AP: Supreme Court Justice Kennedy: Jury's Out on U.S. Democracy

[DeepModem Mom]

Aug 6
Kennedy: Jury's Out on U.S. Democracy
By MARK NIESSE
Associated Press Writer


(AP Photo/MARCO GARCIA)
Justice Kennedy

HONOLULU (AP) -- The United States is not making the case for freedom, democracy and Western law to the rest of the world, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said Saturday...in an address to the American Bar Association....

***

He said the rule of law has three parts: it must be binding on all government officials, it must respect the dignity, equality and human rights of every person, and it must guarantee people the right to enforce the law without fear of retaliation.

"Americans must understand that if the rules of law have meaning, such as hope and inspiration for the rest of the world, it must be coupled with the opportunity to improve human existence," Kennedy said.

The United States' quest to spread freedom will only succeed if people in other countries accept the promises made by a democratic government, he said.

"For us, law is a liberating force. It's a promise, it's a covenant that says you can hope, you can dream, you can dare, you can plan," he said. "We must explain to a doubting world where the verdict is still out."...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KENNEDY_ABA?SITE=7219&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-08-06-01-13-24

[benddem]

1. If this conservative supreme

sees it, will the others follow suit?

[MuseRider]

2. Great

if the only way for democracy to be a hope and inspiration to the rest of the world then I hope they do not look here at what has become of our system.

Seems to me we no longer, if we have ever, made use of the 3 parts of the rule of law.

[xchrom]

3. k&r

''it must respect the dignity, equality and human rights of every person, ''

every. person.

[ruggerson]

4. I disagree with him alot, but I like and respect him

He actually thinks about what he does, as opposed to Scalia, Thomas et al.

[retread]

5. If his own words mean anything to him we can expect future rulings

that match action and deeds to his words? FAT CHANCE!!!

[ananda]

6. umm

He helped select Bush and pervert the course of democracy.
Who is he to talk??!!

[UTUSN]

7. You said it for me n/t

[indepat]

13. For me too

[ruggerson]

8. He's also authored some good civil rights decisions

unlike the other rightwinges, who are thoroughly reprehensible.

[pansypoo53219]

9. call a spade a spade

he has to admit georgie was a MISTAKE.
and a crime against america and the world.

[krkaufman]

16. Was going to say the same thing.

He has zero credibility on the issue of democracy, having participated in stopping vote counting in 2000. Can't be much more undemocratic than that. And as for rule of law, you typically don't think of "this decision only counts this one time and can't be used as a precedent" as "applicable to everyone."

Schmuck.

[Joe Bacon]

10. No matter what he says, he SHOULD be impeached for installing Bush.

He, Scalia and Slappy Thomas all deserve removal from office. Nothing Kennedy does can atone for his role in the illegal overthrow of Al Gore

[Uncle Joe]

11. If you are going to talk the talk,

you have to walk the walk and after the coup of 2000, our credibility in bringing democracy to the rest of the world is only so much fecal material.

[auburnblu]

12. How did Kennedy vote on forcing property owners to sell?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelo_v._New_London

Love how he talks about "Its'a promise, it's a covenant that says you can hope, you can dream, you can dare, you can plan"

Kennedy could care less about Democracy and rights

[Iowa]

14. Kennedy is a stooge of the right, and his phony words are nothing more...

...than an effort to prop up the facade of democracy, while he and his ilk work behind the scenes to undermine our entire way of life.

"We must explain to a doubting world where the verdict is still out."...

Hey Kennedy, explain it to us... the verdict is out in the USA - you fricking dipwad!

The hypocrisy is sickening. The law, under Kennedy's watch, has been perverted into a tool of the plutocracy, and he has the audacity to come out with something like this. Screw him.

[farmbo]

15. Go Judicial Branch!!! Yea Team!

Beat that Executive Branch! Block that Legislative!

:bounce:

[Zhade]

17. ...enable the coup of 2000!

Kennedy can rot with the rest of them. He helped unleash a monster whose actions are literally destroying the world.

[drduffy]

18. no respect for him

the heros of the judiciary.... alll gone... all dead. .... only the shills are left

[cali]

19. Really?

So Breyer and Stevens and Souter and Ginsberg are all merely shills?