Posted on 03/06/2020 5:36:27 AM PST by Kaslin
"If, then, the courts of justice are to be considered as the bulwarks of a limited Constitution against legislative encroachments, this consideration will afford a strong argument for the permanent tenure of judicial offices," argued Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 78.
If we ever needed a pristine example of why justices are bestowed lifetime appointments and shielded from the vagaries of the electorate and the intimidation tactics of unethical politicians, Chuck Schumer has now provided us with one.
While speaking to pro-abortion protesters in front of the Supreme Court today, the Senate minority leader threatened -- there's no other way to put it -- two sitting justices with repercussions if they ruled to uphold a Louisiana law requiring abortion providers to gain admitting privileges to hospitals before offering their services to women:
"I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions."
It's conceivable that Schumer -- who, like the rest of his party, doesn't have the slightest interest in protecting babies who've survive botched abortions -- can't think of any good reason for hospital-admitting privileges. But treating as an "undue burden" any laws that require abortion clinics to provide basic medical facilities for women is just an example of the Democrats' extremism on the issue. Threatening justices over the case is hysterical.
Moreover, Schumer's thuggish attack on Kavanaugh and Gorsuch is a transparent attempt to intimidate justices. And wow -- a sitting senator threatening an independent judiciary. Surely the champions of norms and decency will be horrified by this development. When Donald Trump, rather absurdly, demanded that Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg recuse themselves from "Trump-related" Supreme Court cases because of their partisan positions -- and, yes Notorious RBG is openly partisan and anti-Trump -- it was a major national story. In this case, I suspect we're going to hear a lot about a general "coarsening" of discourse.
Whatever the case, this is an unprecedented attack on Supreme Court justice. And by unprecedented, I mean that you won't be able to unearth an instance in modern history of a member of Congress threatening a justice -- by name, no less -- for ruling against his wishes. Which is why, I imagine, Chief Justice John Roberts felt the need to release this statement:
"Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous. All Members of the Court will continue to do their job, without fear or favor, from whatever quarter."
Sometimes, in highly charged debates over public policy, the moment gets the better of a person. It's happened to all of us. Yet, rather than walking back his statement, Schumer compounded the ugly behavior by smearing the chief justice as a partisan ideologue, as well.
"For Justice Roberts to follow the right wing's deliberate misinterpretation of what Sen. Schumer said, while remaining silent when President Trump attacked Justices Sotomayor and Ginsburg last week, shows Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes," Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman said in a statement to USA Today. The senator meant only that there would be a "political price Republicans will pay for putting them on the court," Goodman added.
First of all, is Schumer really arguing that being critical of justices is tantamount to threatening them? If that's the case, why, during President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in 2010, did Schumer stand and clap for Obama's norm-breaking attack on the Supreme Court justices who had upheld the First Amendment in Citizens United? It seems clear that Obama was attempting to manipulate the court, as well, but at least he had the decency not to sound like some wannabe Mafioso.
By accusing Roberts of misrepresenting his comments for partisan reasons, Schumer (via his spokesman) is obviously trying to influence the chief justice, as well. But he's lying. Schumer's initial statement specifically and unequivocally named two justices -- one of whom he and his colleagues had already attempted to humiliate and defame. He was not calling out the Republicans who put Gorsuch and Kavanaugh on the court.
Schumer doesn't have the power to follow through on any threats, thankfully. His attack, like many less obvious ones, is just part of the left's concerted effort to delegitimize the court, denigrate its justices and undermine the legality of its decisions. This isn't surprising; the Constitution -- and the jurists who are inclined to uphold it -- is the biggest impediment to the progressive agenda. So, expect a lot more of this.
Fox reported that since Schumer had his protest and threat in front of the Supreme Court building and made specific threats, he has committed a Felony and should be locked up. I doubt that anything will happen. After all he is a Rat.
The Democrat Party has championed every evil from slavery and the ku klux klan to infanticide, illegal immigration, voter fraud, coup d'état, and phony "impeachment." Why not the intimidation of judges?
DEMOCRATS ARE LAWLESS BECAUSE REPUBLICANS ARE BALLLESS.
In one sense, actually, he might. If we contextualize this outburst with one he made when DJT was preparing to be inaugurated:
President-elect Donald Trump is “being really dumb” by taking on the intelligence community and its assessments on Russia’s cyber activities. “Let me tell you, you take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you,” Schumer told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow.
Placed in context with these recent remarks re: Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, Shoe Merde does have inside info and is not inhibited enough to refrain from blabbing it. We all know what happened to Trump at the hands of the intel community. I am saying that the conservative Justices need extra protection so that they won't get "hit" (I think that was the word Shoe Merde used).
When I heard he said “you wont know what hit you” I immediately thought of Phil Haney.
You correctly stated the fundamental problem.
What is equally despicable to Schumer’s threats is the refusal by Republicans to EVER hold Democrats accountable for anything. By their inaction and weakness they are condoning, if not encouraging, dangerous and despicable behavior by Democrats.
I’m thinking about retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter who was mugged in a park at least once (I think more than once, but I could be wrong). That always seemed like gay sex gone bad. These things happen, ya know?
I wouldn’t be concerned: SCOTUS appointments are lifetime appointments.
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Interesting on how we now need a bulwark against judicial encroachment...
He said he just used the wrong words but was reading a speech written by who? And he didn’t read it before reading it at the the demonstration? Grade “A” BS Chuckie.
Any private citizen who pulled a stunt like that would be hauled off in a giggle jacket, at LEAST!
He’s an attorney. Most competent attorneys choose their words carefully. They think before they speak.
Chuck is not a competent attorney, nor politician.
I wonder what allegiance Chief Justice Roberts owes him?
Schumer must go!
Just as I said that the republicans won’t do anything about this, Lindsey Graham comes on Fox saying exactly that! No, we probably won’t censure Schumer because he would just censure Trump.
Are you saying Phil Haney is an 'it'?
Sorry I couldn't resist
I will post what I’ve posted before about people with dementia...we were told some time ago that dementia medications were delivered to SOME members in Congress.
I would like to know if there is anyone here who doesn’t know someone - friend/relative/family/coworker who doesn’t have dementia. Why would we assume that all congress critters are unaffected when it’s so prevalent in our population?
I’m not going to make excuses for any of them as I firmly believe that Pelosi and Schumer are victims of dementia - therefore, that makes the Supreme Court Justices and the rest of us THEIR victims. Those two are not the only ones by far!
I’ve spent the week on the phone with an old friend of 60+ years (3000 miles away) who is in a nursing home because of hip surgery but it’s as clear as can be, her mind is certainly not right. At the end of the calls, she’s still going strong and I’m ready for a nap! I wouldn’t be able to document one subject that she talked about that made any sense.
Other friends and close family are also experiencing facets of this disease so it’s not wild to assume that it’s wholesale in our congress.
Of course, the two politicians I mentioned have never been normal anyway!!
“Since Nobody is Above The Law”
That, My FRiend is an untruth you did not have to tell.
The evidence clearly shows that some are above the Law.
I.E. The Law does not apply to them. For example, Hillary Clinton, there is enough public evidence of her crimes to convict and put her away for a 100 years. Yet she continues to roam wide and free, spreading destruction and evil wherever she travels.
And she has a lot of company.
Now, My FRiend, the purpose of the Law is to control the peasants. The ruling class need their slaves to pay their tribute[taxes] to support them in the style in which they are used to. Europe has its ruling class. The United States of America has its ruling class. Here now, the only time the ruling class pretends to pay any attention to the serfs is at election time.And then it is only pretend.
To wit} The American People elected Donald J. Trump as their President. The ruling class has been working 24/7/365 since before he was sworn in to remove him from Office. As of now, they currently still are. Has any of those involved been prosecuted? Will any of them be prosecuted? The answer to both questions is no because the ruling class controls the Legal System.
Dear AG Barr,
this is why there is NO Trust or Respect for the DOJ anymore, you said you were looking to rebuild that Trust. ANY Other Person without the appropriate class and Title that did this on National Television in front of God and the Whole World, would have been IMMEDIATELY ARRESTED.
Serf
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