Former Top Judge Says US Risks Edging Near To Dictatorship

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 3-13-2006 | Julian Borger

[blam]

Former top judge says US risks edging near to dictatorship

· Sandra Day O'Connor warns of rightwing attacks
· Lawyers 'must speak up' to protect judiciary

Julian Borger in Washington
Monday March 13, 2006
The Guardian (UK)

Sandra Day O'Connor, a Republican-appointed judge who retired last month after 24 years on the supreme court, has said the US is in danger of edging towards dictatorship if the party's rightwingers continue to attack the judiciary.

In a strongly worded speech at Georgetown University, reported by National Public Radio and the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Ms O'Connor took aim at Republican leaders whose repeated denunciations of the courts for alleged liberal bias could, she said, be contributing to a climate of violence against judges.

Ms O'Connor, nominated by Ronald Reagan as the first woman supreme court justice, declared: "We must be ever-vigilant against those who would strong-arm the judiciary."

She pointed to autocracies in the developing world and former Communist countries as lessons on where interference with the judiciary might lead. "It takes a lot of degeneration before a country falls into dictatorship, but we should avoid these ends by avoiding these beginnings."

In her address to an audience of corporate lawyers on Thursday, Ms O'Connor singled out a warning to the judiciary issued last year by Tom DeLay, the former Republican leader in the House of Representatives, over a court ruling in a controversial "right to die" case.

After the decision last March that ordered a brain-dead woman in Florida, Terri Schiavo, removed from life support, Mr DeLay said: "The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behaviour."

[Williams]

Wow, I believe in treating judges with respect, but she is way out of line with this. She cites a politician talking about impeachment of judges as a threat to the Constitution - she is too thin skinned to recognize that impeachment is a Constitutional action available to the Congress? She can't understand that politicians might talk about removing appointees they view as bad judges?

[mugs99]

"It takes a lot of degeneration before a country falls into dictatorship"

"The Federal government is no longer one of limited and enumerated powers."... Justice Clarence Thomas

I think we've already fallen.
.

[traditional1]

if the party's rightwingers continue to attack the judiciary......if the party's rightwingers continue to attack the judiciary",

You pathetic Liberal mess, the "rightwingers" are RISING UP against the JUDICIARY DICTATORSHIP OF UN-ELECTED ACTIVIST LAW-WRITERS, and you fail to grasp the Constitution being destroyed?

[Paleo Conservative]

There are only two things in the middle of the road, yellow stripes and dead skunks!

Doesn't look like a dead skunk to me.

[Atchafalaya]

Buh Bye Sandy, thank God my prayers were answered!!!

[n-tres-ted]

On Sandra Day O'Connor: ...snip...she is a practitioner of outcome-based jurisprudence.

In other words, she was a politician appointed to the bench (which was precisely the case).

[Whispering Smith]

As John Riggins would say, "Loosen up Sandy babes."

[Elyse]

How credible is the source's take on what she said?

It's the British liberal rag, The Guardian. It's a political liberal National Enquirer. I'm not going to get upset about it until I find out what she really said. This piece of trash regularly twists everything anyone says.

[Txsleuth]

Oh, FGS......I thought she wanted to retire to spend more time with her husband?

Do it already sandy!!!

[OKIEDOC]

Thanks

[MNJohnnie]

I've just been told this is a Justic Scalia bon mot from one of his dissents. Was aimed at all the Leftist Justices, not just O'Conner. My respect for Scalia continually grows

[fatima]

Sandy why did you lie before you were appointed.I saw you on an interview and you were more impressed with your self and saw a few mis-steps.Tell us everything Sandyraw:)

[Sandy]

now she wants to warn us about unbridled power in the Executive Branch?

Huh? Try reading the article.

[GladesGuru]

The lil blonde msut be in early stage Alzheimer's. The public reviles lawyers in general and judges in particular.

How she arrived at the inetellectual construct that Conservatives are likely to cause dictatorship is beyond reason.

Sandy! Hello Sandy - get your meds adjusted, STAT!

[Sandy]

Judge Says US Risks Edging Near To Dictatorship

Hyperbolic garbage; she said nothing of the sort.

[Revolting cat!]

Uhm, sorry , we didn't mean it, Mrs O'! (May we call you Sandy?)

[fatima]

What did she mean Sandy?

[PGalt]

Thanks a lot for the background information on Julian Borger.

[lawdude]

"So much for the old bats centrist and moderate label, she was/is a flaming commie."

She was never bright and I do believe she hasn't the mental capacity to have firm convictions. Her favorite color is "Clear"!

[Sandy]

Uhm, sorry , we didn't mean it, Mrs O'!

ROFL.