Senators Regret Confirmation of John Roberts
Many of us are noting that the current Supreme Court, thanks in large part to its heavy-handed right and its lyin’-cheatin’ chief justice, is losing Congress’ confidence. Finally.
Like it or not, today is when the court may “revisit” Citizens United. Not reverse their decision or anything satisfactory like that, just “revisit.” And today we read that “meanwhile, the role of Chief Justice John Roberts in the case is also raising questions in Congress.”
“The court got way, way, way ahead of its skis here,” says Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat. He has filed a friend of the court brief demanding the high court reverse its Citizens United decision.
“It was a decision they were so eager to make but not I think they’re embarrassed by the wild discrepancy between the world as they presumed it in their written decision and the world as we see it around us, post Citizens United,” he says.
Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Republican who co-sponsored the McCain-Feingold law, voted to confirm Roberts as chief justice. McCain now has regrets.
“I am more disappointed in him than any of the other four that voted to overturn McCain-Feingold,” McCain says.
At his confirmation hearing nearly seven years ago, Roberts compared judges to umpires: They don’t make the rules, he said, they apply them.
“Judges have to have the humility to recognize that they operate within a system of precedent shaped by other judges equally striving to live up to the judicial oath,” Roberts said.
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter was the Republican chairing that hearing. Now a Democrat, Specter says Roberts has made a complete U-turn.
“There’s no doubt that in Citizens United, Chief Justice Roberts did not follow what he described as modesty, a nonactivism or not giving a jolt to the system,” Specter says. “Citizens United was a tremendous jolt to the system.” …NPR
Hang ‘im high, fellas.
Cross posted from Prairie Weather
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From Politico Friday, May 18, 2012 (emphasis mine)
[Sens. John McCain and Sheldon Whitehouse are teaming up to take on Citizens United.
The bipartisan duo filed a friend-of-the-court brief Friday in a Montana Supreme Court case that upheld the state’s ban on independent expenditures by corporations. That case, American Tradition Partnership vs. Bullock, is now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, which issued a stay of the decision in February.
...
“Evidence from the 2010 and 2012 electoral cycles has demonstrated that so-called independent expenditures create a strong potential for corruption and the perception thereof,” their brief reads. “The news confirms, daily, that existing campaign finance rules purporting to provide for ‘independence’ and ‘disclosure’ in fact provide neither.”
McCain and Whitehouse said in a joint statement that they were “deeply concerned” about the rise of unlimited and undisclosed spending in elections.
“This unregulated and unaccountable spending invites corruption into our political process, and undermines our democracy,” the senators said. “We urge the Supreme Court to make clear that legislatures can take appropriate actions against corrupting influences in campaigns.”]
Interesting, a tiny few (repeat tiny few) in congress are beginning to question the wisdom of what they have unleashed. A tiny sliver of light penetrates the dense toxic fog of Washington politics. Unfortunately, the rest of them apparently are just hunky dory with the fog.
Whatever, its too late for regrets. We have to live with their mistakes with no recourse whatever, other than throwing all of the bums out. From the way things look now, that will surely happen sometime shortly after large numbers of pigs start flying. Don’t call me Shirley.
If my guts are any indicator of future festivities (but not return on investments), the supreme court is fixin’ to unleash a flood of society-changing poison the God-awful likes of which probably has never been seen since the founding of the republic or the invention of the blunderbuss, whichever is earlier. With entertaining buffoons like the people manning the congressional bilge pumps these days, who needs cable TV?
We are so utterly and completely hosed. I am going to beat the crowds and will write my last will and testament right now.
Oops, excuse me. Pardon the outburst. It was unprofessional and uncalled for. Now that my composure is back, let me tell you what I really think . . . . . . .
This disastrous decision will not be undone any time soon, and later on it may be too late. Corporate money has already corrupted the system and bought elections. Just as the system has been dependent upon funding from lobbyists, it will become dependent upon money from corporate super pacs and one man one vote will become a joke
SCOTUS is becoming a joke! Just today they ruled 5-4 the pharmaceutical reps do not need to be paid overtime.
Anyone is their right mind knows pharmaceutical reps are one of the higest paid professions and most are paid on a percentage of sales, with a flat salary in months they do not make their quota.
What the 4 members of SCOTUS was thinking when they ruled for the reps is about as apalling as the 5 who voted in the campaign financing decision.
Both sides are voting to support political positions and not the constitution.
THEY ALL NEED TO BE REPLACED!!!!!
Votes have consequences.
Seems like all those unheeded liberal warnings came true after all.
Roberts will go down in what’s left of our country’s history as one of the worst – if not THE worst – Chief Justice of all time.
“Seems like all those unheeded liberal warnings came true after all.”
Just add it to the list…