What the Founders feared

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Constitution Restoration Act of 2004'.

TITLE I--JURISDICTION

SEC. 101. APPELLATE JURISDICTION.

(a) IN GENERAL-

(1) AMENDMENT TO TITLE 28- Chapter 81 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

`Sec. 1260. Matters not reviewable

`Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Supreme Court shall not have jurisdiction to review, by appeal, writ of certiorari, or otherwise, any matter to the extent that relief is sought against an element of Federal, State, or local government, or against an officer of Federal, State, or local government (whether or not acting in official personal capacity), by reason of that element's or officer's acknowledgement of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government [emphasis added, obviously].'. [sic]

According to Thomas, this bill was introduced in February. This is the first I've heard of it.

Essentially, the point seems to be to declare that (the implied Judeo-Christian) God is the "organic source" of our institutions, so expressions praising Him or using Him to threaten cannot be denied by the Appelate or Supreme Courts, under threat of impeachment. It is intended to give fundamentalist judges the right to put the Ten Commandments in the courts, official prayer in school, and, as it seems to be worded, mete out biblical punishments on those before them.

We already have Creationism in our Park System, why not in the courts?

Yes, it matters who wins a week from today.

Attaturk thinks it's the "neo-cons" pushing this through. I find that doubtful. But it is more wingnuttery on parade. Very, very dangerous wingnuttery, led by Pat Robertson and his followers in Congress and supported by a compliant press.

And the fact that it's gone so unnoticed except by the very "Dominionists" who drafted and support it, terrifies me.

Status: Apparently it's in the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property. Hearings were held in September.