Cliff LyonSandra Day O’Connor rips into GOP, Warns of the “beginning of dictatorship”
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day wasted no time getting to the important work of saving the country in a speech at Georgetown University yesterday. That she refused to allow her comments to be recorded is itself a subject for discussion. Thankfully, NPR’s Nina Tottenburg was there and reported the substance of the speech (audio). I will post a full transcript of the actual speech if and when it ever becomes available. (Transcript of NPR story)
As much as the use of the word “dictator†would be dismissed off-hand by many as a typical left-wing “nutcake†rant by the blinded-by-loyalty freepers, would it not be irresponsible to dismiss a former Supreme Court Justice?
Already many left-learners are responding to O’Connor’s comments with anger and resentment because of her vote on the 2000 presidential election which put Bush into office. That fact alone should qualify the predictable dismissal of the right as ignorance.
Republican leaders’ attacks on the courts threaten the constitutional freedoms of Americans.
O’Conner doesn’t strike me as an alarmist and she certainly has no political investment in sending us this warning. Her record firmly reflects her sober, thoughtful and centrist sensibility.
I pray we will listen carefully to this voice.
March 10th, 2006 at 1:26 pm
Judge O’Conner will be missed. It’s unfortunate she chose such a pivotal time to stay home with her husband; however, I expect she will continue to influence and direct this country. We must start listening to her, and others with insight, to understand how lost this country is. We must speak truth to power.
March 10th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
Any chance we could ram Truth down powers throat?
Too bad the former Justice hadn’t stayed her hand in helping handing bush his presidency. A stitch in time saves nine.
March 10th, 2006 at 4:53 pm
So Sandra Day O’Connor believes that free speech is a danger to our democracy huh? Thank goodness she is no longer sitting on the bench. Long live Justice Sam Alito!
Republicans and conservatives are not attacking the judiciary. What we are doing is trying to get the judiciary back to interpreting the laws instead of making them. The only thing in danger by the actions of Republicans is a judicial dictatorship that was unfortunately advanced by the former Supreme Court “justice†Sandra Day O’Connor.
March 10th, 2006 at 5:28 pm
Ken- this statement, “What we are doing is trying to get the judiciary back to interpreting the laws instead of making them.” is a red herring as you well know. It is a well-crafted talking point designed to confuse and deceive. I know you to be more of a gentlemen than that.
Please provide some example of how the judiciary makes laws rather than interpreting them. And be careful not to use examples in which you simply disagree with the ruling, unless THAT is really the point behind the ruse.
March 10th, 2006 at 6:54 pm
In my extemely humble view, marijuana laws currently resulting in punitive judgements, would be an example of the judiciary simply making a law, rather than interpreting one. There are no natural laws interpreting marijuana as an illegal substance, and any pretense is once again, simple Fascism.
March 11th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
Ken states: “Republicans and conservatives are not attacking the judiciary.” Me thinks that Ken needs to pick up a copy of the Deseret Morning News or Salt Lake Tribune sometime and give it a read. Or maybe he should take a trip to some rural backwater community in Utah (a fifteen minute drive in any direction from SLC should suffice) and chat with the residents. Ken might then find out just how bitter and acrimonious the repubs and cons actually are toward the judiciary.
And, don’t forget Ken, Souter was a Republican darling when elevated to the supremes. Alito may well, and hopefully will, surprise us all!
April 2nd, 2006 at 8:14 am
Ken Bingham speaks of “free speech” — duh! Where exactly in the USA is free speech allowed today? Oh, yeah, if you get up on a soap box in the middle of a forest, you can pretty near say anything you want to. But, if more than X-number of people are in listening range of what you are saying (or writing — which is probably whiy few are writing anything near the truth), X-number of the FBI agents will shortly be paying you a visit. If they hang the sign “terrorist” around your neck, you will be shipped off to an unknown distination with no recourse to any legal aid whatsoever. And forget that “one phone call” business, too. It is now much, much worse than under Nixon. Free speech, what a joke — and what a dreamer this “Star-Wars” Ken must be. Wake up and smell the Consitution burning, fella! Boss Bush and his dictator buddies pay absolutely no attention to “any law” no matter how the Supreme Court may “make it”…. (incidentally, it is Congress that makes the law — the Supreme Court is there to uphold the law — but neither are doing their job). Bush swore on the Bible to protect the Constitution, then he threw it on the book-burning fire. What is next — maybe you?.