Rudy Says He Loves Corrupt, Liberty-destroying Judges Too

Update: Rudy Giuliani's messianic paranoia (Glnn Greenwald at Salon)

One of the things a man must do to secure today's Republican presidential nomination is nail down the support of right-wing attorneys for whom the Bill of Rights and the rule of law are simple obstacles to be overcome in their power grab.

Rudy Giuliani tried his hand in that enterprise yesterday, addressing the 2007 National Lawyers Convention of the Federalist Society, legal rightwingers working to bring about a revolution in American jurisprudence through the appointment of federal judges who would weaken the liberties in the Bill of Rights and serve the GOP and its interests.

Of course, the Federalist Society dresses up their judicial ideology as strict constructionalism, fidelity to the U.S. Constitution and the law.

Like what Rudy said: “We’re seeking to find judges who understand the very, very important concept that judges exist to interpret the law, not to invent the law.”

Reports indicate that at the event Rudy vowed to nominate justices like "Justice Scalia, Justice Thomas, Justice Alito and Chief Justice Roberts," the four most conservative (strict constructionalist-like) judges on the current Supreme Court. (Walter Shapiro in Salon)

In reality, Rudy is a (born-again) strict constructionist: Someone who wishes to make abortion illegal (now, through the appointment of judges who would do so), sees no great defined liberty rights in the Constitution, is a lousy scholar of Constitutional thought, and will overturn any judicial precedent if it fits with the right wing political network that puts him in power should he win a general election.

Strict constructionalism is to the judiciary what freedom and autonomy are to U.S.-occupied Iraq, an expensive lie that will do one hell of a lot of damage.

These strict constructionists would even halt an election and appoint a man like George W. Bush to the presidency if they ever had the chance.

Rudy's kind of people.

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