Political Quotes

“I think this is a wonderful debate. It is something that I have waited for years to listen to, because these are very important questions and the Constitution is everybody's business. It is certainly ours. What we are really debating is what does Article III, Section 1, clause 1 mean. The power to court strip, is it there, and if it is there, why is it a mortal sin for Congress to exercise it? I do not know. The Court is not the only repository of wisdom, nor of due process. We could have a seminar some day on the first amendment. Why does the establishment clause dominate jurisprudence concerning the relationship of religion and the State, but not the free exercise, which is ignored, which withers on the vine? What about the 10th amendment, which says all matters not enumerated to the Court are reserved to the people? It is ignored. It has been ignored for generations. So as we raise up the Court as the sole repository of wisdom and justice and fair play, we are not very historical because they are capable of abuses, too. Now, democracy requires checks and balances. We know that. What is the check and balance on the Supreme Court? Unelected, these are people who are well connected and they get confirmed, and they are imperial in their scope, and no check and balance whatsoever. Now, I would rather have a check and balance on the Court, just as I want one on the Congress, and the best check and balance is the people, the people who do the electing.”