Schumer, Van Hollen, and Kennedy

http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2010/02/schumer-van-hollen-and-kennedy

The Wall Street Journal has an editorial this morning about Senator Schumer and Rep. Chris Van Hollen's efforts to rewrite the law to try to get around the Supreme Court's pro-free-speech decision in Citizens United v. FEC. Contrast their approach to the comment of President Kennedy back in June of 1962 when asked by a reporter about the Supreme Court's decision in Engel v. Vitale, which banned states from requiring the recitation of an official prayer in schools. According to Richard Reeves' President Kennedy: Profile of Power, Kennedy responded by saying, "I think it is important for us if we are going to maintain our constitutional principle that we support the Supreme Court decisions even when we may not agree with them."

Kennedy's response may not have been correct for all Supreme Court cases -- think of Plessy v. Ferguson or Dred Scott v. Sandford -- but it's a far cry from what Mr. Schumer and Mr. Van Hollen are up to.

by Ira Stoll  |  Feb 24, 2010 at 9:02 am Related Topics:  Campaign Finance, Senator Schumer receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free futureofcapitalism.com mailing list