On Rachel: Bush V Gore decision devastated Souter

[CatWoman]

he actually cried.

Along with millions others....

[Cha]

1. Well, now I

love him.

[CatWoman]

2. as do I

:hi:

it's no telling how much more we will learn about that dreadful day, once Souter leaves the bench for good.

[Cha]

4. Ah, yes, dear Souter has

stories to tell. :hi:

[depakid]

3. When he was nominated, I said to a colleague: "a man who enjoys walking alone in those mountains

can't be all bad."

And sure enough.

[CatWoman]

5. beautiful

just beautiful :)

[SemiCharmedQuark]

6. Me...

:(

[SemiCharmedQuark]

8. And I thought he would be a one termer president who wasn't 1/10 as bad as he turned out to be!

[Cha]

12. Not with a

coup like that.

[Raine]

7. Knowing that makes me

feel better somehow.

[FrenchieCat]

9. I don't think the Supreme Court will ever recover from that until

each and everyone of those who voted to stop the vote count are gone from the court.

It was the most disgusting political maneuvering I ever witnessed ever.

[depakid]

11. "the most disgusting political maneuvering I ever witnessed ever."

It was also ultra vires meaning that they had the power but not the right to overrule the Florida Supreme Court on the facts before them.

Every one of the 5 ought to have been impeached for judicial misconduct.

I'm sure Souter was aware of that....

[Samantha]

13. Well many of us were planning on impeaching them

and the press conference was scheduled to take place on the steps of the Supreme Court (I believe that is where it was scheduled to be held) in the afternoon of September 11, 2001. That catastrophe is exactly what gave the Supreme Court 5 a reprieve. They should have been impeached and the effort was underway to seek that consequence but it was pretty much abandoned after the attacks. It was the considered opinion of many leading the effort that the movement could not get off the ground because the theft of Election 2000 would be overshadowed by dealing with the retaliation for the attacks.

And Roberts, now the Chief Judge, advised Florida Republicans on a pro bono basis as to how to constitutionally thwart the recount under way during the contested election. I have no link to this but read the article in the Washington Post and never forgot his name. I believe that is exactly why Bush* gave him the appointment and made him the Chief Judge. Many Constitutional experts quietly left Washington and volunteered their time to advise during this contentious struggle. And they have been rewarded for their efforts.

I have zero respect for the man who now heads the Supreme Court. Judge Stevens, on the other hand, also a Republican who wrote a dissent from the opinion, is in my personal top five political heroes of all times. His words of anger seared the paper on which it was written, as well as the ears of the Republicans who engineered this violation. His words literally soothed my soul when I read them, knowing that as a member of the Republican party, he said exactly what I was thinking. What a man, what a man. Someone else may eventually sit in his chair, but no one can replace him.

Sam

[depakid]

14. None dare call it treason

Vincent Bugliosi spelled it out:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20010205/bugliosi

Note: he wrote that bit just before Alabama v. Garrett came down- which made the matter even more cynical and insulting to the integrity of legal theory (under equal protection analysis) AND THE COURT than any other set of acts in Supreme Court history.

[Samantha]

15. He wrote a magazine article which was a skeleton of the

book he later published. It received such favorable review, he expanded that article into the book. I read it immediately and loved it. It is a book to be handed down to posterity. Thanks for mentioning it.

Sam

[depakid]

17. Hate to relive those days,,,

but it's instructive to remember how many people in the legal community were appalled- particularly old school types who value integrity of the process.

Thanks for appreciating it.

~Depa

[FrenchieCat]

24. I still have that book in my bathroom....to this day!

cause back then, it was hard to find opinions like that, which agreed with my own. I think the only thing that kept me sane at the time was that book and Ray Taliefero...and he didn't come on till 1 O'Clock in the morning! That election almost cost me my health! That's how bad it was for me.

[kevinds13]

26. The book form is called

The Betrayal of America...in case anyone wants to read it. Great book.

[Flying Dream Blues]

18. I feel the same way, and add Roberts to that list. UGH. nt

[The Hope Mobile]

20. Agreed! nt

[WinkyDink]

25. It was, frankly, a coup d'etat.

[RoadRage]

10. I think Bush I probably cried too...

When he realized what his "creation" had become.

Thank GOD.

[mvd]

16. I cried on election night that year, but was more disgusted after the decision

We all have our emotions, and Souter expressed it his way. He has the most integrity of any judge on the Court IMO.

[Hekate]

19. I didn't know that, but I love him for it. It was a coup d'etat, & I'm glad someone on the Court...

... also saw how deeply evil this was for our country, even though he might not use the same words as I. I am all the more grateful that Justice Souter decided to stick with the SCOTUS until Bush the Lesser departed.

Hekate

[Jennicut]

21. He really seems like a man of integrity. He will be missed but I hope he enjoys his retirement.

He deserves it.

[Budgies Revenge]

22. ...not as much as it devastated the rest of us

:mad:

[rufus dog]

23. Gives you more respect for the guy doesn't it.

That was eight long years for him walking in to sit down next to Scalia.

[iamthebandfanman]

27. its what got me involved in politics

and interested on any level beyond just going to vote...

i actually wasnt that wild over Al at the time(i think hes become a different person since this all occured) , and obviously no fan of bush...
but there was clearly something illegal going on , and why people just gave up fighting it is beyond me.

one of the if , -if not greatest, shams pulled on the american people ...no doubt.

[jaysunb]

28. DU probably wouldn't exist if not for

that awful ruling.
I guess in some ways we're better off. :shrug: