You may have caught the news last week that EVEN SUPREME COURT JUSTICE SAM ALITO turned down the Pennsylvania GOP's Hail Mary pass to block the new redistricting map.
You probably missed this followup the next day.
A dozen GOP Pennsylvania lawmakers filed legislation on Tuesday to impeach four Democratic state Supreme Court justices who ruled the state’s congressional map was unconstitutionally gerrymandered and replaced it with a new one.
The Republicans moved to impeach Justices David Wecht, Christine Donahue, Kevin Dougherty and Debra McCloskey Todd, all Democrats who found the state’s congressional map was designed to favor Republicans and must be replaced before the May primary. Justice Max Baer (D), who also voted to strike down the map, but said it could remain in place until 2020, wasn’t mentioned in the impeachment resolutions.
And here's the thing. While I'd love to write this off as the cheapest of political tricks, the legislation may have a shot. I can't believe they got even 12 supporters -- but they did. They're desperate to maintain control, so who knows?
Gov. Tom Wolf (D) released a statement:
“This is an unprecedented and undemocratic attempt to retaliate against the judicial branch. The legislature should be helping people, not settling personal grudges. This is nonsense and a waste of precious time and resources.”
I am sure you will be surprised that PA Congressional Republicans don't have a problem with the legislation. Rep. Ryan Costello called the new redistricting map “judicial activism” worthy of impeachment. The craven Sen. Pat Toomey (my personal favorite) said impeachment was a “conversation that needs to happen.”
Republicans controlled the redistricting process in 2011 and of course were more than happy to have a congressional map that permitted them to win 13 out of the 18 seats -- even though they only won about 50 percent of the vote.
And this is my biggest beef about these so-called conservatives. They will literally do anything, no matter how unethical or undemocratic, to win. They will lie, cheat, and steal. This is why I get so angry with voters who tell me they split their tickets "so there's one side to keep an eye on the other."
They must not be paying attention.
