Supreme Gall

Recently, Terri Gross interviewed Jeffrey Tubin, CNN legal analyst and New York Times reporter, on her radio show “Fresh Air”. He has just released his book, “The Nine”, about the American Supreme Court.

I know Republicans get sick and tired of people like me going back through the entire history of the Bush Administration and dredging up all the muck, but this discussion made me remember once again why I have had my back up about BushCo since day one and not only that, but provided tons of justification for my feelings. His discussion of the process involved in the Gore v Bush decision was revealing and revolting.

Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy was visiting Florida to look at the voting process there when the question arose as to whether or not the Supreme Court would accept and hear Bush v Gore. He was adamant that the case would be heard.

The court did hear the case, and Justice Roberts issued the majority opinion in Bush’s favor. The nature of the decision? It hinged on, of all things, affirmative action with the decision being that W’s rights had been infringed upon because the voting process varies from place to place. Huh??! To top it off the last sentence, which absolutely enraged Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, declared that this was the only instance in which this finding would apply. In other words, the only possible recipient of the benefits of this decision was one person – George W. Bush. And that’s how W came into power. It’s enough to make you spit nails.

Another interesting anecdote was about Justice Sandra Day O’Connor who was initially a Bush supporter but ultimately came to despise the man and his administration. She was repulsed by John Ashcroft and the Iraq war. Some of her protestations were silenced for a day when the administration declared that she was on the wrong track about their attitude toward torture. She was assured that they would never condone or allow torture. That was the day before the Abu Ghraib story broke. It was also the day that she lost all respect for W. Sadly, she resigned her seat on the court to care for her husband who had come down with Alzheimers. Even more sadly, he soon passed into a condition beyond her ability to help him and she was left to watch him deteriorate and to watch powerlessly as BushCo continued to amass inappropriate executive power, abuse and torture prisoners and appoint Justices Alito and Roberts to the Supreme Court.

I hope I live long enough to see W and dick pay for their crimes against this nation and the world and to see the Supreme Court once again become a body that decides cases without regard to political loyalties.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. -- M. K. Gandhi

Individually we have little voice. Collectively we cannot be ignored.
But in silence we surrender our power. Yours in Peace -- BR