April 15, 2009 05:19 PM UTC

Colorado Republican Party launches latest attack on the judicial branch

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• by: Republican 36

Last night on his public affairs program Aaron Harber hosted the leadership of the Republican Party, including Chairman Dick Wadhams, former Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis, Aurora City Councilman and senatorial candidate Ryan Frazier and former State Senate President John Andrews.

During the discussion, Mr. Andrews announced that there will be a campaign in 2010 called ‘Clear the Bench’ with the purpose of throwing four Colorado Supreme Court Justices off the bench. The only one he mentioned by name was Chief Justice Mullarkey but you can imagine who he is targeting. He expressed the usual litany of why they should be thrown off the court but the truly amazing fact was that not one of the other Republican leaders even winched or took exception to this plan. By their failure to speak, they were tacitly endorsing this latest attack upon our institutions.

It is apparent from the program, the Republicans aren’t even trying to “repackage” the same old worn out attacks upon the institutions our founders established in 1787 and 1876. It is also apparent the same leaders with the same objectives remain in control of the Colorado Republican Party with the same agenda.

Mr. Andrews stated that he didn’t like the latest decision from our court on the mill levy freeze but I question why he didn’t like it. He attempted to drape his argument in the form of judicial activism but there is more than that to it. As a practical matter, the decision in the mill levy case prevented an even greater rupture in the state budget. Without that decision the state’s share of K-12 budget would have soared and required additional substantial cuts in higher education.

We all have to remember that as recently as two months ago, in his Denver Post column, Mr. Andrews praised and eulogized the founder of the Alliance for the Separation of School and State. The deceased gentleman established that organization with the primary goal to terminate all (100%) of public funding for education, K through university. Mr. Andrews signed the pledge on that website agreeing with this goal. The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision in the mill levy case puts that further out of reach because it relieved some of the pressure on the state budget. One has to question the motives of Mr. Andrews and why he is attacking the Court but the truly appalling fact was the silence of the other Republican, people who insist they want to lead this state either from the governors mansion or the U.S. Senate and they did not even blink an eye when Mr. Andrews made his proposal. Apparently, they support his agenda. Nothing has changed.