The Next Attack on the Courts: Cut Their Funding

[JHB]

Just in case they can't swing impeaching judges they don't like, the Pharisee Right is brewing up a Plan B :banghead:

From the LA Times:

2 Evangelicals Want to Strip Courts' Funds: Taped at a private conference, the leaders outline ways to punish jurists they oppose
By Peter Wallsten, Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — Evangelical Christian leaders, who have been working closely with senior Republican lawmakers to place conservative judges in the federal courts, have also been exploring ways to punish sitting jurists and even entire courts viewed as hostile to their cause.
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Frist and DeLay have not publicly endorsed the evangelical groups' proposed actions. But the taped discussion among evangelical leaders provides a glimpse of the road map they are drafting as they work with congressional Republicans to achieve a judiciary that sides with them on abortion, same-sex marriage and other elements of their agenda.

"There's more than one way to skin a cat, and there's more than one way to take a black robe off the bench," said Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, according to an audiotape of a March 17 session. The tape was provided to The Times by the advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

DeLay has spoken generally about one of the ideas the leaders discussed in greater detail: using legislative tactics to withhold money from courts. "We set up the courts. We can unset the courts. We have the power of the purse," DeLay said at an April 13 question-and-answer session with reporters.
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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-strategy22apr22,1,799431.story

[Deja Q]

1. And I know evangelicals who would be appalled at what's going on.

Oh well.

The price of conformity.

[Wapsie B]

2. This evangelical sure as hell is.

There they go again confusing the "E" word with konservative fundies. What college did these chimps go to anyway?

[OneBlueSky]

3. point of clarification, if you would . . . just what IS an evangelical?

I mean, what do those who refer to themselves a evangelicals actually mean by that term? . . . those who aren't extreme right wing fundies, that is . . .

[Wapsie B]

9. Evangelical means a Protestant denomination

that derives its teachings from the Gospel. What the konservative fundies have done is take over the word, creating the implication that there are many more of them than there really are. With the help of a lazy media this happens all the time. There was a report a few years ago stating there were 70 million Evangelical Christians in this country. No one in the media is making the distinction between mainstream E's and the konservative fundies who make up a small subset of Chrisitanity.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Let me get this straight. Withhold funds to certain circuit courts whose

past rulings the religious wingnuts disagree with? Close the doors? Burn the dockets? Plaintiffs lose money, property, lives? Defendants sit in jail indefinitely without bail for unproven crimes? People are forced to do out-of-court settlements? Attorneys sit listless at their desks?

I don't think so . . . .

[Freedom_from_Chains]

5. And this is a scary thought

Because this is something, they could legally do. As per the constitution they could just do away with the lower courts they don't like, so it does not surprise me they are contemplating this as a line of attack.

[Scooter24]

6. Such a move

would be political suicide for the GOP. It's hard to fathom that there would be a majority of politicians, even Republicans, to go along with this proposed measure.

Stripping a court, then restacking it, then press controversial issues into the newly created courts. Could you imagine the implications if this was done each time there is a Senate majority and a President of the same political party?

I would love for a copy of this audio tape.

[JHB]

7. Ask and ye shall receive...

http://www.au.org/site/PageServer?pagename=press_audio

[Scooter24]

8. You are awesome!

Thank you :)