Posted on 04/19/2005 8:37:21 PM PDT by kingattax
WASHINGTON (AP) - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay intensified his criticism of the federal courts on Tuesday, singling out Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's work from the bench as "incredibly outrageous" because he has relied on international law and done research on the Internet.
DeLay said he thought there were a "lot of Republican-appointed judges that are judicial activists."
The No. 2 Republican in the House has openly criticized the federal courts since they refused to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. And he pointed to Kennedy as an example of Republican members of the Supreme Court who were activist and isolated.
"Absolutely. We've got Justice Kennedy writing decisions based upon international law, not the Constitution of the United States? That's just outrageous," DeLay told Fox News Radio. "And not only that, but he said in session that he does his own research on the Internet? That is just incredibly outrageous."
A spokeswoman for the court, Kathy Arberg, said Kennedy could not be reached for comment.
Although Kennedy was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Reagan, a conservative icon, he has aroused conservatives' ire by sometimes agreeing with the court's more liberal members. Nevertheless, it is unusual for a congressional leader to single out a Supreme Court justice for criticism.
Dan Allen, a DeLay spokesman, declined comment on the interview.
DeLay himself has been criticized for his comments following Schiavo's death, which came despite Congress' passage of a law giving the federal courts jurisdiction to review her case. They declined to intervene.
"The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior," DeLay said in a statement.
He apologized last week, saying he had spoken in an "inartful" way.
Conservatives have been pushing to get the Senate to confirm President Bush's most conservative judicial nominees, which Senate Democrats are blocking. The House has no power over which judges are given lifetime appointments to the federal bench.
However, DeLay has called repeatedly for the House to find a way to hold the federal judiciary accountable for its decisions. "The judiciary has become so activist and so isolated from the American people that it's our job to do that," DeLay said.
One way would be for the House Judiciary Committee to investigate the clause in the Constitution that says "judges can serve as long as they serve with good behavior," he said. "We want to define what good behavior means. And that's where you have to start."
Winners get red meat while losers get to take the long view and 40 years in the wilderness.
Yes, someone in Congress more qualified should be saying something, and giving full set piece speeches on the subject, carefully researched and reasoned. I am not sure who that might be. I'm not in Congress. :)
The "good" Injustice would say Westlaw or Lexis if that's what he meant. I get the uneasy sense that he's just Googling up stuff.
You're right, of course, but I'm willing to cut DeLay some slack after the abuse he took from Soros' Olde Media on behalf of conservatism.
"These justices need to be impeached. I support Cong. DeLay"
Which Justices exactly? DeLay sounds like an idiot when he criticizes Kennedy. Yes Kennedy worte the decision in Roper v. Simmons. But frankly, whether juvenile offenders can be executed is a fairly marginal issue in the grand scheme of things.
Rather, look at Kennedy when he is dealing with issues of federalism. Kennedy has been a strong voice for states rights and rolling back federal government involvement. As a conservative and a lawyer, I can tell you that in big picture issues, Kennedy has done an excellent job. Don't lose the forest for the trees, people.
Votes in a democratic society shy away from nuance. The ultimate democrat leader will mask his nuance with low-brow jargon.
Look it's pretty simple, support people like DeLay who will fight or people like Dick LUGAR who lets Joe Biden run his committee or George Voinovich who listens to a bunch of allegations the Democrats throw at nominees and then won't support them.
The amazing thing however is just how successful those few politicians that don't are, and how esteemed they are. Few of those are left now. I pine for the Moynihan model. I consider him one of the great Senators of the modern age.
i stand by my statement,"counselor"
Wanna bet?
PONG
Torie is a McCainiac, no doubt.
Bump for DeLay!
Although I gave the guy 200 bucks when he was running for the nomination for president, I got over that long ago. McCain is an undisplined and superficial man, self absorbed and hubristic, and impervious to his own rather considerable limitations, including a lack of awareness of his own ignorance. Bush has his own flaws, but none of the above. That is why he is much more suited to be president, and a safer choice for president.
"...we ALL need to let him know we support him."
We do, and I did. Thanx for the link.
Tom Delay's depth and credibility can be easily affirmed in his many successes in the House of Representatives. "Nuance" is simply not part of the vocabulary of a leader. "Nuance" is reserved for Liberals who hide behind their lack of leadership by claiming they're "Tolerant"
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.