Home > Rigging The Game
by Wayne Besen
In sixth grade, I used to play pick-up basketball against a neighborhood bully and spoil sport nicknamed Major Pick. He was called Major Pick because he barked orders like a soldier and constantly picked his butt. His team would always win because the overpowering brute would either break the rules or change them.
For example, in our game, the team that first reached 15 points always won. Unless, of course, the Major Pick’s team came up short, prompting him to spontaneously change the magic number to 20 points. He would continue this charade until his team was eventually "victorious" or it got so late that angry mothers would drag their sons home to do homework.
I haven’t thought of Major Pick in almost two decades, but he naturally came to mind after watching recent conservative attempts to undermine America’s independent judiciary. Like Major Pick, these right wing bullies are sore losers who use thuggery, intimidation and capricious rule changes to ensure an outcome to their liking. Unfortunately, the game they are trying to rig is the American system of justice, and if these bullies get their way, America will cease to be a free nation.
At first, it seemed reactions by right wing reactionaries to the Terri Schiavo case had at least a modicum of sincerity. But it has become clear that Schiavo was just a pawn in a larger, more diabolical scheme to fundamentally emasculate the judiciary and mold them into "yes men" for an out of control Congress.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, personified this shameless effort, by suggesting that the decisions of judges that don’t rule in favor of his pet issues could lead some people to "engage in violence." House Majority Leader Tom DeLay threatened retribution for judges in the Schiavo case by saying "the time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior."
One has to look no further than a nutty conference hosted last week by the Judeo-Christian Council for Restoration to see that the attempt to weaken and subjugate the judiciary is a coordinated effort. This meeting was a bizarre orgy of judge bashing with seminars with titles such as "Remedies to Judicial Tyranny."
What were the remedies?
Special guest speaker Edwin Vieira, author of "How to Dethrone the Imperial Judiciary", said that Joseph Stalin had the right idea. "He had a slogan. And it worked very well for him, whenever he ran into difficulty: ’no man, no problem.’"
According to the Washington Post, his musing was taken from the full Stalin quote, "Death solves all problems: no man, no problem."
At the conference, right wing matriarch Phyllis Schlafly said Congress should pass bills that would remove the court’s jurisdiction to review same-sex marriage, cases involving religious displays, The Pledge of Allegiance and the Boy Scouts.
Schlafly and others of her ilk can’t stand that their theocratic agenda is unconstitutional, so they increasingly see their only options as dismantling the Constitution or dismembering those who uphold it.
We’ve come to expect such extreme behavior from right wing agitators. However, it is reckless for "leaders" like DeLay and Cornyn to seemingly encourage retribution against the judiciary at a time when judges are seeking $12 million to protect them from violent attacks.
Fortunately, the arrogance and corruption of DeLay is finally coming to light. Even his trip to Rome to attend the Pope’s funeral couldn’t bury the news about his mounting ethics problems. For years, DeLay has boasted that his fundamentalist "worldview" guides his record in Congress. What he didn’t say, was that his worldview included trips to Britain, Moscow, and the Pacific Mariana Islands, paid for by slippery lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
At least DeLay is sincere about upholding family values. In fact, The New York Times reported he is such a good family man that he funneled $500,000 to his wife and daughter for supposed consulting fees.
How has the GOP reacted to Mr. DeLay’s scumbaggery? They gutted the ethics committee to make it nearly impossible to hold DeLay accountable. And so-called family groups, such as the Family Research Council, are circling the wagons vowing to protect DeLay, while not stopping to even consider that he might be guilty. Good thing FRC is protecting our nation’s morals or we’d really be in trouble.
Giving new meaning to the term delaying tactic, the Congressman’s only defense is accusing his accusers of being liberal partisans. Even if this were true, which it is not considering many of his critics are Republicans, how does this absolve DeLay from his despicable behavior?
Instead of the majority political party, the GOP is fast becoming the Major Pick party. But in their quest to rig the game, polls show that Bush and Congress are beginning to lose in the court of public opinion.
Forum posts
14 April 2005, 01:26
Bush intends to use his second term to accomplish his wish to be a dictator. If they control all branchs of government, and the judiciary as will he will have gotten his way and in 3 more years Jeb will take the reins.
I thought it was interesting that all of these scumbags that "represent" us were looking down at their shoes and schuffling their feet when it came out that DeLay has been paying his wife and daughter all that loot as campaign consultants, etc., What’s a few hundred thousand from the taxpayers for "staff" for each of our esteemed scumbags, after all most people in the U.S. make less than 30thousand per year and when you take 60% out for taxes, he/she can still affort to live, but these "consultants" need hundreds of thousands for a few hours work per week during the campaign season, it must be very hard.
14 April 2005, 02:17
Dude, you say, "...if these bullies get their way, America will cease to be a free nation."
And what is it that makes you think they haven’t gotten it their way? Those in power have already eliminated or effectively nullified any threats to their complete dominance of practically all salient aspects of life in this country, including what is said, who hears it and what anybody can do about it.
I don’t believe America is a free nation and I know I am not alone. We face real danger from within. Those in denial, such as you, need to seriously examine our current cultural and political malaise and suggest remedies rather than merely editorializing.
14 April 2005, 02:58
You are right. America is NOT a free nation... that is just a guise! The elections have been rigged, the media is the Administrations Propaganda machine, and the Political Parties know that since they have control of the votes, their man will ALWAYS win!!
You can’t even say that Senators and Rep’s have to be accountable for the votes they cast... they don’t have to answer to their constituents.... the elections are rigged, they will be re-elected regardless. If the Parties want them. I say the Parties because the Repubs and Dems are all in this together. Every 4 years they "stage" a supposed presidential campaign to make us believe we have a Democracy.
Unfortunately, Fascism is blooming in the U.S., thanks to W. and Dick, and the whole gang of them who were all bullies as kids, +/ thekidsthat were picked on and went home crying to Mama.
15 April 2005, 02:58
Look at the picture of that disgusting piece of shit. He is paying his family (along with the other disgusting pieces of shit) thousands of taxpayer dollars for "helping" him. While the average American citizen makes less than $30,000 per year, these blood suckers steal our money without shame. They can look right into the camra and tell you blatant lies then go back and make our a check for a few hundred thousand dollars for their "helpers". This is our money folks, you wonder why social security and any other programs that are supposed to help the taxpayers can never be so easily paid, its because the blood suckers are in charge of the till.
15 April 2005, 05:56
These guys have to have their way or else they have a hissy fit. When necessary, these spoiled brats band together to change laws to accommodate their illegal agenda/antics. If an impartial judge does not go along with them, then impeach the insurgent! How dare he disagree!
IS THERE ANY DOUBT THAT THIS CLAN OF OUTLAWS WOULD HAVE NO ETHICAL PROBLEM IN TAMPERING WITH AN ELECTION? These guys are a bunch of selfish, greedy, corrupt crooks that have learned two times now they can impose their will on the American people by making threats, false accusations and name-calling. Meanwhile, the helpless, self-deprecating Democrats just stood by and watched in disbelief and impotence.
Bush has NEVER been elected to the presidency. Yet he and his fanatical, loud mouthed, bully, and predominantly gay supporters have forced their way into leadership---with barely any protest or outrage from the PUBLIC or the DEMOCRATIC PARTY. The Bush admin allowed 9/11 to happen (or set it up) to trick us into war. Almost everything has gone according to their plans with barely a hitch. As soon as they don’t have total control over a situation (e.g., Schiavo or SS privatization), they cry it is the Democrats’ fault, it is the Liberal media, it is the gay-loving AARP’s fault, let’s go get the Swift Boat propagandists to make up some more lies, let’s trash Hillary Clinton’s credibility like we did with her health care plan (she threatens to make voting fair and visible). Funny thing is these jerks must actually have fooled themselves into thinking their tactics helped them win the last election. However, in truth, they have to know they DID NOT TRULY WIN.
UNTIL THE DEMOCRATS CAN ADMIT THAT THIS ELECTION WAS STOLEN (and there was much more to the fraud than mere ‘irregularities’ and ‘intimidation’), THESE UNRULY CROOKS WILL CONTINUE TO THINK THEY HOLD ALL THE CARDS AND NO ONE CAN STOP THEM. There is so much evidence to support a stolen election, both statistically and otherwise, yet the Democrats totally steer away from discussing the topic. Another stolen election undoubtedly has worldwide implications (illegal war and deaths, sham democracy at home may mean sham intent in spreading democracy throughout the world); however, if the Democrats don’t confront the issue, they will be allowing a bunch of lawless, delusional thugs to continue to think they have no barriers to dominating the world.
So when Condi Rice says the Senate should go along with the John Bolton nomination cause Bush selected him and ‘Bush is the only president we have’, the Senate should take note that this president was never elected and thus he in no way deserves to have whatever he wishes just because.