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'Justice Sunday' Hypocrisy Revealed

By Jeralyn, Section Judiciary
Posted on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 11:20:09 AM EST
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When it suited its own purposes, the Family Research Council had no trouble urging use of the filibuster. People for the American Way (PFAW) reports (received by e-mail):

The Family Research Council is demanding that Senate Republicans override Senate rules in order to ban filibusters against judicial nominees – and has made false and inflammatory charges that the filibuster is being used to keep people of faith – and specifically Christians – off the courts. But several years ago, a senior Family Research Council official defended a Senate filibuster against gay ambassadorial nominee James Hormel, who was viciously attacked by radical right groups.

PFAW writes that in 1998, then-Senior FRC Writer and Analyst Steven Schwalm, appearedg on NPR’s Talk of the Nation and had this to say about the filibuster against James Hormel, President’s Clinton’s ambassadorial nominee:

...the Senate is a -- is not a majoritarian institution like the House of Representatives is. It is a deliberative body and it's got a number of checks and balances built into our government. This is one of those checks, in which a majority cannot just sheerly force its will, even if they have a majority of votes in some cases, that's why there are things like filibusters and other things that give minorities in the Senate some power to slow things up, to hold things up, and let things be aired properly.

People for the American Way will air a new ad tomorrow, opposing Justice Sunday. You can view it here.

It is imperative that we protect the independence and integrity of our courts. Don't allow them to be hijacked by the radical right. Protect the filibuster and our system of checks and balances.

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    'Justice Sunday' Hypocrisy Revealed | 14 comments (14 topical)
    Re: 'Justice Sunday' Hypocrisy Revealed (none / 0) (#1)
    by TomK on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 12:11:10 PM EST
    Hypocrites in the religious right? Who'd of thunk it. For all their talk of the evils of relativism, there is a certain type of relativism on which the religious right thrives. See, whether or not one is a good or bad person is relative to these religious loonies. Since being 'good' in an absolute sense would involve doing lots of good things and loving even those who harm them, no matter what they do, this is unacceptable to the religious right. So, by demonizing a lot of people, like single moms, drug users, etc, these people can feel like they are good because, relative to the people the preacher preaches against, they are better then those people. It's sickening. And no one cares. No one will ever care.

    Re: 'Justice Sunday' Hypocrisy Revealed (none / 0) (#2)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 12:44:05 PM EST
    They call it "Christian Law"

    Re: 'Justice Sunday' Hypocrisy Revealed (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 12:49:05 PM EST
    These people are claiming they are being attacked by the "war on faith." They are being "robbed of their Christian heritage." They despise man made laws and the whole system of checks and balances, seeing it as an affront against God. It is no coincidence the old "lynching belt" is now the "Bible Belt." Justice Sunday is being hosted by Louisville Kentucky.

    Re: 'Justice Sunday' Hypocrisy Revealed (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 01:38:53 PM EST
    Do I need to dredge up the anti-filibuster speeches of Byrd, Kennedy (et. al.) from the 90's, or can you Google all by yourself? How hard is it for TL to realize that - left or right - it's mostly a matter of who's ox is being gored at a particular point in time?

    Re: 'Justice Sunday' Hypocrisy Revealed (