Posted on 12/17/2011 3:51:50 PM PST by Steelfish
Newt Gingrich Says He'd Defy Supreme Court Rulings He Opposed
By David G. Savage December 17 Newt Gingrich says as president he would ignore Supreme Court decisions that conflicted with his powers as commander in chief, and he would press for impeaching judges or even abolishing certain courts if he disagreed with their rulings.
"I'm fed up with elitist judges" who seek to impose their "radically un-American" views, Gingrich said Saturday in a conference call with reporters.
In recent weeks, the Republican presidential contender has been telling conservative audiences he is determined to expose the myth of "judicial supremacy" and restrain judges to a more limited role in American government. "The courts have become grotesquely dictatorial and far too powerful," he said in Thursday's Iowa debate.
As a historian, Gingrich said he knows President Thomas Jefferson abolished some judgeships, and President Abraham Lincoln made clear he did not accept the Dred Scott decision denying that former slaves could be citizens.
Relying on those precedents, Gingrich said that if he were in the White House, he would not feel compelled to always follow the Supreme Court's decisions on constitutional questions. As an example, he cited the court's 5-4 decision in 2008 that prisoners held by the U.S. at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had a right to challenge their detention before a judge.
"That was clearly an overreach by the court," Gingrich said Saturday. The president as commander in chief has the power to control prisoners during wartime, making the court's decision "null and void," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
LLS
0bama: “PAWLEEZE....PAWLEEZE let Romney get the nomination...PAWLEEZE”!!
I tend to agree with him. Flame away.
I guess you are OK with the Supremes assuming they are the final authority on the division of powers in our government.
Go Newt!! I like it.
Doesn’t Newt realize that the Justices on the Supreme Court are GODS, and their rulings SUPREME and ALMIGHTY, like Steelfish believes?!?!?!
It’s about DAMN time someone stood up and said this! Bravo, Newt!!!!
This makes me like him even more!!!!!!
It is interesting to watch the Newt bashers getting after him for standing up to the usurpation of powers from the other two branches of government.
As the facts shake down and out, the results will be interesting. Initial reports/article are almost always: wrong or only partially correct, misleading, politically motivated, spin, incompetent.
Yep.
Of course not. But why give Obama ammunition? Remember, nuance will be lost in the general election. Obama will turn the campaign away from him and onto Newt. Independents will flee in droves. Is this what you want?
You call someone standing up to the secular socialist SCOTUS judges implosion? What are you doing on FR?
Checks and balances. Coequal branches of government.
The left used Roe v Wade to make abortion law. There is nothing in our constitution or federal law to support it. I say GO Newt!
If he keeps this up, I might do some fundraising for him.
He’s absolutely correct. There are three EQUAL branches of government. The Judiciary is only one. If the president defies the Supreme Court then the only body that can challenge the president is Congress. They can impeach him.
The president is under no obligation to enforce any ruling by the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court has no authority to enforce their own decisions.
I recall from one of my history classes that Andrew Jackson did something similar.
If I remember right it was something like “John Marshall has made his decision, let him enforce it”.
Hell no!!!!! He is absolutely right. And he did not give the impression that he would dissolve any Court by the stroke of the pen, but would as per the Constitution request impeachment through the Senate and House. This crap against Newt is getting stupid since we have known for years that the courts have not upheld the Legislature or the Constitution but have passed unconstitutional judgments.
So you are OK with Newt selling out conservative principles instead of saying what needs to be said. Are you really sure this is the point you want to make on FR?
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