There are 9 justices on the Supreme Court of the U.S. 5 are conservative and 4 are liberal. Once in a while Justice Anthony Kennedy is a swing from the conservative side.
What do you think would happen if President Obama decided to add 3 justices to the Supreme Court now and he got congress to pass that? Obama would of course appoint the 3 justices. That would give us 5 conservatives and 7 liberals. Then lets say Obama decided to divide up the court and said the most senior judges would hear criminal cases and that the newer judges would hear civil cases (the political and corporate cases are in there). The civil side would then be 5 liberal justice (the new three and Sotomayer and Kagen) and 1 conservative (Alito). Every civil case would be decided by the liberals.
There would be war in this country if Obama tried to do this.
Well, that is exactly what the legislature and Rick Scott are doing to the Florida Supreme Court. Where is your outrage? The House OKs bill to split court. Democrats shouldn't be the only ones crying foul. This should be seen as wrong to all fair-minded people. Democrats are saying (Miami Herald):
• “This quite simply is an immature, ill-advised and arrogant attempt by the leadership to pack the Supreme Court,” said Rep. Jim Waldman, D-Coconut Creek.
• “If you can’t change the rules, you change the refs. And that’s what this bill is doing,” said Rep. Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg.
• “Here we have a Florida Supreme Court that struck down several constitutional amendments passed by the 2010 legislature, over many of our objections,” Rep. Darren Soto (D-Orlando) said. “In the very next session, here we have a bill that is trying to change the make-up of the court.” - (Capital News Service)
Republicans say the changes will make the court more efficient:
• “It’s a complicated state and it’s grown quite a bit since the constitution was originally passed,” Rep. Chris Dorworth (R-Seminole County) said. “So, allowing for that difference, and splitting will allow it to be more efficient.” (Capital News Service). With that logic maybe we should change the U. S. Constitution -- it is a lot older than Florida's and the country 'has grown quite a bit' too. Dumb Republican!
Is this better:
27 comments:
War against Rick Scott?!? Where do I sign up?
Poor Florida.
Much better!
Please guide us. We are ready to engage to stop this insanity. Many of us just do not know how...
Oh I wish I had the answer but for now educate your friends about what is going on. They are probably oblivious to the issues facing us. And, all of you who have voting age children, threaten to cut them off financially if they don't vote.
Perhaps we should illustrate how voters got screwed out of voting (as Independents) in primaries. If we connect the dots on that, maybe residents will roar up in anger about this issue. This is not a left or a right matter. This is a Constitutional powers issue. It is inappropriate and overreaching. Shame on them all.
I keep hearing this idiotic rant about citizens being "screwed" out of voting.
We have no one to blame but ourselves. We are American citizens. If we dont like the government we have, unlike a lot of places on planet earth - we change it! PERIOD!
I dont understand this thing about people who did not "get to vote". Is there a police force preventing, barring you, intimidating you from excercising your Constitutional Right to decide who governs over you?
Please.
I was homeless for 2 years and I never missed a single vote during that time.
There's only one reason for low voter turnout - people dont give a damm!
If you dont care enough to inform yourself of the issues and support the candidates who support your views/issues, then you get the government you deserve - PERIOD!
Don't be so hard on voters. I know two who went to vote on election day and were not allowed because someone commandeered their absentee ballots. There is a lot of fraud out there.
What the person above you was trying to convey was that independents don't get to vote in primaries. It is stupid for anyone to be an independent for that reason. We get bad candidates when only the fringe go out to vote in primaries.
To the previous (formerly homeless) anon, let me explain what I was referring to. There is a loophole which was purposely created where any Independent cannot vote in a primary if there is a third party candidate running. It did not use to be that way. The legislature screwed with the state Constitution and, yes, voters who are independent are indeed screwed out of voting in a primary. Go check it out.
Now, I will forgive you for the insult, because you are not informed and many others aren't either and this is exactly why we should be paying attention to what is happening right now. I think you made the point for me.
But, but, but,I thought the Republicans/Tea Party were the parties trying to abide only by the constitution. So, Florida's constitution can be chaged as the Republicans see fit? It's double speak ad pretty damn petty at that.
This must go to a vote of the people, tell everyoe to vote no on the change. it's the Republicans/Tea Party trying to get all the cookies.
The proposed change to the Florida Supreme Court is not an initiative of Rick Scott. It's a proposal from House Speaker Dean Cannon who campaigned on the issue. If you have a beef with the proposed changes, it's with Cannon and the voters who elected him, not Rick Scott.
You repeatedly attempt to demonize Scott at every turn by connecting him to legislative proposals that he did not initiate. Again, you need a civics lesson on the three branches of government and how a bill becomes a law.
Per usual, I assume you will not post my comment because you cant handle criticism.
I vote all the time... always lose since the same stinky commissioners are still here and look at what we have in Tally... The guidance we need is for all of us voters who are now stuck with this cartoon governor ready to sell and deregulate what is left of Florida
Asshole- I don't need a civics lesson. I know the legislature would not initiate such absurd stuff without a compliant Governor friendly to the crap. You think they don't talk? You think the Barney Bishop's of the world aren't orchestrating the government moves? Rick Scott would be the beneficiary of this legislation --- able to control the court. What a legislative gift. I mentioned the legislature- read again but if you think Scott isn't in on it - it is you who needs a civic lesson.
Rick Scott won't veto anything the Republicans propose. That is why there is a bloodbath going on in the legislature.
The only thing standing in the way now is the courts. Once this passes, changing to a friendlier court, there will be no stopping the Republicans. The Democrats are outnumbered because of the way districts are drawn.
Jack Arses or Dumb Elephants who gives a rats ass. I still don't get the partisan bickering from the folks in the trenches it really doesn't matter which side gets in beause regardless the people are screwed, go to county hall, tally or DC and you will notice one thing our government is owned and operated by lobbyist.
G.O.D. you really want to get legislation stopped in its tracks or passed CALL RON BOOK he's more in charge of tally than any Governor , Senator or State Rep as a matter of fact he's leased most of them. Doesn't make sense to buy them.
Cato you are right about Book.
The Legislature can't do it without a constitutional amendment to go on the ballot in 2012. Everybody relax.
Yes, and it will go out to the same electorate that voted for Rick Scott. How can we relax when they will frame it as more efficient and they will probably say it creates jobs too. The voters will be fooled again. Too scary to be relaxed.
Genuis, I have no doubt that you are a big fan of Franklin Roosevelt. This is a move right out of FDR's playbook. Anyone else remember "the switch in time to save nine"?
Left wingers like you consider FDR's court restructuring proposal to be a brilliant strategic move that caused the Supreme Court to endorse New Deal proposals. But when Florida Republicans propose something similar for Florida, you and your comrades criticize it. Typical liberal hypocrisy.
Genius, you end your commentary by calling Republicans "stupid" for suggesting change is needed because Florida has grown since the state constitution was created. You compare it to changing the US Constitution to allow for more US Supreme Court justices because the nation has grown, which you apparently believe would be unjustified and unthinkable.
First, we don't need to change the US Constitution to change the number of US Supreme Court members because Article III of the United States Constitution leaves it to Congress to fix the number of justices.
Second, Congress has actually changed the number of US Supreme Court justices on four occasions because we grew as a nation. Congress originally set the number at six justices through the Judiciary Act of 1789. As the nation's boundaries grew, Congress added justices to correspond with the growing number of judicial circuits: seven in 1807, nine in 1837, and ten in 1863.
In 1866, at the behest of Chief Justice Chase, Congress passed an act providing that the next three justices to retire would not be replaced, which would thin the bench to seven justices by attrition. Consequently, one seat was removed in 1866 and a second in 1867. In 1869, however, the Circuit Judges Act returned the number of justices to nine, where it has since remained.
Genius-> A constitutional amendment takes a 60% vote for approval. Do you think the same 60% that approved Amendments 5 and 6 will approve a court split amendment? Especially when Scott's approval rating is in the toilet and will likely drop further? Nothing short of an invasion by Georgia will act like Viagra on his numbers. Like I said before, relax. It's not going to happen.
Repugnantcants!
Here are two suggestions. One is practical, the other is really thinking outside the box?
1. Independents, pick a side and reregister. You can't vote in the primary anymore, thanks to the Republicans, so don't let yourself be marginalized.
2. If things get bad enough, we could ALL register as Republicans. That would be their worst nightmare. We could put forth our own candidates and we could try to overwhelm and marginalized their candidates.
I know that sounds terribly naive, but I actually wonder if it could work.
Instead of voting for Governors,Senators and Representatives I say we change the constitution to reflect our current reality
LETS VOTE FOR OUR LOBBYIST, ooops lots of our legislators already are lobbyist. But I want to vote directly for the lobbyist to represent me in County Hall, Tally and DC I want the guy/gal who can REALLY deliver the goods.
VOTE BOOK HE'S MY CROOK.
Don't be grody!
Vote for Cody!
Well, at least we would know what we would be getting, right? I just saw Rubio featured in the film "The Billiionaire's Tea Party". He is such a little shit.
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