Unclear on the concept: Court v. the rest of the government

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that NJ Governor Christie is threatening to ignore the NJ Supreme Court if they try to force him to spend a billion dollars that the State doesn't ahve on public education. I truly hope that Christie isn't bluffing. However, what I'm most intersted in is a quote the had from an academic twit named Paul Tractenberg.

In our system, one branch doesn't say to another: 'Sorry, you have acted in your authority, but I don't like your actions, so I don't have to follow it'

Hey professor? No shit, Which is why the NJ Supreme Court has absolutely no business telling Gov. Christie how much taxes should be, what taxes should or shouldn't be passed, or how much the government should be spending. Those decisions are within Christie and the Legislature's authority, not the Court's.

And if the Court choses to exceed their authority, and attempts to usurp his, he should slap them down. It's long past time for leftists to be told that the Courts are not a super-legislature where they can go when democracy won't give them what they want.

What Kloppenburg should do, but probably wont

I'm very happy that Prosser beat Kloppenburg. If she weren't such a scum-bag (BS child-molestation attack ad, leftist results-oriented individual who ran for the Court in the hopes that she could abuse the position to force her personal beliefs on everyone else), I'd feel sorry for her.

But I don't, and won't.

However, I do think she should file for a recount, in, and only in, Waukesha County. Were I her, I would say something like the following:

We had a close election, but 7,300 votes is not going to be changed by a recount. However, the very late reporting of votes from Waukesha County has put this election under a cloud. It is to the benefit of everyone in Wisconsin for that could to be removed. So I am filing for a full hand recount, starting in Waukesha County. If it turns out that the current Waukesha County results are correct, then I will congratulate Judge Prosser on his victory, and withdraw the rest of my recount request. But if some or all of that 7,500 vote swing disappears in the recount, I will push for the rest of the state to be recounted, too.

Recounting a single, relatively small, county won't be that expensive for the state. Establishing that the 14,000 votes that put Prosser over the top are real, valid, votes, OTOH, would do wonders for the political process.

Since Kloppenburg is on the side of those who want to burn it down, there's no chance that she'll do this.

But she should.

Themes at the Tea Party

There were several themes expressed by the protestors (the pictures are here)

1. Piracy was a popular hook.  But the pirates we have to worry about are in DC, not Somalia.
2. Robbing the future / robbing our children.  My favorite was I'm 12 years old and owe How Much?
3. A play on Patrick Henry: Give Me Liberty, Not Debt
4. Hostility to those getting the "stimulus" money: Free Markets not Free Loaders, Don't Spread my Wealth, Spread my Work Ethic, You Are Not Entitled To what I have Earned
5. Capitalism over Socalism
6. The Love for Sarah Palin Continues, with many Read My Lipstick signs
7. TEA: Taxed Enough Already
8. Support for freedom: Don't Stimulate, Liberate
9. Lots of plays on "Change"
10. There were reminders to Republicans that their big spending was bad, too.
11. Lots of "Don't Tread On Me", and a fair number of references to the Second Amendment.
12. Next Time Read the Bill
13. There were plenty of parents there: I am NOT Your ATM.  At least my Teenager ASKS for Money.
14. Business v. Government: Stimulate Small Business, NOT the Government
15. Plays on Tea: Government and Taxes: Oolong and Oomuch
16. A Special Crowd Pleaser: The Taxes of Evil: Obama, Pelosi, and Reid

The 04/15/09 Tea Party Protest

I went to the San Jose, Ca Tea Party protest in Ceasar Chavez Park.  There were a lot of really clever signs there.  I'll be posting the pictures on my Flikr account later (I've got 405 photos to look through and decide which are worth posting).

The Photos are now part way up.