I can't quite put my finger on it, but this kind of
tinkering with the judicial system cannot be a good thing for the american people.
David Swanson alerts us to something that frankly scares the hell out of me.
Let me see if I can follow the plot:
Edmonds' First Amendment case, filed in July 2002, was assigned to Judge James Robertson who recently resigned from the FISA Court in protest of warrantless NSA eavesdropping.
Sounds reasonable. Judge Robertson seems like a stand-up guy.
In February 2003, Edmonds' case was removed from Judge Robertson and reassigned to Judge Walton with no explanation provided.
Hmm. Six months with Judge Robertson then whammo. Sorry ma'am, we can't tell you why.
Edmonds filed a motion to request the case to be transferred from Judge Walton, and be assigned to Judge Ellen Huvelle who had been presiding over Edmonds' related FOIA case since July 2002. The court granted Edmonds' request and transferred her case to Judge Huvelle.
Ok, the system works. Not the most direct path, but we're moving in the right direction.
However, two days later, Edmonds' case was removed from Judge Huvelle and reassigned to Judge Walton with no further information or reason provided.
Excuse me, but just what in tarnation is going on here? Who is this guy Sam ..uh Reggie Walton?
Judge Reggie Walton was nominated to his position as a United States District Court of Columbia Judge in October 2001 by President George W. Bush. He served as President George H. W. Bush's Associate Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the Executive Office of the President and as President Bush's Senior White House advisor for Crime.
Oh I see. I think I get it now. He knows Bushes in high places, and I guess maybe they call and ask for favors every so often. So what do you suppose George II wants? Hmm. Let me think. How about: "Hey Reggie, can you make this thing go away?"
On July 6, 2004, Judge Walton granted the government's motion to dismiss based on the assertion of the State Secrets Privilege.
Let's summarize: Bush 1, Edmonds 0.
Back to square one.
In March 2005, Edmonds filed in D.C. Federal Court a separate claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act, and the case was randomly assigned to Judge James Robertson. However, five days later, Edmonds' claim was removed from Judge Robertson and reassigned to Judge Reggie Walton.
In March 2005, Edmonds filed in D.C. Federal Court a separate claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act, and the case was randomly assigned to Judge James Robertson. However, five days later, Edmonds' claim was removed from Judge Robertson and reassigned to Judge Reggie Walton.
Here we go again. Same players different case. You really have to hand it to them: Those extremist Republicans that control our government really are tenacious. And they don't let things like that silly old rule of law get in their way.
The convoluted route the Edmonds' case has taken to Judge Reggie Walton's courtroom appears suspicious and creates the perception that the system has been manipulated.
And this is when the chill starts coursing through me. Of the three branches, the Judiciary is the quietest, the least likely to attract media attention as it sureptitiously does the bidding of the Executive branch.
This chill, it's part anger and part fear. Anger at these thieving, murdering scoundrels who look us in the eye and tell us, "We're gonna do this, and you're not going to stop us" while they empty the contents of our children' piggy banks into their pockets.
Fear for the kind of world, the kind of America in which my kids might grow up.
But enough about fear. These people have been quite effective in instilling us with a palpable sense of fear for the past 5 years. At this point, ANGER, and a cold steely resolve are much more appropriate responses. Perhaps we lefties are so conditioned to control our anger that we simply don't have enough of it yet to fight these guys.
Here's to encouraging the indulgence in righteous anger.