Stop With the Judges and Stop Lying

I am going to be very blunt here. The church is not the place to decide judicial appointments. I don’t care if you are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Atheist, Blue, White, Yellow, Black, Brown or Green. The church, no matter the denomination, is not the place where the consideration of presidential appointees should be debated. Judges are not elected positions. The religious right did not elect, and does not elect, judges. Judges are political appointments and not the matter of the church. So leave it to the Senate, where by Constitutional law, the debate and/or confirmation should take place.

This is not a matter for the church to decide. This is not a matter for James Dobson to decide. This is not a matter for Jerry Falwell to decide. This is not a matter for Pat Robertson to decide. Leave it alone and leave the church out of it. Debating political nominees at the alter is not the peoples business.

Once again, the neocons have gone to their base, the radical Christian right, in order to get their way. They had to do it to get Bush reelected, and now they think they have to in order to get their appointments confirmed. But unlike an election, during Senate confirmation hearings, these people have no vote. They can show in masses to vote during elections, but for something that is strictly up to the Senate, they have no say.

So why all this trouble by Frist and the neocons? It’s simple really. The neocons want to put pressure on those who do not want to cave-in to their demands. And the neocons are more than happy to once again exploit their base for their own political gain.

Voting against a certain political appointment does not make a Senator “against people of faith,” liberal or anything remotely anti-God. This garbage has to stop.

What amazes me most, though, is when all these religious leaders show up on talk shows and other political newsmagazines and talk about faith, God, politics and judicial appointments and can’t seem to tell the truth when they give out their facts. I could have sworn that lying was a sin. I suppose only if you’re not a neocon.

Numerous times, Dobson, Robertson and others have intentionally misled the public and their zealots about Clinton confirmations. They know they are lying when they do it, they don’t care. Who would question a man of God? I’m really holding back some not so nice words here.

Facts:

The Democrats have only held up 10 out of over 200 judges. That’s less than 5%.

During Clinton’s two terms, the Republicans would not even hold a vote on 40 Court of Appeals judges. That is only Court of Appeals, nothing else. That means the Republicans blocked 4 times as many nominees in just the Court of Appeals alone than all of the appointees combined (including all courts) for Bush.

16 of President Clinton’s second-term Court of Appeals nominees were denied a vote, most were denied a committee hearing.

None of Bush’s second-term nominees have been denied anything yet, and all have been given a committee hearing.

Those are some facts. Use them correctly, though I doubt many will.