Wingnut Judge Running For PA Supreme Court Promises to Fix Redistricting Case for GOP.
By Susie Madrak Monday Oct 19, 2009 4:00pm
From blogger Gort42, on the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court race:
The Democratic nominee for the one open seat is Jack Panella from Northampton County who presently serves on the Superior Court and was on the Court of Judicial Discipline that dropped the ball over the allegations about Luzerne County criminals Conahan and Ciavarella . They were busy with the Lokuta witchhunt orchestrated by Conahan.
(One of Gort's commenters notes: Actually, Gort, the Pa. Court of Judicial Discipline referred allegations to the US Att'y for the Middle District of Pa. Had they opened an investigation, they would be impeding his criminal matter, which should take priority. The US Att'y has publicly stated the Pa Court of Judicial Discipline did the right thing. The only person who has been trying to suggest anything different is Joan Orie Melvin.)
His opponent is Joan Orie Melvin from Pittsburgh who also serves on the Superior Court. Her website tells us that she has been a lifelong Republican. Her faith is the cornerstone of her life. She comes from a family of nine children raised with the principles of God and Country. Her sister is State Senator Jane Orie who helped her get the endorsement of the Pennsylvania Teamsters that didn't turn out so well. The Pennsylvania Progressive has the details.
Melvin was in town last month and said of the Juvie Brothers scandal "This is surreal. It is right out of a Charles Dickens novel."
.In her previous visit to Wilkes-Barre in May she gave a long rambling speech to the local GOP faithful. In that speech she listed as one of her selling points was the upcoming redistricting after the 2010 Census telling the partisan crowd that they needed a Republican on the court to rule in favor of Republicans in any challenges to whatever plan emerges.
So much for Judges being above politics.
Since she essentially offered to fix a case in exchange for her election, this is a clear violation of the PA Code of Judicial Conduct - yes, even for Pennsylvania, hardly a hotbed of judicial honor. Guess I'll be making a phone call today to file a complaint!
Now Capitol Ideas points out that the state GOP is running a banner ad on GrassrootsPA on her behalf.
"Tired of Barack Obama, Ed Rendell, Arlen Specter and big government Democrats ruining our nation?" the advertisement asks in yellow block capitals set against a bright-red background. And in case the message wasn't subtle enough, there's a Soviet-era hammer-and-sickle inside the "O" in Obama's last name. That oughta rally the base, eh?
My friend Danny gave me the heads up and says
She's using a hammer and sickle for the "O" in Obama in her new web ad. Disgusting. And the best part is that it's paid for by the PA GOP.
Comparisons to Communists or Nazis used to be out of bounds in American politics but the Tea Bagger crowd does it all the time and now it is somehow Okay. It's one thing for a bunch of people who are ignorant of history and political philosophy to engage in this kind of nonsense but a State Supreme Court candidate should know better.
The thing that we want in our Judges is to be impartial and not take political sides no matter what party they belong to. She flunks that test.
If you'd like to let the PA Republican Party know what you think of this ad, you can contact them here. I strongly suggest you do so!
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How moronic has this country become? It makes me weep, after my head explodes, seeing the stupidest shit in the world coming out of this country.
I'm reading a pretty good book about that now
No not your head
It's entitled Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free, by Charles P. Pierce.
all the stupidity that is fundie america in one place.
I know they are Republicans but I thought they would be above acting like a Southern conservative.
No way at this time and stage would I trust a Wacko Right Winger to be in charge.
Why is it the ones with the hidden agenda scream the loudest, I have learned from the past War Criminal that was APPOINTED the Presidency and his American TRAITOR partner that the Right Wing can not be trusted.
If there is a attack it will be perpetuated by the RIGHT, if this Country is to be sacrificed for the interests of big business it is the Right.
It was the RIGHT that Lied us into a War, it was the Right that said we should be in Iraq rather then Afghanistan, it was the Right that ILLEGALLY wire tapped Americans, it was the Right that suspended Habeas Corpus to serve their own means, it was the right that made the average American into a dissident because they failed to lock step with the right, it was the Right the RNC the GOP who is against America and what it stands for, it is the right that constantly stands for FEAR, Hatred, WAR.
It was the Right that jury rigged the Texas districts so they could get more votes and representation. It is the right that DESTROYED our World credibility, it is the Right that destroyed our World leadership, it is the Right that DESTROYED the American and World Economies.
If anything the Right stands for Hatred, Fear, Lies, War, Fascism, Racism, Nazism the right represents Nothing but themselves and their own interest. So if you are a RNC, GOP, NEOCON, CHRISTIAN Right you are Anti American you are haters of America.
Anyone heard of delay, sanford ensign, vitter, foley, craig and DO NOT forget the SECRET society of the HOUSE on C Street and you want this Bimbo Judge to redistrict the voting lines.
The best thing at this point is the dissolution of the Whole Right Wing apparatus it will never be missed.
Sounds like she's heard nothing about Aequus Infernus ad Lex Legis.
She shoulda said she'd be empathetic to conservative values.
Aequo Infernus ada Lex Legis?
Lifelong Republican?
There is a cure for that. . .
I have a link for that, but it's full of cheesy light jazz music and guys with bad perms, heavy mustaches, tight fitting britches, and low buttoned shirts and lots of neck chains, and women who calling them thunder-thighs would be a compliment.
don't believe in evolution is because they stopped evolving.
Can we isolate the Republican gene, and stop it from being passed on?
She needs some of that guy in the creatine ad.
Thanks for the link Susie. I'm beginning to wonder if there is an honest Judge in the whole state.
She's offering to fix cases. I would think just confirming she really said that would be enough to get her disbarred. If she had said that about a specific case, instead of a class of hypothetical cases, it would be enough to get her jail time in most states.
Presuming she's not disbarred, disciplined and somehow wins, there'd be damn strong ground for getting her recused from that case.
Soiling the already sordid name of American politics. This dumb ditz makes Boss Tweed look like a piker.
Joan Orie Melvin is just the latest Pa. republican to use her office to launch partisan,sleazy attacks. Republican federal prosecutor, Mary Beth Buchanan wasted millions of dollars charging prominent Pittsburgh democrat and former coroner Cyril Wecht with corruption charges before last years election. The case was tossed and Buchanan was urged by Republicans like Richard Thornburgh to drop her baseless attacks. Current attorney general and republican, Tom Corbett, also used the run up to the presidential election last year to announce corruption charges against democrat Mike Veon and several aides. When asked about his timing and the implication of political motives, Corbett denied it saying more charges would follow after the election and republicans could be named as well. Mr. Corbett never did charge any republicans and he is now running for governor. Buchanan is still the regional Federal prosecutor but is considering running for congress against Jason Altmire. Pa. is rife with republican attack dogs . They are shameless in their partisanship and ruthless in their pursuit of positions of influence. South Carolina does not hold exclusive rights to having repugnant individuals holding leadership roles in the republican party. PA. can match the South head for head regarding wing nuts. This remains true even after we booted Rick Santorum.
I saw Ricky on TV he had new glasses - so, I think he's fixin' to get back into politics. I just hope he's planning to leave PA and run in So. Car.
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I smell the sweaty dancing star, Delay, all over this one.
The Big Buy; The rise and fall of Tom Delay
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6rzv_the-bi...
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are ALL fucking nuts.
...we also elect Supreme Court justices. Unfortunately, voter apathy for these elections has allowed the business interests (Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce or WMC) to buy the last two justices and they now have a majority on the court.
The last election was an 11% turnout with the WMC candidate getting 6% of the vote. Imagine winning an election with 6% of the vote. Its' a joke. With our country's track record for voter apathy (except on the right), there is no way that state justices should be elected. They should be appointed (with term limits) by either the governor or an independent board.
She is the perfect example of why hate monguering, non-religious and habitually dishonest Reslugs should stay out of politics or never be on a court.
of this -- "Her faith is the cornerstone of her life. She comes from a family of nine children raised with the principles of God and Country." Who gives a damn what her faith is and how prolific her mother's uterus was? There's nothing that qualifies this idiot for the State Supreme Court if she's already engaging in judicial misconduct by promising deals to the GOP for votes. What a moronic bitch.
Your observation that this woman uses a hammer and sickle to denote the president suggests she is in violation of well known judicial conduct rules or at least the appearance of an impropriety impinging on the rules. A judge is not supposed to support or denounce, publicly, any candidate for office. Next thing we know, she'll be granting certiorari to those who challenge the "public option" in new health care reform legislation.
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