Bush Met With Judge Roberts One Day Before Crucial Ruling

[deminks]

I haven't seen much discussion about this. This is from Democracy Now from this morning.

(Sorry if this is old news)

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/07/25/1340214

(snip)

Roberts was also part of a three-judge panel that handed Bush an important victory the week before Bush announced Roberts nomination to the bench. In fact, the day before the ruling was issued, President Bush interviewed Roberts at the White House. The next day, the court released their ruling that the military tribunals of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, could proceed. The decision also found that Bush could deny terrorism captives prisoner-of-war status as outlined by the Geneva Conventions.

AMY GOODMAN: We go now to Yale University, where we are joined by Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor for The Nation magazine and a national correspondent for Salon.com. He also teaches journalism at Yale. His latest article is at The Nation online and is titled "The Stakes In Roberts's Nomination." Welcome to Democracy Now!, Bruce Shapiro.

BRUCE SHAPIRO: Well, the case involves a man name Hamdan, who was allegedly Osama bin Laden's driver. He is one of the detainees at Guantanamo, captured on the field in Afghanistan, who the military has designated, the Pentagon has designated, for military tribunals, trials without benefit of review of court. A lower federal court had thrown these tribunals out, issued an injunction against them, saying that they violated the Geneva Convention and were -- and represented an illegitimate extension of presidential authority.

Well, one day after being interviewed by President Bush, a Federal Appeals panel, three judges of which Judge Roberts was a member, handed down a unanimous decision -- all three judges, by the way, Reagan-Bush appointees -- permitting the tribunals to go forward, reinstating them, and in particular, invalidating those Geneva Convention protections, and saying, in fact, that the courts had no business reviewing this question of Geneva Convention status, that it was purely a matter for the Executive Branch.

[Erika]

1. Bush is destroying the Judicial Branch's independence

from the executive branch. O'Connor has already lamented this loss.

Bush is trying to usurp the very checks and balances built into the Constitution. Unfortunately, he has a backing of those who are unable to understand and digest the importance of checks and balances.

[shelley806]

3. This is so important and so true...

Obviously the SCOTUS has a political tendency, but the founding fathers made this branch a lifetime appointment because they believed that this would make them less motivated by political ambitition and more judiciously objective. They are not elected officials, just like Rove, the PACs, and the Neocons that run this administration. We are not even a REPRESENTATIVE democracy any longer!!!

And this Roberts is a strict constitutionalist??? He is a self serving politician.

[shelley806]

2. OMG !! I had worried about this very issue...but never confirmed it.

Thanks so much for the link. IMO, this alone should invalidate him. It just reeks. And with his involvement in the Bush Vs. Gore selection by SCOTUS...it all stinks.

"invalidating those Geneva Convention protections, and saying, in fact, that the courts had no business reviewing this question of Geneva Convention status, that it was purely a matter for the Executive Branch."

[shelley806]

4. Kick and nominated...this is so important...thanks so much for the post!

:kick:

[deminks]

17. Additional links

if you need them.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2123055/ from July 19


http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/12146668.htm?source=rss&channel=miamiherald_breaking_news from July 16 (registration)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050720/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_the_choice_2 a description of the original interview with Smirky.

[shelley806]

19. Thanks so much...and kick again!.....n/t

[shelley806]

24. I loved that yahoo article...What a pack of liars!!! Here's a man who

helped get B* elected by SCOTUS, has contributed to B* elections, whose ruling in the case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/docs/common/opinions/200507/04-5393a.pdf> gives the Bush administration unlimited power to try suspected terrorists without due process protections, (showing a worrisome lack of regard for civil liberties) just prior to his nomination by B*...and B* posts the following absurdities (like he didn't already know or could care less):

"Bush asked questions about his professional experience, his family and his upbringing. Bush showed him around the rest of his private quarters in the White House. "He wanted to know about his personal life, about where he came from," White House counselor Dan Bartlett said. After extensive consultation with White House Chief of Staff Andy Card and other advisers over the weekend, Bush decided Monday night that Roberts was his choice."

[FreedomAngel82]

5. This is just another reason

why Bush wants him on the courts. :mad:

[leesa]

6. All traitors, evryone of them.

[ginnyinWI]

10. they're like the Mafia

They punish their enemies and reward their friends. Loyalty is the highest value, honesty the lowest. It's all about who you know and how much power you have. Money talks. Everyone is afraid of them. But eventually, something small trips them up because of their hubris.

[shelley806]

7. kick again...I really hope everyone reads this!

[bunny planet]

8. Just sent this to Keith Olberman.

Perhaps he'll report on this not so ethical 'complication'.

[Cocoa]

9. Roberts needed Bush's expert advice

likewise Scalia never makes a decision without consulting the great legal mind Cheney, who's at his best when duck hunting.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

11. This reminds me of Cheney going duck hunting with Scalia before

Scalia having to decide Cheney's Oil Task Force case. Lovely.................

Fascists.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

12. This reminds me of Cheney going duck hunting with Scalia before

Scalia having to decide Cheney's Oil Task Force case. Lovely.................

Fascists.

[fooj]

13. God, will someone please make these rat bastards go away?

Besides all of the evil, immoral, unethical crap they pull-they are a full-on embarrassment to this country.


Peace.

[fooj]

14. God, will someone please make these rat bastards go away?

Besides all of the evil, immoral, unethical crap they pull-they are a full-on embarrassment to this country.


Peace.

[Tesla]

15. They just think they are invincible

And no matter what they do, they just have to make sure the evangelicals are happy, and they get what they want.
It's a sin to not listen to BUSH!!!

[KitchenWitch]

16. Nothing like a little quid pro quo between friends

:evilfrown:

[DeepModem Mom]

18. kick

[Supersedeas]

20. cronyism is the Bushist ethos

[shelley806]

21. Kick!!

:kick: :kick:

[FourStarDemocrat]

22. Very interesting..... n/t

[donheld]

23. Not real surprising

This seems to be standard operating procedure but this administration.