It’s perhaps a bit early for a Clear The Bench Colorado Friday Funnies post - but for a good dose of midweek merriment, welcome to our first edition of “Weird Wednesday” news:

It’s a sad day indeed when America must look abroad - to France, of all places - for an example of the courts upholding the rule of law.

Yet France’s Constitutional Council (the equivalent of their Supreme Court) provided just such an example when it ruled last week that a proposed carbon tax violated the French Constitution.  

As Colorado blogger Rossputin (who brought the story to our attention) notes, “It’s remarkable to see the French lead the way with a court upholding their own constitution.  Let’s just hope that our Supreme Court does the same thing…”

However sad it may be to be ”schooled” from abroad, this “French Connection” does highlight the critical importance of the role of the judiciary - and the Supreme Court in particular, either state or Federal - in limiting the abuses of government power.

Our Constitution was written and adopted SPECIFICALLY to limit the scope and power of government - substituting the rule of law for the unchallenged power of the monarchies and tyranny it replaced.

However, the Constitution alone is powerless - mere words on paper - to defend our rights, and limit government powers, without the vigilance and action of CITIZENS - We The People.

It is OUR Constitution, our law - NOT that of lawyers, nor of the legal profession in general. Our judges - most importantly, our Supreme Court justices - are empowered by us with the specific mandate to defend OUR Constitution.  In a sense, we are their clients - and if they fail to discharge their duty, it is incumbent upon us to do OUR duty and remove them from office.

In Colorado, we have that opportunity this year - to Clear The Bench of FOUR Colorado Supreme Court justices who have repeatedly NOT upheld their oath to support and uphold the Constitution in Colorado.

Don’t let your freedoms get fried - exercise YOUR right to vote “NO” on the four ‘unjust justices’ of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your constitutional rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, instead of suffering rule by activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Please help to support Clear The Bench Colorado with your comments (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote on retaining these unjust justices in 2010!

Happy New Year from Clear The Bench Colorado!

We hope that you will join us in making a New Year’s resolution to work this year towards the ouster of the four Colorado Supreme Court ‘unjust justices’ who continue to take money out of your pocket, erode your constitutional rights, and usurp the powers of other branches of government as they come up for a vote in November’s elections.

Looking forward for 2010, Matt and celebrity spokespup Nola (above) wish our fellow Coloradans a Happy New Year in their not-yet-seized-by-eminent-domain homes (as long as they can still afford the increased taxes to live there) and not too much pain from the second annual increase in their car taxes (er, vehicle registration “fees”).

Make one of your New Year’s resolutions a commitment to improve your political and financial health in 2010 by exercising YOUR right to vote “NO” on the four ‘unjust justices’ of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your constitutional rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, instead of suffering rule by activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Please help support Clear The Bench Colorado with your comments (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote on retaining these unjust justices in 2010!

Merry Christmas from Clear The Bench Colorado!

In the spirit of the season today, no commentary or analysis on Colorado Supreme Court rulings that have taken money out of your pocket, eroded your constitutional rights, or usurped the powers of other branches of government.  No comparisons of the Mullarkey Majority to the Grinch Who Stole Christmas…

Matt and celebrity spokespup Nola (above) just want to wish everyone a happy time at their not-yet-seized-by-eminent-domain homes and a safe, painless drive in their FASTER-taxed cars to Grandma’s house (assuming she can still afford the increased taxes to live there, for now and in Christmas future).  Be merry and don’t think about taxes for now (although they’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over).

Enjoy your Christmas present, but please act to save your Christmas future - exercise YOUR right to vote “NO” on the four unjust justices of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your constitutional rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, not rule by activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your comments (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote on retaining these unjust justices in 2010!

Clear The Bench Colorado welcomes you to the Halloween Special edition of the Friday Funnies - and it’s a very special edition, indeed, as Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey shows her true colors in response to the grassroots movement to restore accountability to the Colorado judiciary.

Chief Justice Mullarkey’s hostility to Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution (TABOR) is no secret, as is her disdain for the constitutional rights (under TABOR and other constitutional articles) of Colorado citizens - your right to vote on tax increases and new taxes, your right to not be “tricked” by the “treat” of taxes masquerading as “fees“, your right for your home or business to be safe from unjust seizure, and your right to have policy decisions made by your elected - and accountable - representatives, not unelected, activist judges.

Chief Justice Mullarkey - and her cronies and henchmen of the radical left (such as the radical left-wing group “Democratic Underground” rising up to rally around “our folks in the judiciary“) - are beginning to take note of the growing, grassroots movement to hold our justices accountable to the law - the very Colorado Constitution they are sworn to uphold - and they’re beginning to lash out.

Why, just the other day I received this disturbing, scary message (I’m not sure who it’s from, but…)

My little dog, too? I mean, it’s bad enough that the Mullarkey Majority is aiding and abetting the Colorado Legislature in playing “Grinch” by imposing new “fees” on everything in sight and cutting back on canine car rides with the Colorado Car Tax - but that’s just plain mean.  We’ve got to draw the line somewhere - don’t let unjust justices make Colorado puppies sad, let’s have a Happy Halloween.

There are few things more frightening than what the Mullarkey Majority has done to the Colorado Constitution - and to your constitutional rights. Exercise your rights (while you still have them) - hold the unjust justices of the Mullarkey Majority accountable to the Colorado Constitution and the rule of law. Exercise YOUR right to vote “NO” on retaining the four unjust justices of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your rights: your right to have policy decided by elected, accountable legislators (not unelected judges); your right to vote on tax increases; your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments; and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, not rule by activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your voice (Sound Off!), your contributions, and “NO” vote on retaining these unjust justices in 2010!

This weekend, Clear The Bench Colorado celebrates the birthday of our celebrity spokespup, Nola.  Nola was born on or about this date (the circumstances of her birth preclude a definitive answer) four years ago in the hurricane-ravaged environs of New Orleans. 

(Nola pictured shortly after her rescue in New Orleans, early November 2005)

Surviving a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina - and the descent into anarchy enabled by massively inept local and state government authorities, before being rescued by Colorado Army National Guard Soldiers sent to provide assistance - has made Nola a staunch patriot and deeply appreciative of the need to support the rule of law.

Nola’s innate sense of fairness has been offended by the Mullarkey Majority’s outrageous rulings - and she’s been confused by the semantic shenanigans and word games played by the same Mullarkey Court to justify unfair and unconstitutional treatment of Colorado citizens.

She’s worried that the better life she has built in Colorado after being rescued from New Orleans is threatened by higher taxes on her home, higher taxes on vehicle registration (she loves - or used to be able to enjoy- going for rides), unconstitutional taxes on her right of self-defense, and a whole litany of other taxes and “fees“ likely to be imposed thanks to the Mullarkey Majority’s relentless assaults on our constitutional protections under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR).  She’s even worried that some overzealous bureaucrat might try to condemn or seize her doghouse, thanks to the Mullarkey Majority’s ruling in the Telluride Land Grab case - which left no one’s property safe, not even a cute little pup’s.

Don’t let the mean old judges of the Mullarkey Court spoil Nola’s birthday - and the better life she’s been building in Colorado.  Join Clear The Bench Colorado and Colorado’s canines and kittens in restoring “power to the people” (and pups - sorry, Nola).  Help to restore accountability to the Colorado judiciary by exercising YOUR RIGHT to vote “NO” on retaining the four unjust justices of the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, not rule by the activist, agenda-driven “justices” of Colorado’s ruling Supreme Court majority.  Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your voice (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote on retaining these unjust justices in 2010!

After searching far and wide for recent examples of humorous content relevant to our Supreme Court (and believe me, after a long and busy week, I needed the laugh), I came up empty.  Apparently, it’s been a very unfunny week for the Colorado judiciary.

Looks like we’ll have to generate our own humorous content for the site - and yes, we do have some great projects in the works, but they’re not quite ready for prime time.  Check back next week, though…

Meanwhile, courtesy of designer/illustrator/cartoonist Benjamin Hummel, we reprise his depiction of the straw that broke TABOR’s back: the “Mill Levy Tax Freeze” ruling of 16 March 2009:

The infamous “Mill Levy Tax Freeze” ruling did more than just (unconstitutionally) raise property taxes; it also opened the door to millions in new taxes, some of which were proposed literally hours after the legislature was briefed on the ruling before passing into law in the last legislative session.

Added to the stealthily-issued (the day before national elections) ruling upholding an outrageously expansive definition of “fees” (replacing “taxes”) and the later unconstitutional repeal of the Arveschoug-Bird spending limit, and TABOR has indeed been “bumped off the cliff” by the Mullarkey Court.

Wow - I guess it has been a pretty unfunny week after all.

Don’t let the Mullarkey Court throw grandma (er, TABOR) off the cliff.  Ditch the Mullarkey Majority (Justices Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) by voting “NO” to retain these unjust justices in 2010!  Let’s Clear The Bench, Colorado!

Come back every week for another edition of the Friday Funnies at Clear The Bench Colorado!

Following “three days of grueling questioning” (including such hard-hitting gems as “what was the publisher of  the encyclopedias your working-class mother bought you because she so strongly believed in the value of education” and “Perry Mason won all but one of his cases - what was the one case that he lost?“), Sonia Sotomayor is set to be confirmed as the next U.S. Supreme Court justice - the most rapid (rushed?) confirmation of any Supreme Court justice in U.S. history (beating out current justice and Clinton nominee Ruth Bader Ginsburg by a few days, depending on when the vote is actually held).

It was apparent even before the hearings began that the fix was in (Feinstein: Sotomayor a sure thing). Given the overwhelming numerical advantage of Democrats in the Senate, and hard behind-the-scenes arm-twisting to ensure party discipline, there was little that either “blue-dog” Democrats or Republicans could do to block confirmation.  However, our Senators missed a golden opportunity to stand on principle and make the case for the rule of law, and the importance of confirming (or retaining) justices on that basis.

Instead, the discussion revolved around racial politics (”underlying politics are dicey for Republicans“), personality (She is an amazing, warm and intelligent woman“) and her “inspirational life story:”

Now, I’m as much a fan of “inspirational life stories” as the next guy; and when I have a daughter, I hope she’s just like Gracie (the cute, wide-eyed, precocious kid in the ”Baldo” comic strip, above) - especially since if I have a son, he’s MUCH more likely to resemble Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes) at that age.  But an inspirational life story is NO BASIS for confirming or retaining a Supreme Court justice! 

A judge’s appearance, gender, ethnicity, “inspirational life story,” etc. are irrelevant.  Our system of justice requires a judiciary committed to upholding the rule of law and equal administration of justice.  Although “we the people” don’t (directly) have a vote at the Federal level, we CAN vote to uphold the rule of law here in Colorado.  Vote “NO” on the unjust justices of the Mullarkey Court in 2010 - let’s Clear The Bench, Colorado!