What does the amount of political contributions to GOP politicians, or past support of socialists or communists, have to do with being a judge?
It shows if they are more into the Alex Kozinski or Maura Corrigan mold - or the Stephen Reinhardt and Ruth Bader Ginsburg mold.
It is not naive, as GOP state Chairman Saul Anuzis suggested in Thursday's story, to demand a judicial system that is independent of partisan influence. In fact, it is a cornerstone of our system of democracy, and the questionnaire was corrosive to that.
And before you condemn this column as the rantings of a liberal, ask yourself how many Republicans would agree with me. It's not liberal to want an independent judiciary — it's American.
I'm not going to condemn this column as a ranting of a liberal, but here's the problem - There is no independent judiciary. There never was, and never will be. Judges aren't robots. They don't remove their politicial affiliations and opinions on issues when they enter a courtroom. Theresa Brennan is the same person as judge as she was when she was just an attorney. As a strict constitutionalist in philosophy, the judiciary is increasingly a partisan issue as well as democrats are more apt to support judicial activism, and republicans are more apt to support strict constitutionalism and original intent. The question we all need to ask is this. Do we want our own Stephen Reinhardt in Livingston County? Do we want to set her on Circut where she would be the first to hear a gun case, abortion case, felony case, major tort case, etc. She ran for circuit once already.
My own goal - as a blogger, a conservative, and 2nd amendment activist is to let the voters know the stances of judicial candidates so they will make an informed choice this August and November. I believe that when the voters find out where Theresa Brennan stands in her philosophy and how dangerous it is, that Livingston County will send her back to being Brighton City Attorney. Today's district court is tomorrow's Appeals Judge.
10 comments:
That's what I meant by the Stephen Reinhardt reference.
Excellent, well-thought out and written argument, RKG, but that’s not what the way dan and the others on this blog debate. It’s disgraceful that dan had the nerve to make a personal attack and charge that Judge Brennan “bought” her judgeship by her campaign contributions, but in the same breath their disgraceful questionnaire asks how much money the candidate contributed to the county’s republican candidates. They are basing their endorsement on how much money the candidate gives to other republicans.
That tells you every thing you need to know about how low the republican party has sunk.
Why waste other people’s time with that biased question hare when you can go to the Secretary of State’s office to see how much money they gave and just make your endorsement, because everyone knows drick already has it.
Mark T., as usual your thoughts cut through the bull and get to the point.
I can see that "communications guru" (gag), like all good liberals, refused to answer any of your excellent questions, instead choosing to make a nasty attack. How typical.
Well, “pogo” – this is the answer to dan’s banning of anonymous posts because someone points out the double standard of Mr. Drick’s personal views – my post was an answer to excellent post by RKG, that no one has disputed. Also, pogo, how is it an attack when what I said was true? Tell what’s no true?
To Mark Twain – very original – She has been on the bench long enough to earn the respect and endorsement of the current Livingston County Prosecutor and a former Prosecutor, Tom Kizer, both republican elected officials.
I contend in her court Judge Brennan is not biased, and her values are the ones picked up from being born in Livingston County, being educated here and working here her entire life. How does that make me a hypocrite? Also, how does giving the most money to republican candidates qualify someone to be a judge?
What you want, Samuel, is for the republicans to control everything in this county, even if it’s not a political office, like school board and the judiciary. Are you that power hungry? Apparently the Constitution means nothing to you because the idea of an independent judiciary is foreign to you.
All unions endorse candidates. In fact, one of the endorsements Mr. Drick is crowing about is from a union. The Michigan Association of Police is a labor union. Does that, by your warped reasoning, mean drick’s a liberal? We can only hope.
The governor appoints the best people, and what is wrong with appointing someone who is more than quaffed, and supported you in the past? Also, as I pointed out before in a previous post here, the governor recently appointed Randy Richardville to an important post, and the former House Majority Floor Leader is now running for a Senate seat in Monroe, a targeted race, he’s a republican if you have not guessed.
The post did not attack drick’s family, it pointed out the hypocrisy and double standard of drick’s position, and who says it’s a “bald faced lie?” There is no proof it is not true. If you had rumors about Judge Brennan you would have posted them by now, based on the other lies and misinformation you have already posted about her. Post what ever you like.
You may not have voted for David Morse, dan, but the majority of voters in Livingston County have time after time. He has been the prosecutor for 17 years, so I think his opinion carries some weight. You can try to dismiss Tom Kizer’s endorsement with that lame excuse, but how about the endorsement of Judge Dan Buress and Judge John Pikkarainen? Do they have to appear in her court?
Your guy can’t match up with Judge Brennan’s qualifications, experience or ability, so you have to roll out this “activitist judge” bs. Pathetic, dan.
Communications Guru AKA Kevins.
1. Jay has spent more time as an attorney than Brennan has.
2. Jay has been in court more often than Brennan has.
3. Jay has practiced law more than Brennan has.
4. Jay has a better temperment than Brennan has.
5. "No proof it isn't true." There's no proof it IS true. I thought you reporters were supposed to report facts, not heresay. When did you stop snorting cocaine kevins?? There's no proof that you didn't snort coke.
6. I did not post any lies about Ms. Brennan. Everything I've said is backed up in public record. Political donations are public. Her stances on issues are well known and public.
7. Burress is a democrat. Democrats endorsing democrats. As for Pikk, alright I'll give you one endorsement I won't dismiss.
Really should everyone be a Republican? Is it good for one party to control Livingston County?
Bluzie - "Really should everyone be a Republican? Is it good for one party to control Livingston County?""
Replace Republican with conservative, and I'd say yes.
I've known about that for a long time and gave Jay an earful about that when it I saw it. Jay paid for it later when he got burned appointment time. I call it "lawyer tricks." Other judicial candiates often do the same thing to try and get an appointment. I don't like it, but it's part of judicial politics, and has been for years.
One bad donations for that reason I can overlook. All the rest of his were good (DeVos, Zandstra, Chris Ward, Joe Hune, Valde Garcia County GOP)
I'm not going to defend it, but Jay learned from it the hard way.
If RKG, you are referring to the Fowlerville Rotary event, Jay (a 30 yr Rotary Member) had no choice but to miss it.
He was in Appeals Court.
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