When we take the WH in '08, let's add some more SCOTUS Justices

[krispos42]

There are current 9 Justices of the Supreme Court. Five of them are neocons fanatics, so under the current system, BushCo's policies will last long after he's been retired.

However, Congress sets the number of Justices, not the President. :evilgrin:

I think it would be an excellent idea in Febuary 2009 for the Democratic Congress to add two Justices that the Democratic President nominates.

Oh, the Reich wing will love that, won't they?!?!?

[Old and In the Way]

1. Why not? There's no reason we shouldn't.

If we get an overwhelming majority of the American people that want a Democratic agenda, we should elect more judges to balance the unrepresentitive RW influence on our legislative intent. I, for one, will be happy to see the Right shrieking with horror as we start creating the rules for real change.

[Horse with no Name]

2. I think that is a good idea and have said as much

I think we should set it at 13--that would be an almost incorruptible number.
Also--after it is set there should be a Constitutional amendment not to change the number.

[kansasblue]

3. let's not and say we didn't. I don't like it.

that game will be escalated every time the branches of gov. change hands. Didn't FDR try that? It was called 'packing the courts'. Justice and politics should be kept apart.

[David__77]

4. Hapless idealism...

Politics permeates everything and is foremost about power to compel others. We must compel the right-wing to submit to a progressive agenda using all legal tools available.

[krispos42]

6. I think we can agree that the last two Justices were political hacks

They are neocon idealogues. They should have been filibustered, except the Repubs threatened to remove the filibuster option if we did. Oh, and idiots like LIEberman wanted to 'keep the powder dry' or some bullshit.

The fact that they so desperately wanted those two on the Supreme Court should sent up warning flags all over the place.

All part of the RNC plan.

[ClassWarfare2008]

11. "Justice and politics should be kept apart."

Didn't that one go out the window on December 12, 2000?

[leftofthedial]

5. but that might distract from the real agenda (whatever the hell that is)

better to keep the powder dry

[William769]

7. FDR tried to do it and it didn't work. NT.

[krispos42]

8. What FDR tried to do...

was to expand the size of the Supreme Court automatically by one each time a Justice turned 70 years old, up to 15 Justices total.

This is a little different.

[onenote]

12. not different enough. The purpose is the same and the result would be the same

A court packing plan is as dead on arrival as anything I could imagine. FDR couldn't get one through and at the time the Senate had 76 Democrats, 4 Democratic leaning indies/3rd party members, and only 16 repubs. THe vote on the court packing plan? 70 against, 20 for.

Forget it. Never, ever going to happen.

[depakid]

9. It would have been easier to simply not confirm

the ones already there... but that would have required some unity, courage and political fortitude- which are in short supply among certain segments of the party.

Unfortunately, court packing has been tried before under what at the time were even more dire circumstances than what we currently face. It failed then, and it'll fail in 2010.

[krispos42]

10. Three bad rulings today... still think this is a bad idea? n/t

[onenote]

13. its a bad idea because it has less than a zero chance of success

[rucky]

14. I'm surprised the GOP didn't think of it when they had the chance.

Whew! Glad you're on our side!

[Prophet 451]

15. Bad idea

The problem with that kind of thing is that it always escalates.

A better idea would be to give the judges term limits (say, ten years). The lifetime appointment that was supposed to insulate them from political pressure has ended up doing exactly the opposite and the system needs to be abandoned.

[3waygeek]

16. Yeah, because it worked so well for FDR n/t