Republican Supreme Court

Most of us gave little thought to the Supreme Court until it took over the 2000 vote count in Florida and gave the election to George W. Bush. Seldom mentioned, even in this election cycle, is the dramatic swing of the Court to the right. Presidents Reagan, Bush I and II appointed Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito, all right wing Republican Party puppets. John McCain promises to continue the Bush appointment goals.

John Dean in his recent book, Broken Government, quotes the New York City Attorney, Martin Garbus, who pictures the direction the courts are taking us:

Imagine the effect on our lives if workplace standards for health and safety were severely cut back; if abortions were banned, no exceptions; if minimum-hour and wage laws were so reduced as to be meaningless; if child labor laws were abolished or weakened; if there were no gun control at all. Imagine what our world would look like if the law abolished equal rights… if the state took money from public schools and gave it to parochial schools; if regulatory agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, or the Environmental Protection Agency were so gutted or handcuffed as to be completely ineffectual; if Congress’ ability to pass needed social legislation ended. All this and more are the declared goals of the radical Right who now dominate the Republican Party on matters related to the judiciary. The judicial revolution that began under Richard Nixon, which accelerated during the Reagan’s second term and peaked in the past five years, has become a runaway train.

I hope Garbus is wrong. I also hope we won’t give John McCain the chance to prove him right.


Thomas Are
October 12, 2008
tomare1@alltel.net