Tom DeLay and the Death of American Justice
It absolutely melts my brain what this Administration and its supporters are doing to this country and expecting us to continue to think it is America.
Tom DeLay has succeeded in having the judge in his money laundering and conspiracy case removed because of that judge's being a Democrat and having contributed money to the Democratic Party and to MoveOn.org.
Evidence offered by Mr. DeLay's lawyers from federal and state election records listed about 30 contributions of $25 to $1,000 by Judge Perkins to the Democratic National Committee, the Travis County Democratic Party and MoveOn.org, which received $200 on Sept. 11, 2004. (A total amount of contributions of around $5,000 since 2001. A far cry from what DeLay has been able to raise for the causes those organinzations oppose and hardly evidence of a political zealot. $5,225 in political contributions since Bush took office cancels out a 30 year history on the bench?)
If Tom DeLay can successfully argue that a judge's political party and contributions make him unfit to hear a case involving a defendant of an opposing political party...what hope to Democrats have of justice if the Supreme Court is filled with Republicans? And what kind of chilling effect is it going to have on the freedom of speech (which Republicans claim political contributions are) if a $200 gift to a group the party in power doesn't like can be used to keep you from doing your job?
Not satisfied with forcing the judge in his case to be recused due to party affiliation and campaign contributions, DeLay is now working to move his trial out of Austin solely on the grounds that the district is predominantly democrat in its demographic.
Does Mr. Delay mean to say that it is a compelling argument that no Democrat can be fairly judged by a Republican judge? If I am a poor person, a welfare recipient, a drug abuser (like Rush Limbaugh), an unwed mother, a homosexual, someone who opposed the war in Iraq, someone who is a member of MoveOn.org or the ACLU, someone who wrote an op ed piece criticizing the President...or a registered Democrat...does that mean I could not possibly get a fair trial if the judge were Republican?
Do we need to make all judges forswear membership in any political party and make any campaign contribution of any size something that would force them from the bench because it indicates they are unable to be impartial and weigh their decision on the merits of the evidence and the arguments of the lawyers?
This is absolutely outrageous, and an insult and affront to the very foundations of the American Judiciary.
And obviously very revealing of both the probablilty of guilt and underlying arrogant philosophy of DeLay in this matter.
If he were innocent of the charges and the case had no merit, he wouldn't be convicted regardless of the bias of the judge. In fact, to be found innocent by a judge who had contributed to MoveOn.org would be the best vindication possible. Instead, this lying crook and former exterminator opts for doing his best to find a favorable judge in a Republican district. Doesn't there exist even more potential for bias if the trial is held in a Republican district under a Republican judge when the whole trial is about illegal use of money to put Republicans in power?
My brain...my heart...they are breaking.
I'll have to hope that in spite of the growing evidence of corruption in Republican politics that there are a few reasonable and just Republican judges in Texas and that DeLay will appear before one. And be convicted as a result.
There really are two Americas...and the Republicans won't rest until there is only one...Theirs.
Sources:
Tom DeLay has succeeded in having the judge in his money laundering and conspiracy case removed because of that judge's being a Democrat and having contributed money to the Democratic Party and to MoveOn.org.
Evidence offered by Mr. DeLay's lawyers from federal and state election records listed about 30 contributions of $25 to $1,000 by Judge Perkins to the Democratic National Committee, the Travis County Democratic Party and MoveOn.org, which received $200 on Sept. 11, 2004. (A total amount of contributions of around $5,000 since 2001. A far cry from what DeLay has been able to raise for the causes those organinzations oppose and hardly evidence of a political zealot. $5,225 in political contributions since Bush took office cancels out a 30 year history on the bench?)
If Tom DeLay can successfully argue that a judge's political party and contributions make him unfit to hear a case involving a defendant of an opposing political party...what hope to Democrats have of justice if the Supreme Court is filled with Republicans? And what kind of chilling effect is it going to have on the freedom of speech (which Republicans claim political contributions are) if a $200 gift to a group the party in power doesn't like can be used to keep you from doing your job?
Not satisfied with forcing the judge in his case to be recused due to party affiliation and campaign contributions, DeLay is now working to move his trial out of Austin solely on the grounds that the district is predominantly democrat in its demographic.
Does Mr. Delay mean to say that it is a compelling argument that no Democrat can be fairly judged by a Republican judge? If I am a poor person, a welfare recipient, a drug abuser (like Rush Limbaugh), an unwed mother, a homosexual, someone who opposed the war in Iraq, someone who is a member of MoveOn.org or the ACLU, someone who wrote an op ed piece criticizing the President...or a registered Democrat...does that mean I could not possibly get a fair trial if the judge were Republican?
Do we need to make all judges forswear membership in any political party and make any campaign contribution of any size something that would force them from the bench because it indicates they are unable to be impartial and weigh their decision on the merits of the evidence and the arguments of the lawyers?
This is absolutely outrageous, and an insult and affront to the very foundations of the American Judiciary.
And obviously very revealing of both the probablilty of guilt and underlying arrogant philosophy of DeLay in this matter.
If he were innocent of the charges and the case had no merit, he wouldn't be convicted regardless of the bias of the judge. In fact, to be found innocent by a judge who had contributed to MoveOn.org would be the best vindication possible. Instead, this lying crook and former exterminator opts for doing his best to find a favorable judge in a Republican district. Doesn't there exist even more potential for bias if the trial is held in a Republican district under a Republican judge when the whole trial is about illegal use of money to put Republicans in power?
My brain...my heart...they are breaking.
I'll have to hope that in spite of the growing evidence of corruption in Republican politics that there are a few reasonable and just Republican judges in Texas and that DeLay will appear before one. And be convicted as a result.
There really are two Americas...and the Republicans won't rest until there is only one...Theirs.
Sources:
- Judge in DeLay Case Is Ordered to Recuse Himself
- MoveOn Leader's Statement on Tom DeLay's Corruption Case
- ABC and NBC Ignore DeLay Ruling During Their Evening News Broadcasts
- DeLay Reports Record Funds for Defense
- Electoral Funding Scandals Expose Cracks in Still-broken System
- Tom DeLay's House of Shame: Congress has always had its share of extremists. But the DeLay era is the first time the fringe has ever been in charge.
- Tom DeLay sends letter to constituents
posted by Archie Levine at 8:15 AM
1 Comments:
So....how come all DeLay has to do to get a change of venue is claim partisan bias but Saddam can't get a change of venue even though people are shooting his lawyers.
The Republicans continue to model the best in Democracy...but God help anyone else who thinks they deserve it too.
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