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NNN0LHI Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 09:42 AM
Original message
Chief Justice Blasts Congress on Sentencing
Whats going on here? Are these guys starting to realize the mistake they made when they appointed Bush?

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=4062812

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist on Thursday lashed out at Congress for not seeking input from the judiciary before it approved a law aimed at forcing judges to follow tougher sentencing guidelines. snip

Rep. James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican who heads the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives, said lawmakers had received input from federal judges as they were considering the draft legislation. snip

As a result, Attorney General John Ashcroft directed federal prosecutors to report on judges who issue lighter sentences than what is recommended by the guidelines.

Rehnquist said he was particularly troubled by that requirement, since it collects information on an individual judge-by-judge basis.

more

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aquart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 09:45 AM
Response to Original message
1. Hah! Hah! Hah!
He thought appointing George gave the judiciary, and him, MORE power, not less.

I hope the petard is sharp and pointy. (What IS a petard, btw?)
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GAspnes Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 09:54 AM
Response to Reply #1
5. /pedanticmodeon
Edited on Thu Jan-01-04 09:55 AM by GAspnes
A petard (or petar) was an early bomb. When assaulting a castle or other fortified position, a 'sapper' (French for 'poor doofus') would carry the petard up to the wall, light the fuse and retire quickly. When the fuse burned too quickly, the sapper would be blown up by his own bomb, hence 'hoist by his own petard'.

/pedanticmodeoff

onedit: first spelling error of the new year!
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Turbineguy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 10:15 AM
Response to Reply #1
6. mixed metaphors?
A Fid is used for splicing line. It is a round tapered stick about one foot long. When new, it is sharp and pointy. When old, dull and splintery..... Well, I don't think I need say more....
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aquart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 11:16 AM
Response to Reply #6
9. It is easy to mix a metaphor if one is completely ignorant.
So. A petard was an early grenade. Therefore my fantasy of putting the sharp and pointy thing up a treasonous judicial orifice would still work well.

Not quite sure about the "hoist" usage in that context though. Now I have to question my knowledge of that word.

Going to be a busy day at the dictionary.

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Demeter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 01:53 PM
Response to Reply #1
11. whatever
Edited on Thu Jan-01-04 01:58 PM by Demeter
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rfranklin Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 09:47 AM
Response to Original message
2. They love the police state ...
until it turns on them.
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hippiechick Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 09:48 AM
Response to Original message
3. Sounds more to me like the Nazgul want even MORE power ...
..."for not seeking input from the judiciary before it approved a law ... particularly troubled by that requirement, since it collects information on an individual judge-by-judge basis. "...

Since when does one branch need input from the other before they pass a law ? The SCOTUS' job is to interpret and apply those laws, not influence writing of them.

Also, if individual judges' sentencing patterns can now be looked at, the extremist right wing judges are up for some -- uh -- examination just as fairly as the ones who don't sentence strongly enough.

JMHO ~

:hippie:

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ElsewheresDaughter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 09:51 AM
Original message
now the assholes will reap what they sowed...unfortunately so have we
Edited on Thu Jan-01-04 09:53 AM by ElsewheresDaughter
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Name removed Donating Member (0 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 09:51 AM
Response to Original message
4. Deleted message
Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.
 
Tuttle Donating Member (919 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 10:21 AM
Response to Reply #4
7. Whatever...
I hope they use stiffer sentencing against Limbaugh, the anthrax killer and the Plame outer.

not holding my breath,
Tut-tut
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Sagan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 10:35 AM
Response to Original message
8. Know what I've noticed?

It's never "Republican-controlled Congress" like it was so often prior to 1994. Even over the last couple of years, it was always "the Democratic-controlled Senate".

Media whores are not so subtle.

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MikeG Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 01:11 PM
Response to Original message
10. Whenever it came to minority rights and women's rights,
Edited on Thu Jan-01-04 01:12 PM by MikeG
Rehnquist had no problem deferring to the will of Congress.
He refused to apply the equal protection clause to anyone but *.
Now that it is his ox being gored, he has a problem.
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Fleshdancer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 02:04 PM
Response to Original message
12. So the Attorney General wants to harrass judges now?
Just when you think things can't get any nuttier.

Here's a random question...what's the deal with Rehnquist's robes? What's behind the gold rings on the upper sleaves? Are they symbolic of something?
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bluedeminredstate Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 02:17 PM
Response to Reply #12
13. I 'm pretty sure he had the robe designed
for the impeachment trial of President Clinton. The chevron design was his and it raised some eyebrows at the time - sort of like he was playing dress-up. IIRC, he got the idea from some Gilbert and Sullivan piece...
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Demeter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 02:20 PM
Response to Reply #13
14. Iolanthe
The Lord Chancellor (a kind of one-man Supreme Court) the patter-singing buffoon of the entire show.
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lumpy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 02:39 PM
Response to Reply #14
16. Thanks guys for the charming tidbit about
the 'Lord Chancellor's' robe.
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Fleshdancer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 02:27 PM
Response to Reply #13
15. so it's not some stupid secret society thing??
After reading The DaVinci code, I'm constantly wondering if there's symbolism in things like this.

He obviously doesn't realize how ridiculous he looks.
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MikeG Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 03:01 PM
Response to Reply #15
17. I always thought they were racing stripes
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Moderator DU Moderator Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-01-04 05:35 PM
Response to Original message
18. Dupe....locking
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