The bench vs. people

Washington Times ^ | 5/17/04 | Orrin Hatch and Jim Talent

[wagglebee]

In the debate over traditional marriage, the cultural dominoes are falling in the wrong direction. Activist judges, who specialize in taking issues away from the people and deciding those issues instead, intend to make traditional marriage a thing of the past. Their decisions, like the one that will allow Massachusetts clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples this week, and the aggressive political and legal strategy driving them, make clear that protecting traditional marriage will require amending the Constitution.

[wagglebee]

Judges have become the most dangerous branch by following former Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes' view that the law is "whatever the judges say it is." Judges cannot change the literal words of the Constitution or a statute, so they make law by changing the meaning of those words.

Why can't Congress and the Executive Branch exercise their powers as specified in the Constitution. We are being victimized by a group who could care less what the Constitution intended.

[Cicero]

Orin Hatch has been part of the problem, unfortunately.

We may yet be disappointed, but I give Bush credit for not "compromising" after the Democrats went into a full court press against his judicial candidates. All the earlier Republican presidents compromised, and as a result we got some terrible Republican appointments, such as Earl Warren, David Souter, and Sandra Day O'Connor.

Hatch has been part of that compromising process. Unfortunately what it has usually meant is that the Republicans go along with 90% of what the Democrats demand. Then they can all bask in the approval of the liberal media.

[wagglebee]

All the earlier Republican presidents compromised, and as a result we got some terrible Republican appointments, such as Earl Warren, David Souter, and Sandra Day O'Connor.

1. Earl Warren was Eisenhower's first choice.

2. David Souter was certainly a compromise (as was Kennedy to a degree).

3. Sandra Day O'Conner was not properly vetted by Reagan in his haste to appoint a woman to the court.

Nevertheless, we were able to get Rehnquist elevated to Chief Justice (which took a lot) and we got two great conservatives in Scalia and Thomas.

Unfortunately, we gave Clinton every left-wing pinko he asked for, and certainly Hatch was complicit (if only through inaction) in this. IMHO

[trek]

"Hatch was complicit (if only through inaction) in this"

Hatch DEFINES the worthless check-pants RINO.

[Unam Sanctam]

It's nice to see Orrin Hatch stand up for principle.

[Wil H]

Don't count your Hatch before he chickens..