Santorum discusses shrinking federal court

Republican presidential candidate former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum walks among empty recliners during a campaign stop at USA Furniture and Bedding, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011, in Dubuque, Iowa. / AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Republican presidential candidate former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum walks among empty recliners during a campaign stop at USA Furniture and Bedding, Dec. 28, 2011, in Dubuque, Iowa.

/ AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - One of Iowa's newest top-tier candidates, Rick Santorum, on Wednesday took on an issue that previous Hawkeye State front-runner Newt Gingrich has often discussed - reining in so-called "activist" federal judges.

Santorum said he has had "a lot of interesting discussions" with friends in the legal world about whether entire courts could be eliminated -- a controversial idea that Gingrich has tossed out in recent speeches. Instead, the former Pennsylvania senator suggested he is more open to considering narrowing the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Ninth Circuit, based in San Francisco and covering nine Western states, has long been a target for conservatives who accuse it of liberal bias.

"What might be possible to do is to take the Ninth Circuit and shrink it and put all the ninth circuit judges in California and maybe Hawaii for good measure ... I think that could be done and I believe that would send a very strong signal, and that is, follow the Constitution and if you don't follow the Constitution, we're not going to make life easy for you," Santorum said.

Santorum also continued his criticism of Rep. Ron Paul, who along with Mitt Romney is ahead of Santorum in Iowa in a recent CNN poll. He said the Texas Republican "would run to the left of President Obama on national security. He's on the Dennis Kucinich wing" - a reference to the liberal anti-war Ohio Democrat.

[mjlewis6]

Hmmm Declaration of Independence; Articles of Confederation; US Constitution & Amendments; What do they have in common?

Common Law !!

Please read about statutorial encroachment by state and federal governments on ALL of our rights...those powers not herein delegated to the government are reserved to the states or to the people.

Someone left the light on and the S.O.B.s keep writing laws to deprive you of rights you already have.

Were it not for competing interests between federal and state government...the state would basically keep you in bondage to the landed and banking interests; i.e. President Andrew Jackson.

UNFORTUNATELY, there are no new lands to steal from the Indians for the economy to keep running....so we have a war economy that will not stop. Time to heed the Advice of former President Dwight D. Eisenhauer (REPUBLICAN) regarding the Military-Industrial Complex threat to our society and our democracy...the COLD WAR is over, but the spending spree just continues.

[afmcalax]

Yes the Republican Nazi Party reliving their 1940 glory. For sane Americans please remember that the "activist" courts these Republican morons refer to also eliminated Jim Crow and segregation, affirmed equal rights for women, protect the rights of Gay citizens, and keep us from the oppression of the religious minority. The Republican activists would just return Ameerican to the good old days when white males were kings; blacks wore shackles; women were subserviant; hispanics were south of the border; and all religions defered to christian beliefs. We are so much more than the small world they want to return us to.

[starving1968-3]

Translation: "Ignore the constitution and rule in line with my extremist conservative principles, OR ELSE!!!"


Wow, these loons are totally in outer space.......

[mrleme]

I say SHRINK the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals!!! It has been the most horrendous court to rule against the majority of the people of California TOO long. I do not return there, to my home state, just because of this court who reverses the will of the people who vote. It makes me so angry just to think of the injustice that has been served over the decades.

[webdepot]

Hey mrleme, how about this? California passes a law that says every Feb. 29th, it is legal to murder any conservative you can find without fear of prosecution. I bet you really, really would want the 9th Circuit to declare that law unconstitutional.
Laws are not a popularity contest dummy.. they have to pass muster as to legality of the law.

[grecko7]

Santorum is as delusional as Bachmann.

[nearl451]

Yes, but on the other hand a federal court was recently discovered discussing Santorum's shrinking brain.


YAAAWN. Santorum, unelectable - again.