The SUPREME Supreme Court
The news of the past few days would lead one to believe that a political showdown akin to Armageddon is coming with George W. Bush's nomination of a Supreme Court justice to replace Sandra Day O'Conner. To read the mighty bloggers and talkers on the Theocratic Right, is to see that the comparison is apt.
One fascinating thing about Right Wing talk radio and the neo-Christian blogosphere is their absolute belief that each of them has great influence in the Bush White House and the Republican party. To the extent that they are right, this country may be in big trouble.
A notable bright-light of the Christian Right is a character named Gary North. Known as a primary thinker of the New Christian Reconstruction, he's been preaching a death sentence for homosexuals and a boom in the gold market (he also runs an investing company that makes money from people investing in gold). Since about 1980, he's been predicting the collapse of the secular world and the Coming of the Kingdom of God. And every few years he pushes his prediction back by a few more years. Starting in 1997, he was one of the first non-technical writers who predicted the fall of the World due to the Y2K, or Millenium Bug. His great belief is that the only laws that matters in this country are the laws of the Old Testament. And this guy is a good buddy of President Bush, going around trading on his great influence in the Administration.
Here's one of his (always interesting) views: The public must "begin to accept the judicially binding case laws of the Old Testament." He says it's time for the Christian Right to "tear down institutions that still rely on natural law or public virtue. I have in mind the U.S. Constitution." Gary North, one of the people whispering into the ear of our president believes in no less than "Christian vengeance" (his phrase) and the overthrow of constitutional government.
If Gary North were the only lunatic giving advice on judicial candidates to George W. Bush, it would be terrifying enough. But here's a list of names that I suggest you Google, just to see what they're saying. Each one of these people has been close to the Bush II Administration or the President personally, who considers them all close friends.
Herb Titus, founding dean of Pat Robertson's Regent University Law School
Rev. Everette Sileven, a leader in the racist theology of "Christian Identity"
Dr. R.J. Rushdoony, big-time John Birch Society guy and Reconstructionist writer
Gary North, Rushdoony's son-in-law
Robert Thoburn, head of the Reconstructionist Fairfax Christian School
Rev. Joseph Morecraft, another Christian Theocratic nut
I'm not saying that Bush is going to meet with all of these guys in public, but during his political life he's kept close ties to all of them, and they ALL claim close ties to the President. This is just a short list of the kind of folks who are bending the ear of the leader of the free world regarding who to nominate to the Supreme Court. Each one of them believes that "when the authors of the U.S. Constitution spoke of law, they meant the Law of God as revealed in the Bible. " and that new justices on the High Court must "refute humanistic, relativistic law with Biblical Law." [quote by Rev. Morecraft]
It's worth noting that the President's advisors have limited him to judicial candidates no older than 55 years, which means each of his justices will be on the court an average of about twenty years. Considering two justices (Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist is certainly getting pressure from the Bush Administration to retire now) and an average of seventy votes in the average Supreme Court term, that means that it's quite possible that George W. Bush will personally influence 2800 votes on the most important legal issues in our Land.
This isn't exactly the kind of thing that makes one feel very comfortable as we celebrate our Independence. Knowing that people so close to the President of the United States (and perhaps the man himself), have such dangerous beliefs about freedom, law and religion, are chilling reminders of the dangers we face this 4th of July.
(update, August 17, 2005) Now we know the nominee is John Roberts, a man picked for his close ties to neocon leadership and his almost total lack of written opinions. We see how the Bush Administration is using this dearth of information on the man as a blank slate upon which to represent him in any way that's useful. It's a tricky tightrope to walk. His pro-bono work against sodomy laws endears him to liberals too lazy to look deeper but angers the right-wing religious. Roberts' memos against civil rights and the right to privacy make him attractive to the hardcore conservatives, but make liberals shudder. You've got to give it to the bright boys in the Administration, they've picked a guy who they can make into all things for all people. The Republican Smear Machine has started going after anyone who criticizes Roberts (or even asks questions) with a vengeance, including the alleged religious conservatives who worry about statements he's made suggesting Roe vs. Wade is "settled law".
Roberts will almost certainly be confirmed because there's nothing for opponents to grab on to, and there are suggestions that Bush may try to push him for Chief Justice. The margin with which Roberts is confirmed, and the quality and strength of questions during the hearings may have an impact on how comfortable GWB feels about nominating a real red-meat righty if and when he gets another vacancy.
We've seen a few "sure-thing" conservative justices appointed by Republican presidents turn out to be downright reasonable, as if the freedom of a lifetime appointment allows them to become more thoughtful. With John Roberts, we can only hope.
One fascinating thing about Right Wing talk radio and the neo-Christian blogosphere is their absolute belief that each of them has great influence in the Bush White House and the Republican party. To the extent that they are right, this country may be in big trouble.
A notable bright-light of the Christian Right is a character named Gary North. Known as a primary thinker of the New Christian Reconstruction, he's been preaching a death sentence for homosexuals and a boom in the gold market (he also runs an investing company that makes money from people investing in gold). Since about 1980, he's been predicting the collapse of the secular world and the Coming of the Kingdom of God. And every few years he pushes his prediction back by a few more years. Starting in 1997, he was one of the first non-technical writers who predicted the fall of the World due to the Y2K, or Millenium Bug. His great belief is that the only laws that matters in this country are the laws of the Old Testament. And this guy is a good buddy of President Bush, going around trading on his great influence in the Administration.
Here's one of his (always interesting) views: The public must "begin to accept the judicially binding case laws of the Old Testament." He says it's time for the Christian Right to "tear down institutions that still rely on natural law or public virtue. I have in mind the U.S. Constitution." Gary North, one of the people whispering into the ear of our president believes in no less than "Christian vengeance" (his phrase) and the overthrow of constitutional government.
If Gary North were the only lunatic giving advice on judicial candidates to George W. Bush, it would be terrifying enough. But here's a list of names that I suggest you Google, just to see what they're saying. Each one of these people has been close to the Bush II Administration or the President personally, who considers them all close friends.
Herb Titus, founding dean of Pat Robertson's Regent University Law School
Rev. Everette Sileven, a leader in the racist theology of "Christian Identity"
Dr. R.J. Rushdoony, big-time John Birch Society guy and Reconstructionist writer
Gary North, Rushdoony's son-in-law
Robert Thoburn, head of the Reconstructionist Fairfax Christian School
Rev. Joseph Morecraft, another Christian Theocratic nut
I'm not saying that Bush is going to meet with all of these guys in public, but during his political life he's kept close ties to all of them, and they ALL claim close ties to the President. This is just a short list of the kind of folks who are bending the ear of the leader of the free world regarding who to nominate to the Supreme Court. Each one of them believes that "when the authors of the U.S. Constitution spoke of law, they meant the Law of God as revealed in the Bible. " and that new justices on the High Court must "refute humanistic, relativistic law with Biblical Law." [quote by Rev. Morecraft]
It's worth noting that the President's advisors have limited him to judicial candidates no older than 55 years, which means each of his justices will be on the court an average of about twenty years. Considering two justices (Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist is certainly getting pressure from the Bush Administration to retire now) and an average of seventy votes in the average Supreme Court term, that means that it's quite possible that George W. Bush will personally influence 2800 votes on the most important legal issues in our Land.
This isn't exactly the kind of thing that makes one feel very comfortable as we celebrate our Independence. Knowing that people so close to the President of the United States (and perhaps the man himself), have such dangerous beliefs about freedom, law and religion, are chilling reminders of the dangers we face this 4th of July.
(update, August 17, 2005) Now we know the nominee is John Roberts, a man picked for his close ties to neocon leadership and his almost total lack of written opinions. We see how the Bush Administration is using this dearth of information on the man as a blank slate upon which to represent him in any way that's useful. It's a tricky tightrope to walk. His pro-bono work against sodomy laws endears him to liberals too lazy to look deeper but angers the right-wing religious. Roberts' memos against civil rights and the right to privacy make him attractive to the hardcore conservatives, but make liberals shudder. You've got to give it to the bright boys in the Administration, they've picked a guy who they can make into all things for all people. The Republican Smear Machine has started going after anyone who criticizes Roberts (or even asks questions) with a vengeance, including the alleged religious conservatives who worry about statements he's made suggesting Roe vs. Wade is "settled law".
Roberts will almost certainly be confirmed because there's nothing for opponents to grab on to, and there are suggestions that Bush may try to push him for Chief Justice. The margin with which Roberts is confirmed, and the quality and strength of questions during the hearings may have an impact on how comfortable GWB feels about nominating a real red-meat righty if and when he gets another vacancy.
We've seen a few "sure-thing" conservative justices appointed by Republican presidents turn out to be downright reasonable, as if the freedom of a lifetime appointment allows them to become more thoughtful. With John Roberts, we can only hope.
posted by Nittacci at 7:41 PM
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