“Whether you agree with the decision or disagree with the decision, it’s wrong for the judiciary to overstep its role.” —Former New York Gov. George Pataki on Iowa’s Supreme Court deciding the fate of gay marriage. He prefers the New York legislative way: “That’s the way to make policy determinations. You want to have the elected representatives of the people vote when you make policy decisions.” It’s just a preview of a speech Pataki will deliver tomorrow at Drake University, which will likely include these criticisms of the Obama administration. [AP]
ChristopherM
Madison authored the Bill of Rights in response to those who thought the Constitution did not protect basic liberties of the individual against the tyranny of the majority. The courts are charged with interpreting and upholding that concept. Why the fuck people like Pataki and any other idiot going on about judicial tyranny doesn’t get that is beyond me. Perhaps they just aren’t good Americans.
anon
Amen #1. Perhaps he also forgot civil rights for Blacks & other minorities; the anti-miscegenation laws and suffrage for women were all decided by the courts. Not by a vote of “the people.”
Dabq
Funny how when its not what they want, its wrong, had Iowa went the opposite way, he would have been for it. These GOP chumps are too much with the double standard.
Pragmatist
What I want to know is, did he actually (or his lackeys) actually bone up on the Iowa Constitution before preparing these remarks? Because it’s one thing to have an opinion about the propriety of judicial decisions under the U.S. Constitution. It’s quite another to question a state constitutional decision — the analysis just doesn’t transfer in many cases.
anon
#3 DABQ – amazing the public doesn’t catch on about how duplicitous the Repugs are isn’t it? I was listening to my bi-weekly 10 minutes of right wing radio (that is all I can stand) and two or three women callers in a row were responding to something in the media or the Obama administration and said “will the Bush bashing never end?”
I wanted to puke. Let’s see – even if you LIKED GWB, you have to admit he shredded the Constituion with power grabs, waterboarding IS torture, etc.
#4 Pragmatist – it may be as simple as Pataki wanting to continue to see his name in the news. When(and if) he finally figures out Gaybashing doesn’t work, he’ll stop.
timncguy
Why doesn’t Pataki grasp the concept that it IS the role of the judges to make determinations about the constitutionality of laws passed by the legislature?
Furthermore, if Pataki has actually read the decision of the court he would see how clear, fact based and logical it was. There was no other rational conclusion the court could have come to.
rick
when are those gay people going to realize that they can’t use the courts, legislative acts or the ballot box?
that seems to be what the right wing yammers over and over. no matter how gays win they are wroing to be winning at all.
TANK
This coming from a guy who headed up one of the most corrupt governships in contemporary new york state history? Oy…and we can drop contemporary with respect to its comparison to the rest of the country.