Posted on 03/06/2009 9:15:49 AM PST by EternalVigilance
In a move that should give social conservatives great pause, Governor Sarah Palin has appointed a former board member of Planned Parenthood to the Alaska State Supreme Court.
Palin appointed Anchorage Superior Court Judge Morgan Christen to the state’s highest court on Wednesday. Along with Christen’s former board member status with Planned Parenthood.
There is no disputing Palin’s appointment of Christen will cause the Alaska Supreme to lean left and will ensure a more activist court when it comes to gay marriage, and abortion. The Christen appointment is key because she replaces justice Warren Mathews, one of the dissenting votes striking down the parental consent legislation.
The Governor, who early on won the support of Alaska liberals after she pushed through an enormous, unprecedented tax increase on the oil industry, seems to be back in their good graces with this appointment.
ADN liberal bloggers responded to Palin’s Supreme Court appointment writing,
“Ohmigawd!??The governor's been taken over by space aliens.??What an improvement!”
“Wow. Way to go Palin! I can't believe I just said that. But hey, credit where credit is due.”
“Glad to see a woman in the position to balance out the court. Good for Palin for keeping bible thumper beliefs out of the court system and honoring the separation of Church and State.”
“This is the one good action that Sarah Palin has taken over the past three years. And I have no problem admitting it. Great pick!!!! So even if the wing-nut parental consent bill passes, the state Supremes now have enough votes to overturn it as unconstitutional.”
Granted Palin would have had to put up a fight to block the appointment of the far left Christen to the court. Under Alaska law the judicial council made up mostly of liberal lawyers gets to filter out candidates who do not hold a leftist background. The governor must pick from the names forwarded.
But former governor Frank Murkowski during his term fought the process and at first refused to name any of the names submitted to him. The liberal media beat him up pretty bad over it and he eventually caved.
If Governor Palin would have taken on this fight, it probably would have ended up in court. If she had taken up the fight and asked for all the candidates’ names that applied to be forwarded, it would have brought to the public’s attention that trial lawyers control the third branch of government in Alaska. But with the governor refusing to spend any political capital on this issue, it is sure to disappear from Alaska’s political landscape.
The governor caving into trial lawyers also guarantees an activist court will continue to push its agenda on the people of Alaska. It will continue to stand between you and your child, continue to redefine marriage and block development.
Palin appointing Christen kills any move by the legislature to pass parental consent legislation. The new court with Christen on it will surely strike down any new laws. This is one of the reason Palin’s caving is confusing. Just recently held a news conference standing side by side with conservative lawmakers sponsoring new parental consent legislation.
Refusing to fight for parental consent laws is risky for Palin. It clearly will help her avoid controversy from the liberal media. But conservatives supporting her won't like the fact she appointed a former Planned Parenthood board member to Alaska’s highest court.
Many of the governor’s conservative supporters have ignored her high taxes and liberal anti free market policies. They support her simply because she says she is pro-life and is open about her faith. But the Christen appointment proves that while the governor lives the pro-life message in her personal life, she is not willing to spend political capital on the issue in her political life.
She swore an oath to defend innocent human life. Nothing supercedes that.
Amendment 10.. Read it. You might learn something.
She could leave it on her desk.
No, she swore to uphold the CONSTITUTION...
The Tenth Amendment doesn’t allow for alienating God-given unalienable rights.
What I am ashamed of is seeing a one time ally giving aid qnd comfort to the baby-killers. Shame on you!
People like you enable the Democrats and their murderous agenda. Way to go... trash Conservatives for the benefit of your dead-ender "Third (more like fourth or fifth) party".
SO, Amendment 10 says the state can kill YOU anytime they want?
Excuse me but this Government is a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC... This Government is not a Theocracy..
And that is refreshing news indeed.
Should we have refused to vote for “ANYONE”? When we refuse to vote for anyone, we are usually awarded the least of all.
It would appear that the good gov., as the gov., was required to make a choice. As a statesman in such a position, she doesn’t have the luxury that you enjoy.
I already posted the words of the Alaska constitution, and have once again highlighted the clear provisions of the US Cosntitution. Both explicitly defend innocent human life. You can ignore it, just like almost our entire political and legal class, but you can't change it, at least without constitutional amendments to do the same.
Big *sigh*.
She must have read Mitt’s book.
Wrong! And here's three credible sources to prove it:
The Council will select two or more nominees to send to the governor. The governor will have 45 days to make an appointment from the Council's list.
The governor appoints a supreme court justice or a judge of the court of appeals, superior court, or district court from a list of qualified candidates submitted by the Alaska Judicial Council. The governor has 45 days from receipt of the list to make the appointment.
The names of Superior Court Judges Morgan Christen and Eric Smith were forwarded to Gov. Sarah Palin, who by law has 45 days to appoint one of them to Alaska's highest court.
Does the U.S. Constitution, or does it not, state as its ultimate purpose, the securing of the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves AND OUR POSTERITY?
It is not established that she is pro-abortion.
The Palin-haters are jumping the gun.
You have been suckered by a wingnut! Read the thread.
That would violate the law:
The Council will select two or more nominees to send to the governor. The governor will have 45 days to make an appointment from the Council's list.
The governor appoints a supreme court justice or a judge of the court of appeals, superior court, or district court from a list of qualified candidates submitted by the Alaska Judicial Council. The governor has 45 days from receipt of the list to make the appointment.
The names of Superior Court Judges Morgan Christen and Eric Smith were forwarded to Gov. Sarah Palin, who by law has 45 days to appoint one of them to Alaska's highest court.
EV’s not a wingnut...he was most definitely opposed to Ron Paul.
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