Posted on 10/30/2006 6:20:04 AM PST by presidio9
Despite politicians' complaints about judges having too much power, two-thirds of Americans do not believe elected officials should have more control over federal judges, according to a new CNN poll released Saturday.
Sixty-seven percent of 1,013 people surveyed by Opinion Research Corp. on behalf of CNN said federal judges -- and the decisions they make -- should not be subject to more control.
Only 30 percent said they should. (See the poll results)
Both a current and former Supreme Court justice told CNN they are not unaware of the criticism aimed at them, but they said such criticism is an integral part of life in a democracy.
"As I went through the last few years of service here at the court, I saw increasing indicator of unhappiness with judges," said retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
But that unhappiness is a consequence of an independent judiciary, said Justice Stephen Breyer.
"It comes from the necessity that someone have the last word. And since for 200 years, people have thought in this country that the best guarantee that minorities will not be oppressed, that the Constitution will be lived up to, is to give the very last word to a group of judges who are independent," he said.
"Not because they are wiser -- they make mistakes -- but because, by giving them the last word, there is a better guarantee of that neutrality, insulated from politics, that can help those whom the Constitution wanted to help, that minority that might be oppressed."
Forty-one percent of poll respondents said federal judges were "about right" in
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
I'd much rather have an unelected judge (whom I can't throw out of office) making up laws than a politician (whom I can throw our of office) making laws.
It just makes sense!
Two-thirds of America wants to be ruled by "!? I don't buy it. Rephrase the Q and this poll turns right around, no doubt about it.
Both a current and former Supreme Court justice told CNN they are not unaware of the criticism aimed at them, but they said such criticism is an integral part of life in a democracy.
And another integral part of democracy is that EVERYone is accountable. When the judges - or the general public - fail to recognize that, we've lost it.
What a load of CRAP!
EXACTLY.
I thought clowns were supposed to be funny.
Actually, I agree. The US Constitution gives the Congress total control over the organization and jurisdiction of all the federal courts, with the exception of the US Supreme Court, that has very explicit authorities according to Article III.
So I agree that Congress needs no additional power, other than "total", over the courts. Like, what is more than "total"?
I do not believe this poll.
THE QUESTION:
Do you think elected officials should have more control over federal judges and the decisions they make in court cases, or don't you think so?
My Question:
Do you think CNN is truthful, or don't you think so?
_____
I clicked through the article and the poll results and posted the question CNN asked in the poll.
I'm not advocating CNN. For a bunch of lying, anti-American socialists, they're not so bad.
As usual, CNN phrased the question to get the results it wanted, then twisted the results even further in the story. This is the question they asked:
Do you think elected officials should have more control over federal judges and the decisions they make in court cases, or don't you think so?
I would have answered "no."
--Do you think elected officials should have more control over federal judges and the decisions they make in court cases, or don't you think so? --
That is a lame question. It should have been asked like this: "Do you thing federal judges should have the power to overturn legislation passed by Congress or by state legislatures." I would not have thrown in words like "unelected", lest it appear to be a "push" poll. It's a sure bet that if the question were asked that way, a majority would have said NO!
They should be subject to the control of the Constitution instead of being tyrants that deserve hanging.
My arse...it's politics that decides who becomes a judge in the first place...especially for SCOTUS!
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