richardf8: (Default)
richardf8 ([personal profile] richardf8) wrote2004-03-16 12:05 pm
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!!!

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:HR03920:@@@L&summ2=m&

A Bill has been introduced to allow congress to reverse the decisions of the Supreme Court. So much for separation of powers!

unfuckingbelievable.

[identity profile] parilous.livejournal.com 2004-03-16 10:11 am (UTC)(link)
Obviously, the administration is preparing for Kerry's inevitable legal fight about the results of the upcoming election!

[identity profile] lordrunningclam.livejournal.com 2004-03-16 10:22 am (UTC)(link)
I can see it all now. Congress passes the law, the Supremes declare it unconstitutional and then Congress reverses Supremes' decision. Congress proceeds to introduce bills to revoke every civil and individual rights based SC decision since 1851. Gunfire erupts at the Rayburn building and an angry mob of congressional aides clashes with Supreme Court interns across the reflecting ponds at the mall while congressmen and senators view it from their office windows.

I might as well buy my ticket for Get Me The Hell Outta Here right now.

Let's call it the "Bounced Checks and Skewed Balances Act of 2004"

[identity profile] 3catsjackson.livejournal.com 2004-03-16 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Sponsor: Rep Lewis, Ron [KY-2] (introduced 3/9/2004)
[...]
Cosponsors(11):
Rep Coble, Howard - 3/9/2004 [NC-6]
Rep Collins, Mac - 3/9/2004 [GA-8]
Rep DeMint, Jim - 3/9/2004 [SC-4]
Rep Doolittle, John T. - 3/9/2004 [CA-4]
Rep Everett, Terry - 3/9/2004 [AL-2]
Rep Franks, Trent - 3/9/2004 [AZ-2]
Rep Goode, Virgil H., Jr. - 3/9/2004 [VA-5]
Rep Hefley, Joel - 3/9/2004 [CO-5]
Rep Kingston, Jack - 3/9/2004 [GA-1]
Rep Pitts, Joseph R. - 3/9/2004 [PA-16]
Rep Pombo, Richard W. - 3/9/2004 [CA-11]


So the temptation here is to send contributions to these people's local opponents, CCing the incumbents in the letter of course so they know what they're bringing upon themselves. The further temptation is to spend a weekend putting together an attack ad against the lot of them, and volunteering it for their opponents to air, leaving the extra space at the end for them to splice in "I'm Joe Opponent and I approved this commercial." Seems a tad shifty, but I don't see it as the slightest bit more underhanded than what's been coming out of the other side for the last decade.

I'm so sick and tired of waking up every morning to hear about the latest way our legislative and executive branches are taking a flamethrower to all the principles that used to made this country a place to be proud of. It's high time to remind these guys loudly and painfully who they're supposed to be representing.

[identity profile] deckardcanine.livejournal.com 2004-03-17 08:49 am (UTC)(link)
Think the Empire will fall in our lifetimes? It's hard to pinpoint an exact date, but there are certainly signs of decline.

Should Congress be able to override the Presidential Veto?

[identity profile] grassyneal.livejournal.com 2004-03-18 12:38 pm (UTC)(link)
The Constitution says that the Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction over some cases, and appellate jurisdiction over other cases, with exceptions that the Congress shall make (article 3, section 2).

What this bill seems to do is to make this latent power more manifest, in the same fashion that the Congress may override a presidential veto if two thirds of each house of Congress wills it (article 1, section 7).

I'm much more worried about one president or five Supreme Court justices running amok with the Constitution than I am with three hundred fifty-eight senators and representatives agreeing to act in concert against our interests.