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Offline Carl

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Repairing the Supreme Court
« on: March 25, 2008, 07:39:06 PM »
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3059163

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oktoberain  (1000+ posts)         Tue Mar-25-08 04:41 PM
Original message
Repairing the Supreme Court
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This Fall we have a VERY good chance of getting a Dem President and a solid Dem Senate majority. If that happens, the first order of business should be to repair and update the Supreme Court of the United States. It's been one hundred and forty years since the number of justices was increased, and since the last increase, the volume of litigation that is appealed to the SCOTUS has ballooned dramatically. It is perfectly reasonable for Congress to increase the number of justices from time to time, in order to ensure that the SCOTUS's ability to adjudicate cases is kept proportional with the ever-increasing population and number of cases that have made it through the circuit appeals process.

Citizens who belong to the party that is not currently "in power" will inevitably decry any attempt to increase the number of justices as "court-packing". Unfortunately, there is never a time when such a move can be made in a politically neutral manner; one party or another is always "in power", so the SCOTUS has remained locked down at nine justices since shortly after the Civil War ended. But there is no doubt that we *need* at least two additional justices, if not more; the nation's population has become so large and diverse that the current number of justices is too small to competently shepherd the best interests of the citizenry that they serve. The sheer volume of important cases that are rejected for review by the SCOTUS is staggering, and is the inevitable result of an overworked, overburdened court. When Roosevelt attempting to "pack" the Court, he was doing it with the goal of passing specific legislation without interference from the Court. This is not what any of us are proposing. The goal is to increase the number of cases that can be heard per year, in order to more effectively tend to the interests of the growing American population. Increasing the number of House Representatives for the sole purpose of maximizing government effectiveness is not "House-packing". Increasing the number of justices for the sake of maximizing judicial effectiveness is not "court-packing".

Adding 2-4 justices to the SCOTUS would not only permit review of more cases per year; it would also broaden the collective viewpoint of the court that stands between governmental tyranny and We The People. With a Democratic president to appoint competent justices and a Dem Senate to investigate and confirm them, it would be the perfect opportunity to modernize the SCOTUS. It is imperative that this happen; we can no longer sit and watch while important cases are denied review simply because the court is direly overburdened and does not have the time to hear as many cases as it should.

It *has* to be done soon. Better that we bite the bullet, endure the right-wing shrieks of "court-packing", and get it done. If we don't, we take the risk of having another Republican president in office when the inevitable increase occurs. Keep this in mind if we win in November, and write to your Dem Congresspeople to let them know that the SCOTUS is overworked, understaffed, and needs additional justices in order to be able to competently fulfill its Constitutional duties. The current number of justices is set at nine by federal statute, but this can be changed. If we have the opportunity in the near future to change it during the tenure of a Dem President/Dem Senate, we should take advantage of it. It's not about ideology; it's about fixing a problem at the most opportune moment, before a conservative President "fixes" it in a way that will endanger our civil liberties for at least a generation.

Shows the mindset we are dealing with.

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bemildred  (1000+ posts)        Tue Mar-25-08 04:46 PM
Response to Original message
2. We need to impeach some of those SOBs too, for corruption in office. nt

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oktoberain  (1000+ posts)         Tue Mar-25-08 04:47 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. I agree. Nothing would make me happier than
   some diligent reporter digging up some of the nasty skeletons in the closets of Scalia and Thomas. Any men who are THAT evil MUST have bodies in the basement or something, lol.

Quote
Vincardog  (1000+ posts)        Tue Mar-25-08 05:07 PM
Response to Original message
7. When President ** is sworn in s/he needs to send a note to the BusHitler puppets on the SCOTUS
   Resign for "health reasons" or we will appoint 4 new members; they will all be under 40 years old and Progressive Populists who believe in a woman's right to choose.

Now there is one of the deep thinking superintellectuals they all claim to be. :mental:

He gets shown the stupidity of his comments but never backs down.

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Vincardog  (1000+ posts)        Tue Mar-25-08 05:24 PM
Response to Reply #8
10. Blackmail involves threating to do something unless they pay you not to. I am suggesting
   the new revitalized Democratic party let them know what time it is. AS far as I am concerned the shrub was never elected. None of his actions were ever legal and that includes his appointments to the court that illegally installed him.

Quote
Vincardog  (1000+ posts)        Tue Mar-25-08 05:38 PM
Response to Reply #11
12. Welcome to the world of politics. You are surprised the USA employs
   "3rd world dictator tactics"? Check out the Death squads in Central America. Remember Arms for drugs for illegal wars? How about the CIA lunching coups in Venezuela? I am fighting to restore the constitution that is being shredded by the fascists including the * appointees on the SCOTUS.

But hey after you have been around for a while maybe you too can learn to think for yourself.

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Vincardog  (1000+ posts)        Tue Mar-25-08 07:25 PM
Response to Reply #14
16. I do not accept your definitions. Have fun in your world.

That is the definition of an irrational person or in other words the typical DUmmy.

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Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2008, 07:47:52 PM »
Gee, I wonder if the Oktoberain DUmmie would still think that's such a cool idea if MCain gets elected...?

 :rotf:

Actually there are very few cases that appeal BY RIGHT to the Supreme Court, the vast majority of the cases get there because the Court chooses to grant a writ of certiorari, which they seem to have used effectively as a docket control measure, one that still seems to be working rather well. 
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2008, 10:16:50 PM »
A very good chance of getting a Dem President? HA! At this point in time, the prospective Dem candidate ought to be VERY worried. ;)

All that mudslinging going on right now is going to send independent voters in droves to give McCain their vote. 
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Offline Lord Undies

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2008, 10:38:17 PM »
The OP DUmmie's reasoning is for fools.  This is just another case of "hey, we aren't getting what we want so let's change the rules".

Remember, FDR tried to stack the court by proposing increasing the number of justices to eleven.  FDR wanted to seat FOUR new liberals out of thin air. 
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Offline dandi

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2008, 10:58:17 PM »
Quote
When Roosevelt attempting to "pack" the Court, he was doing it with the goal of passing specific legislation without interference from the Court. This is not what any of us are proposing. The goal is to increase the number of cases that can be heard per year, in order to more effectively tend to the interests of the growing American population.

Riiiiiight, and if you believe that one, I've got some high and dry swampland I can sell you, real cheap. :rotf:
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Offline Wretched Excess

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2008, 11:18:33 PM »

I didn't read one word beyond "It's been one hundred and forty years since the number of justices was
increased, and since the last increase . . . "

I suspect someone else needs a history lesson.
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Offline Wretched Excess

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2008, 11:21:41 PM »
Quote from: dandi on March 25, 2008, 10:58:17 PM
Quote
When Roosevelt attempting to "pack" the Court, he was doing it with the goal of passing specific legislation without interference from the Court. This is not what any of us are proposing. The goal is to increase the number of cases that can be heard per year, in order to more effectively tend to the interests of the growing American population.

Riiiiiight, and if you believe that one, I've got some high and dry swampland I can sell you, real cheap. :rotf:

what do they think the SCOTUS does?   :whatever:

and if they are that concerned with backlogs in the court system, they could call their dem senators and tell
them to pass of couple of the several dozen federal court nominees that the dem senate is blocking.

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Offline VivisMom

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2008, 07:13:02 AM »
Where is that 'AlitOWNED!' pic when you need it?  :evillaugh:
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Offline Sonnabend

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2008, 09:17:11 AM »
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sergeiAK  (310 posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Tue Mar-25-08 05:10 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. Are you really advocating blackmailing the SC?
   
Because if so, that's the most retarded, ridiculously illegal thing I've seen in quite some time, including Shrubbie's actions while in office

...ands those illegal actions are...?
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Offline DixieBelle

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2008, 09:20:44 AM »
Teh stoopid is strong today isn't it??
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Offline jukin

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2008, 10:51:24 AM »
They really are totalitarian communists.
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Offline XL

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2008, 10:10:58 PM »
Quote
7. When President ** is sworn in s/he needs to send a note to the BusHitler puppets on the SCOTUS
   Resign for "health reasons" or we will appoint 4 new members; they will all be under 40 years old and Progressive Populists who believe in a woman's right to choose.

Ahh, sweet liberal daydreams. So whimsical... so utterly stupid.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2008, 10:12:52 PM »
Quote from: XL on March 26, 2008, 10:10:58 PM
Quote
7. When President ** is sworn in s/he needs to send a note to the BusHitler puppets on the SCOTUS
   Resign for "health reasons" or we will appoint 4 new members; they will all be under 40 years old and Progressive Populists who believe in a woman's right to choose.

Ahh, sweet liberal daydreams. So whimsical... so utterly stupid.

Could you imagine a sitting President actually doing this?  Half the country would go apeshit.
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Offline XL

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2008, 10:19:55 PM »
Definitely not. It's just one of those DUmmie wet dreams. It's kind of like every 4 years when they say, "We need a candidate who will come out strong for gay marriage and unlimited abortions and upside-down flags!" And of course they end up with a candidate who *****foots around his real beliefs. Somehow they still haven't learned that they don't make liberals with balls attached.
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Offline BlueStateSaint

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #14 on: March 27, 2008, 10:35:23 AM »
Quote from: Chris on March 26, 2008, 10:12:52 PM
Quote from: XL on March 26, 2008, 10:10:58 PM
Quote
7. When President ** is sworn in s/he needs to send a note to the BusHitler puppets on the SCOTUS
   Resign for "health reasons" or we will appoint 4 new members; they will all be under 40 years old and Progressive Populists who believe in a woman's right to choose.

Ahh, sweet liberal daydreams. So whimsical... so utterly stupid.

Could you imagine a sitting President actually doing this?  Half the country would go apeshit.

And it's the half with the guns . . .
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #15 on: March 27, 2008, 10:51:55 AM »
Quote from: BadCat on March 27, 2008, 10:47:24 AM
How would having more justices increase the number of cases the court would hear?
It's still ONE court.

Damn, liberals are stupid.
They probably think 9 women can go from conception to delivery in 1 month.
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Offline WinOne4TheGipper

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #16 on: March 27, 2008, 11:36:39 AM »
Ummm, do these people not know a thing about history?  Do they not know that people will fight against an obvious attempt to grab power and unduly shift the Supreme Court Majority?  It's epecially maddening considering that if Pres. Bush had done anything like this, they'd be all over him, but it's alright for them to do it.
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Offline WinOne4TheGipper

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #17 on: March 27, 2008, 11:40:17 AM »
Quote
Vincardog  (1000+ posts)        Tue Mar-25-08 05:24 PM
Response to Reply #8
10. Blackmail involves threating to do something unless they pay you not to. I am suggesting
   the new revitalized Democratic party let them know what time it is. AS far as I am concerned the shrub was never elected. None of his actions were ever legal and that includes his appointments to the court that illegally installed him.

See, that's just it.  You are not the arbitor of elections.  I'm not.  The electoral college is.  The electoral college says that Bush was elected twice, so no matter what you belive in that drug-crippled mind of yours:

:loserbar:
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Offline WinOne4TheGipper

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Re: Repairing the Supreme Court
« Reply #18 on: March 27, 2008, 11:43:24 AM »
Quote from: Sonnabend on March 26, 2008, 09:17:11 AM
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sergeiAK  (310 posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Tue Mar-25-08 05:10 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. Are you really advocating blackmailing the SC?
   
Because if so, that's the most retarded, ridiculously illegal thing I've seen in quite some time, including Shrubbie's actions while in office

...ands those illegal actions are...?

How many times must I say it: having an (R) behind his name.  In the mind of a DUmmie, that is the most severe offense one could commit.
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