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Justice Scalia has used the racist language of nullification of the 15th amendment from the bench. Shame on him. He should be impeached.
Voting became a pepetual "racial entitlement", in Justice Scalia's phrase, on February 3, 1870, when the 15th Amendment was ratified: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." The citizens of the United States are thus entitled to vote, and this entitlement is guaranteed to all races. Congress has enacted appropriate legislation, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as reauthorized in 2006, to enforce this article. Any decision by the Supreme Court voiding this act or any portion of it, except on account of a subsequent amendment, is itself unconstitutional, and if that happens the Congress should pass a law revoking such a decision by explicitly citing its authority under the 15th amendment. This would be a valid overrule of Marbury v. Madison in a clear case of judicial overreach, as the record shows that the review provided for in the legislation is necessary to enforce the article.
I hope someone will file an amicus curiae brief to that effect, pointing out the Judicial overreach implied in overturning the enabling legislation of the 15th amendment, and demanding Justice Scalia's recusal in this matter on basis of this racist comment's contradiction with his oath of office. This brief should make clear that any change to the Voting Rights act, as enabling legislation explicitly provided for by the Constitution, would itself be unconstitutional and would exceed the Court's authority, as the Constitution gives the Congress the power to determine what is necessary to enforce the article.
Laws, regs, and legislation that are obsolete are on the books of cities and states throughout America. There are plenty even on the books of the Federal Government as well. So why the big interest in doing housing keeping on this particular law?
Leave the Voting Rights Act in full force and effect - Scalia and his right wing monsters aren't fooling anybody!
This reminds me of those conservative christians who refered to equal rights for gays and lesbians as "special rights"; horribly offensive!!!
Where do these arrogant bastards come from???
Antonin Scalia is Reagan's Revenge on the republic. This "Justice" misidentifies Gore as the plaintiff in Bush (dumbya) v. Gore even to this day!! This "legal schloar" is nothing more than a modern day Roland Freisler by turning your Supreme Court into a Nazi "People's Court". If the Bush v. Gore travesty proves on thing its that you MAY have the right to vote, you do not necessarily posess the right to have it COUNTED, (See Electoral College and provisional ballots). Remember the FACIST FIVE who brought you dumbya: Rhenquist ( the opiate addict who thought the CIA was out to kill him when he was detoxifying at Bethesda), Sandy O'Connor, SCALIA, Kennedy, and, last but not least, LONG DONG.
Yes, Supreme Court Justices can be impeached by the House and tried by the Senate (verify).
What we have here with Scalia is spillover of the pseudo-reality crafted by the demagogues of the Radical-Right. They speak from the knowledge-base that they live in -- which has evolved from indoctrination and spin-meistering by Rush Limberger, Reagan and their various Wannabees over several decades.
Entitlements? Everyone "knows" that's how it is, because it is and has been well documented through the years on Fox-News, etc, etc.. It's racial inequality, for sure; but by minorities against the hard-working majority. Everyone knows that!
Justice Scalia has outlived his usefullness on the Supreme Court. It is time for him to step down. I suggest an amendment to the appointment of Justices and Federal Judges from a lifetime appointment to a twenty year appointment. Twenty years should insulate judges from the whims of local politics. However a lifetime appointment may give an appointed Judge too much power. The third branch of our government's highest officials serve by appointment not election. These nine Justices wield long term effects, they ought to be restrained from unlimited power. I think Scalia has served too long, he believes in himself more than the wisdom of the American people. Time for him to stop embarrassing himself and go quietly into retirement.
It is sad that our Judicial wing of our government has become so blatantly political. Their job is to rule on constitutionality .....not offer personal opinions and perceptions that seem transparently racial, pro-rich, and fly in the face of what they propose to protect....the right to LIFE LIBERTY AND PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS for ALL
Hey, Thom -- R U w/me yet?????? I ranted on Ed Schultz's show hosted by the WONDERFUL Mike Papantonio to say, basically, as a Black woman -- a recently-widowed spouse of my second White husband -- living in Palm Beach County, FL, I am SICK TO DEATH of "liberals" making excuses for President Obama's lack of backbone when dealing with the do-nothing Congress "led" by Harry Reid and John Boehner. Puleez -- we've gotten just what could be expected from a man who is NO FDR, NO Harry Truman & NO LBJ. For far too long, as a matter of act it might be too late, President Obama's lack of negotiating skills, forcefulness in fighting for Progressive/Democratic ideals has been reinforced by myriad excuses: Oh, he doesn't want to appear to be an "angry Black man," "he's playing chess, not checkers," etc., etc., ad nauseum. In case anyone's forgotten, in the first picture taken of the President with the living former Presidents, where was President Obama? Between the BUSHES. Where were Presidents Clinton and Carter? Almost out of the frame! What was one of President Obama's first acts? Freezing ALL Federal hiring. What was his immediate response to extending Medicare to ALL citizens, from birth to death: "Uh, we don't want to 'reinvent the wheel.'" Let's not forget, that the First Lady was an attorney/officer of a large Chicago hospital, whose goals did not necessarily comport with Medicare for all. With whom has he surrounded himself? CORPORATISTS! Who is an absolute DISGRACE as Attorney General of the United States, a former Covington & Burling partner (huge corporate law firm), Eric Holder -- who has known for YEARS that millions of minorities have been disenfranchised throughout the country. Why didn't the President FIRE every single deputy ag and replace them w/Democratic a.g.s? As a result, what has the Justice Department done to preempt the current unconstitutional action regarding the Voting Rights Act of 1965? NOTHING! This is what you get when a corporatist is installed in the White House. I am a proud Black Progressive who is totally disappointed in President Obama -- despite the fact that I and my late husband campaigned for him in '08, but did not do so in '12. If the past is prologue, the President's naivete about "not worrying about Section 5" of the Voting Rights Act being overturned, because "we can fix that" is either a comment coming from lala-land or so disingenuous as to simply bowl me over. There is ABSOLUTELY NO evidence that President Obama will take whatever steps are necessary to counteract the judicial activisim of the Supreme Court or the complete lack of Congressional integrity in dealing with any of the crucial issues that face our country today. As to Social Security, "we're willing to compromise and put 'everything' on the table?!" Chained CPI??? Please, NO MORE APOLOGIES for the President's lack of intestinal fortitude. The President has apparently forgotten that he is supposed to be the leader of the Democratic Party, not the lackey of the Republican Party. Frankly, I'm beginning to suspect that, had he been White, instead of Black like me, the President would have -- and could have -- successfully run for and won the Republican nomination back in '08, and might have been the first Black REPUBLICAN President. Finally, as to the President having "street creds" because he was a community organizer . . . I used to tell my husband, if that proved one's Progressive roots, any Ku Klux Klan member could be considered a "progressive." There is absolutely nothing in the President's record -- either in the Presidency or the Senate -- that demonstrates a truly progressive agenda, and I am sick and tired of the excuses made by Liberals and my Black brothers and sisters for his inability to stand up for Democratic values. Yes, listen to Harry S. Truman, LBJ and FDR and learn what it means to be a TRUE Progressive! That's my rant for today! Thx for all you do, Thom!
Scalia is a disgrace . Never thought Supreme Court would become so divisive and biased . .
The Supreme Court "took the easy way out," and this is outrageous. Privacy is a fundamental right, guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Please protest this...just another step in a shift toward fascism and tyranny.
Please, also complain to KPFK-FM (in Los Angeles) re removal of most of Mr. Hartmann's show this week, during the station pledge-drive. And, replacing it with distasteful hucksterism.
From Democracy Now! this AM....
Emphasis is mine... unconstitutional because of overwhelming Congressional support?!?!
Why don't they split a stock when it goes for more than $14,000 per share?
I have a question?
Is there any recourse if a Supreme Court Judge does in fact go beyond their juristiction?
Can a Justice be impeached?
If we ever needed an EMPIRICAL fact to prove the Republican FANTASY MINDSET it might never meet the level as expounded by Fascisti Scalia! (he was a kid member of his Daddies pro-Mussolini Club)
It's as if every Republican in this Country has their fingers firmly planted in their one ear shuffling about murmurring LA-LA-LA-LA amongst themselves, while plugged into the other is the direct connection to FOX.
On EVERY ISSUE OF CRISIS for our NATION the Republicans can't believe that their stuff don't work even though we've been trying it for THIRTY YEARS and no matter how hard they wish it won't be better this time!
But! What's worse is that they are are still regarded as "serious people" even though they've flunked out of everything they do!
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When Scalia smiles and opens his mouth you know that some racist rant is going to come out for all the world to hear. How does this man continue to express his opinions that undermine democracy? It seems to me that every part of our government is falling to the extreme right. How much hate is there in this country? It's a very sad day when the Voting Rights Act is questioned and might be torn from the books. Very sad.
I imagine Martin Luther King & Rosa Parks rolling over and over in their graves. Aparteid in America is alive and well in the 21st Century! (And "Scalia" sounds like the name of some sorta skin disease. Seems kinda symbolic, doesn't it!)
This country is moving backwards so fast, it's mind boggling... Sometimes all I want to do is jump off the train. - Alice I.W.
Probably, in light of how backward & tyrannical they've been.
As a trained Election Observer of almost a decade, we have a high-quality voter-verified paper-ballot vote-by-mail Election System. Counting machines and networks are industrial-quality and facilities very secure. Staff are professional, trained, experienced, well-supervised and focused. Procedures are complete and well documented. Processing is open and very orderly.
Elections are surprisingly complex, with local taxing-districts requiring up to 180 different ballots. While voter marked ballots may be damaged, contaminated and mis-marked every possible way; every return, ballot and vote is accounted per voter-intent (per State Standards), to the best of everyone's ability. Registration is "in-clusive" rather than "ex-clusive."
It's a very good system, the result of close coordination between responsible long-experienced non-partisan officials and several community election advocacy groups. Elections can be done right.
That's why news of officials futzing with elections infuriates me. Election Fraud by officials is a conscious act, likely requiring two or more co-conspirators -- in my mind, the equivalent of treason, which should be a capital offense. (But political professionals apparently don't even care).
The more I think of standing up to these gun-crazy ignorant-bigots; the more respect I have for the freedom-fighters who stood-up to them in the sixties. Rosa Parks and so many took it, non-violently and won in principle. We've come a long way; but unfortunately, the scourge of racism and ignorance still infests backward regions today.
Scalia was badmouthing the bill today with the usual republican talking point that the Act isn't needed anymore. That POS is going to shoot it down. It isn't up to the Supreme Court to do anything to the
Act. They need to butt out.
what year is it? just who do we have to blame, seriously. some parts of the country are just stuck in a time warp or something. the biggest tragedy? is to hear what some of the elected southen' erudite have to spew. imagine all fi'tty states being like that! yikes.
Hatred only goes to sleep for a bit then wakes and becomes stronger. there isn't much that can be done to stop these bigots from continuing their sleezy practices these days . we can only stay on top of the situation because when we sleep their still hating.
voting rights:
something none of the people who vote for the corporate party's (R)s or (D)s make any good use of
a gift from corporate government intended to always be useful to the giver, and always useless to the receivers
— The APT: American Political Terms
www.chenangogreens.org
The suit is brought by the Heritage Foundation 'nuff said.