How far will they go? How extreme can they get? Looks like the sky's the limit for the far-right new crop of GOP governors. But this new "court packing" is absolutely scaring me shitless. I'm sorry I don't really know enough about the subject in general to direct a conversation about it, but I'm sure other Kossacks do and will:
Think Progress is reporting on the Florida Supreme Court packing plan:
http://thinkprogress.org/...
"The measure would add three new justices to the court, all of whom would be named by Republican Gov. Rick Scott. Then it would go one step past Roosevelt by dividing the court in two. The three most senior justices — all, coincidentally, appointed by a Democratic governor — would be consigned to a new criminal division.
This would ensure a conservative-leaning majority on a new civil division, where pivotal cases involving the drawing of new voting districts will land next year. Republicans cite all sorts of reasons for expansion, such as needing to cut the court’s heavy caseload. They ignore the fact that the court’s caseload is now the lowest in a decade."
The USA Today takes us back for just a sentence or two of history, referring to FDR's plan to add justices to the US Supreme Court who would then rule in favor of his New Deal. The public outcry was so great that he had to discard the plan. But now? Public outcry? In Florida? http://usat.ly/...
Word in the past few days that Gov Walker in WI will be trying the Michigan Method: declaring "financial state of disaster," and taking control of any municipality despite its elected officials, nulling all existing contracts, laying off city workers, etc. If court-packing succeeds in FL, look for the other GOP govs to follow suit, and then baby, the sky's the limit. Wheee!