative extremists views

Except when he said he liked orgies! Tarring and feathering is still an option. Unless he's in the orgy mood.

[Prophet 451]

5. Counting down...

So, it's really just a matter of time until Roe is overturned, racial discrimination is entirely legal, even encouraged and the megacorps can skip PACs and just sign contracts exchanging x million dollars for x regulatory favours?

[Pushed To The Left]

6. It will get even worse if the Republicans win in 2008

The right wing's goal is to stack the Supreme Court with right wing Justices. Even so-called "moderates" Guliani and McCain want to do this. If November of 2004 hadn't been the disaster that it was, this wouldn't be happening right now. We need to get a super-majority in the Senate by any means necessary! We need to make it impossible for the right wing to appoint any more extremist justices! Not voting for the Democratic candidates for President and Senate is like handing the country to the religious right.

[Erika]

9. You will not see the GOP in control for at least 2 decades

They went rabidly right wing and shut off the independents.

I've been actually shocked to see how many of the right wing religious zealots actually thought W was the agent for Armageddon. They actually thought as Robertson and Falwell taught, that W was annointed by God to lead us to the end times.

[Hawkowl]

13. Don't forget Nixon & Watergate

The same things were said when Nixon resigned. Don't ever relax your vigilance. These bastards need to be removed and Jailed. These villains are worse than Jason from Friday the 13th. Just when you think they're dead meat, they keep coming back...Rumsfeld, Cheney from the Nixon days; Poindexter and Necropointe from Iran Contra. THEY MUST BE IMPRISONED! Otherwise they keep coming back.

[Pushed To The Left]

14. I really hope you're right

This Supreme Court situation really worries me. We still have just a little under 2 years before the 2008 election. Bush must not be allowed to appoint any more right wing Justices to the Supreme Court! If they convince some Democrats to vote for a right wing justice, then the real Democrats should filibuster with a vengeance!

[Toots]

34. He really doesn't need to, the last two he appointed will be here when your grand vhildren

are old enough to become President. They now have a lock on the Court for at least another decade...

[tbyg52]

31. I hope you're right,

but unless we get paper ballots back, they're all set up to continue to steal.

[ftr23532]

7. Time to re-post these Opus Dei links

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5674">Here we go. Enjoy!

[DeepModem Mom]

10. A valuable, if frightening, reminder -- thanks for posting, ftr23532. nt

[ftr23532]

20. Welcome! And now that I think about it...

...the combo of Brownback running and Scalia's growing influence on the Supreme Court could make Opus Dei's influence a useful fun-fact during the 2008 election to highlight the general phenomena of our leaders putting up a moderate face while quietly being members secretive networks of extremists with a very un-American agenda. That's an important meme for us to being pushing these days.

[terisan]

8. We need to elect Pres, Congress; then impeach the remaining 5 justices

who installed GW Bush.

[Hawkowl]

11. Works for me

Scalia has accepted free travel and other "gratuities" from Cheney and others. That should be grounds enough.

[jaysunb]

12. I don't think Kennedy will be a go along in this

scenario. Further, I'd be a bit surprised if Roberts' rather large ego will permit this.

[Pushed To The Left]

16. I hope he doesn't.

He seems to be more of an O'Connor-like swing voter than a conservative, so things might be better than we think!

[Octafish]

15. Guess somebody shoulda filibustered.

Oh yeah. That would be aiding the terrorists.

[charlie]

17. What, and dampen our powder?

We're the driest-powder-havingest fools on the planet.

I guess our only remaining hope is one or two of them discover their inner Earl Warren.

[DeepModem Mom]

19. This is deadly serious, but I had to chuckle at your post --

"driest-powder-havingest fools on the planet." Yes, indeed!

[charlie]

22. Deadly serious, indeed

We've got an AG that thinks there is no right to habeas corpus, and a justice sitting at the bottom right of the court seesaw who says newly discovered exculpatory evidence is no reason to overturn a properly attained death penalty. This bunch makes Meese-Rehnquist look like the days of sunshine and roses.

[Pushed To The Left]

18. Yes, they should have!

Now that we have the majority, there is absolutely no excuse for anymore RW Supreme Court Justices. Even if some Democrats try to vote for a rightwing Justice (pretty stupid move), we probably have enough Democrats that care about the Supreme Court who will do the right thing and filibuster!!

[jaysunb]

24. Yep ! We have some pretty dry powder don't we ???

I didn't laugh back then ( when we were "keeping our powder dry " ) and the results have me very nervous now.
If Kennedy does not sense and sieze his place in history...we're fucked !

[sandnsea]

29. Somebody did filibuster

I guess more somebody's should have joined in.

[Ignacio Upton]

21. One more reason why we need to win in 2008

However, if Scalia retains control over the SCOTUS the next time a Democrat is President, the court will become about as powerless as it did under Roger Taney during the Civil War. Roberts will become a later day Taney if the court tries to give us a new Dred Scott in the form of destroying the right to choose.

[Erika]

23. Bush polluted the SC for all time by politicizing it

John Roberts isn't going to vote against a woman's right to choose if it down's his party chances.

[Tsiyu]

25. So now ORGIES will be constitutionally protected

as long as during the duration of your orgy, you pray to Jeebus only, no contraceptives are used, no same-sex dalliances take place, no anti-war thongs are worn and if you get pregnant while at the orgy, you must carry to term.

Swell!

Party on, Tony!!!! :party:

[flyarm]

26. i wish icould wish for him a major heart attack..but i am too afraid of karma!!

soi will wish in silence!!..anybody out there have a voo doo doll???..only kidding...

watchout for karma!!

fly:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[sandnsea]

30. Is okay, I did

I don't believe in karma. I believe you can take one look at him and guess his diet, combine that with his age and temperament, and conclude a heart attack isn't too far down the line.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[northofdenali]

28. self delete (keyboard is faster than I am!)

[The Backlash Cometh]

32. Don't worry. By the time Scalia is done with his term, it will give

the reasoning expressed during the liberal period of the 60s look like the age of Wisdom, by comparison.

[mod mom]

33. This makes my blood boil. bu$h appointed 2 justices after the election THEFTS

of 2000 and 2004. Why the hell didn't the Dems fight tooth and nail for their votes?

[davekriss]

35. God help us!

Mere factual innocence is no reason not to carry out a death sentence properly reached.
-- Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, First Clinically Insane Member of the Supreme Court

'nuff said.

[treestar]

39. "Mere"

Oh. My. God. He is insane.

[Solly Mack]

36. sorta knew this would happen

sadly

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

37. Hmmm, just looking at the human interest aspect of this story....

I wonder how Scalia and Roberts get along, personally? How about Scalia and the rest of the Justices?

I wonder if a couple of the right leaning types may all of sudden rediscover the Constitution, to reduce his bluster. MKJ

[Greyskye]

38. Hey Scalia! Shift THIS!