Democrats Declare Rhetorical War on the Supreme Court

Jan. 29, 2010— -- President Obama's public undressing of the robed Supreme Court justices seated in front of him at the State of the Union address turned heads and drew rebukes from Republicans.

But his words were downright genteel compared with what's been said on the Senate floor the past two days. Democrats on Capitol Hill accused conservative court members of deciding cases specifically to benefit the Republican Party.

Criticism of the court by lawmakers is nothing new, and those tensions are exactly why the American system of government enshrines a separation of powers between the three branches of government. But Democratic senators seem to have declared political war on the Supreme Court.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., for instance, said on the Senate floor Friday that he sees the court's recent decision to allow unfettered corporate and union spending on elections (though not as direct aid to candidates) as an overt bid by the majority conservative bloc to pursue "Republican political goals."

Whitehouse pointed to the recent decision recognizing corporations as having the same right to free speech as individuals.

"Connect the dots," said Whitehouse. "Republicans are the party of the corporations. The judges are the appointees of the Republicans, and the judges just delivered for the corporations. It is being done in plain view."

In the wake of that decision, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, "The Supreme Court just predetermined the winners of next November's elections."

Schumer, who was in charge of Democrats' successful Senate election strategy in 2006 and 2008, has teamed with Rep. Chris van Hollen, who ran a similar effort for House Democrats in 2008 and is still in charge of their election efforts, to write legislation to essentially undo the court's decision.