A Christo-theocratic coup: trying to clog the wheels of justice with wingnut butter

Today's LA Times has a very interesting (and rather disturbing) story concerning the plans Fundagelical leaders James Dobson & Tony Perkins appear to be making with Senior Republican Lawmakers (House Religious Dictator Bill Frist and House Morals & Ethics Chairman Tom DeLay). The LA Times has obtained audio tape of the meeting in which Dobson & Perkins met to strategize interference with the Judicial Branch of government by penalizing jurists for rulings with which the Fundagelical movement disagree and using Congress (and the leverage of certain Congressmen?) to unseat specific judges, entire courts and confirm specific judges ostensibly pledged to their cause (otherwise known as "activist judges") on the bench in an effort to change laws and re-write the Constitution without going through the necessary ordeal legally required to re-write the Constitution. Dobson and Perkins have been working very closely with both DeLay and Frist, and public comments (and threats) coming from the Senators sound suspiciously similar to those made by Dobson and Perkins. The taped discussion implies Republican complicity with their plans which appear to include skipping the long and arduous process of trying to impeach judges (who've committed no impeachable offense) in favor of stripping funding of specific courts, disbanding them and recreating courts more to the group's liking. According to a taped statement by Perkins, he'd attended a meeting with "Congressional Leaders" in which they delineated such plans:

"What they're thinking of is not only the fact of just making these courts go away and re-creating them the next day but also defunding them"

There is a reason our government is set up with 3 independent branches with the ability to ensure appropriate checks and balances are maintained. The US constitution outlines the branches, what falls under their domains and applicable checks and balances. In order to make such a drastic change in government (one that holds the Judicial branch fully accountable to the Executive and/or Legislative branches of the government), the Constitution would have to be amended. Collusion with a branch (or members of a branch) of government to gain control of another branch that involves interference with tax monies meant to fund the courts would seem to be a crime against justice as well as the government as it is subversion of the system. The actions/statements documented in the LA Times article imply some of the elements of treason (as well as complicity of certain members of Congress) and crimes related to treason including:

1. Breach of allegiance - these are citizens plotting to control (or overthrow) one arm of the government which is indicative of a lack of allegiance to the government
2. Overt act of betrayalw/intent to betray - the tapes would represent evidence of their plans to overtake the judicial branch (this would apply even more to the Congressmen involved as they have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution)
   
3. Mutiny - plotting to unlawfully take over command of a part of the U.S. government
4. Sedition - communication intended to stir up treason or rebellion against the government
5. Subversion - systematic attempt to overthrow or undermine a government or political system by persons working from within and/or the crime of committing acts in furtherance of such an attempt

The only thing more frightening than how far off the ledge the Fundagelicals have gone is the fact they've taken some pretty powerful politicians with them.


Tags: politics; conservative;judiciary

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