Posted on 04/03/2012 8:35:32 PM PDT by Nachum
NewsWeek/DailyBeast – The Roberts Court’s rulings appear to be a concerted effort to send us back to the Gilded Age. If they dump the Affordable Care Act, writes David Dow, we should dump them.
You think the idea is laughable? Thomas Jefferson disagreed with you.
Jefferson believed Supreme Court justices who undermine the principles of the Constitution ought to be impeached, and that wasn’t just idle talk. During his presidency, Jefferson led the effort to oust Justice Salmon Chase, arguing that Chase was improperly seizing power. The Senate acquitted Chase in 1805, and no Justice has been impeached since, but as the Supreme Court threatens to nullify the health-care law, Jefferson’s idea is worth revisiting.
The problem with the current court is not merely that there is a good chance it will strike down a clearly constitutional law. The problem is that this decision would be the latest salvo in what seems to be a sustained effort on the part of the Roberts Court to return the country to the Gilded Age. [...]
(Excerpt) Read more at patdollard.com ...
Clerk?
Or perhaps Kagan?
Or maybeeeee the ‘Wise Latina’?
If there has been a leak, I hope they will be outed. Soon.
Does this clown Dow have any thoughts as to how Jefferson might have reacted to the way the "Affordable Health Care Act" was NOT written by Congress, was NOT read by a single member of Congress, and WAS passed behind locked doors in the dark of night?
If I had ever heard of this clown, I would waste the time finding the answer to that one in Jefferson's own words.
Does this clown Dow have any thoughts as to how Jefferson might have reacted to the way the "Affordable Health Care Act" was NOT written by Congress, was NOT read by a single member of Congress, and WAS passed behind locked doors in the dark of night?
If I had ever heard of this clown, I would waste the time finding the answer to that one in Jefferson's own words.
Oh, the irony. “Obamacare” is a perfect example of the liberals undermining the Constitution. It’s something that they’ve been up to for the last one hundred years.
Impeachment will be for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors” and Judges remain in office “during good behavior”.
There is no provision in the Constitution for removing Judges whose opinion (in the Majority) you disagree with.
Five of Nine SCOTUS Judges could not constitutionally be impeached because Congress disagrees with their decision.
1. It is an election year - NO ONE in the House is going to vote in a majority for Articles of Impeachment. ‘Specially as the GOP holds the House AND something like 70% of the American Public WANT the law overturned ...
2. Even IF the House voted for Articles of Impeachment - there are only 53 DEMs in the Senate - and something like 23 of them are up for election this year. AGAIN, with something like 70% of the American Public AGAINST the law - these 23 Senators AREN’T going to take any chance of being 86’d out of office by convicting ...
I saw a statistic one time that said that 97% of all Newsweek readers are waiting to have a root canal or colonoscopy.
LOL That’s about right.
My Dentist doesn’t subscribe to NewsWeak.
He’s got the NRA magazines out.
Boy, if the author is going to make an argument for impeaching Supreme Court justices based on historical precedent, the author should at least get the names of the historical figures correct. Salmon Chase was appointed to the Supreme Court by Abraham Lincoln. Samuel Chase was the justice that Jefferson went after.
right... I miss b!tched..
I call for everyone at Newsweak to be fired.
You've got it. An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House and two thirds of the Senate can agree upon. It's unreviewable by any court. (However, the penalty is limited to removal from office, the founders having remembered Charles I.)
None of this nonsense about high crimes and misdemeanors. Although bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia ought certainly qualify as the former!
Roberts replaced Rehnquist, so I don't think that tilted the court. Alito replaced O'Connor (a "moderate" -- many times voted with Rehnquist, but some liberal votes, especially later in her term, so that was a move to the right). I think the big shift was Thomas replacing Marshall. I guess that is kind of remarkable for a GHWB appointment.
I agree there are double standards. Beyond that, Newt should realize that if a GOP House or Senate sent out US Marshalls to arrest judges they don't like, Dems could do the same when they are in power. Remember how they called us crazy, dangerous, out of control. all for protesting peacefully and legally? Time for payback. I always say return fire with fire.
They should try, although libs and the media are notorious for ignoring ideological inconsistencies. Can the GOP and the right wing orgs convince the voters?
Obama could learn something from Truman, who, after losing the huge SCOTUS case when he tried to control the steel mills, and was asked whether he would abide by the SCOTUS ruling, said "Yes. I am not a tyrant."
I don’t think there is any way to impeach a Supreme Court justice based on a decision, only for criminal acts. Good luck proving that! Having said that though, I wouldn’t mind Bader-Ginsburg, Kagan, or the Unwise Latina - or all three! - being impeached!
Given that the majority of the Newsweek readers have their heads up their arse, a root canal would have to follow the same process as a colonoscopy.
I gaurantee the conservative opinion (win or lose) on this decision will be ‘historical.’
Oh they can be impeached, all right. After all it just means "accused."
It remains for the Senate to convict and punish, but since the passage of the 17th Amendment, that step is almost meaningless, specially in the case where each party holds a subbranch of the legislature; and guess who has the final word as to the Constitutionality?
This is why I do not read Newsweek.
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