-Caveat Lector- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20010202/aponline174349_000.htm Ginsburg: Election 'Storm' on Court By Laurie Asseo Associated Press Writer Friday, Feb. 2, 2001; 5:43 p.m. EST WASHINGTON Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg calls the bitterly contested presidential election case a "breathtaking episode" and a "December storm over the U.S. Supreme Court." The court's actions "await history's judgment," says Ginsburg, who was among the dissenters in the sharply divided 5-4 ruling Dec. 12 that halted a Florida recount sought by Democrat Al Gore and in effect handed the presidency to Republican George W. Bush. She spoke at the University of Melbourne Law School on Thursday, and the court released a text of her speech Friday. "Whatever final judgment awaits 'Bush v. Gore' in the annals of history, I am certain that the good work and good faith of the U.S. federal judiciary as a whole will continue to sustain public confidence at a level never beyond repair," the justice said. Ginsburg's topic was judicial independence, and she had some sharp words about House Republican Whip Tom DeLay's 1997 proposal to impeach federal judges whose rulings he believed did not follow the law. DeLay "is not a lawyer but, I'm told, an exterminator by profession," she said. DeLay once ran an exterminating business in Texas. "I suppose I might someday end up on his list of impeachment targets perhaps even for reasons beyond my control," said Ginsburg, who noted she once was misquoted in a news report as saying the Constitution was outdated. "With all due respect to critics like Mr. DeLay, casual use of impeachment would disserve not only the federal judiciary but also the constitutional principles that have seen the United States through its worst crises," Ginsburg said. She also discussed "what can fairly be described as political hazing of federal judicial nominees. The confirmation process too often strays from examining the qualifications of each nominee into an endeavor to uncover some hidden agenda the nominee supposedly has." Ginsburg speculated that politicians' criticism of the judiciary may stem from "a certain jealousy" of life-tenured judges. It remains to be seen how President Bush's judicial nominees will fare in a Senate evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, she said. But she said the judiciary's performance "depends critically ... on efforts to streamline the nomination and confirmation process." She called the election dispute "this breathtaking episode," saying pressure for a resolution "pushed the unanimity of the United States Supreme Court past its breaking point" when it halted the Florida recount to hear arguments in the case. Numerous news commentators had urged the nation's highest court to intervene, she noted, adding, "These sentiments reflect, it seems to me, long and widely held trust in the fairness and reasoned decision-making of the U.S. federal judiciary." Ginsburg quoted Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist as calling the independent judiciary "one of the crown jewels" of the nation's system of government. "I am hopeful that the jewel will remain bright despite the December storm over the U.S. Supreme Court," she said. On the Net: The Supreme Court: http://www.supremecourtus.gov Copyright 2001 The Associated Press ================================================================= Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT FROM THE DESK OF: *Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends ================================================================= <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
