Ronald Reagan famously said, “The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant; it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.” In the case of Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez (D-NY), I have serious doubts about the first part of the Gipper’s quote, particularly when AOC gets way out over her skis on the U.S. Constitution. And the best part of all? She goes about it as arrogantly and defiantly as she can.
Our story begins on Thursday, as reported by RedState, with AOC declaring, in reference to the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a 2020 election-related case, “We are witnessing a judicial coup in process.” Then, in typical Socialist Barbie AOC fashion, her comments got even stupider:
We are witnessing a judicial coup in process. If the President and Congress do not restrain the Court now, the Court is signaling they will come for the Presidential election next. All our leaders — regardless of party — must recognize this Constitutional crisis for what it is.
Melodramatic, much?
We are witnessing a judicial coup in process.
If the President and Congress do not restrain the Court now, the Court is signaling they will come for the Presidential election next.
All our leaders – regardless of party – must recognize this Constitutional crisis for what it is. https://t.co/DzoIh4n08D
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 30, 2022
Then, things got really stupid. Emphasis, mine:
I personally believe that Clarence Thomas should be impeached, beyond a shadow of a doubt. I am astonished that this is in any way controversial to anyone. The degree and extent of misconduct, that Clarence Thomas alone — um, in addition to several of his colleagues — have [sic] participated and engaged in is foundationally delegitimizing to the Supreme Court and it is our responsibility — our constitutional duty — to rein them in.
Analysis: No, nonsense, no, no, oh hell no, damn — what is wrong with you?
Far be it from your humble conservative political pundit to challenge the constitutional chops of the erstwhile bartender, but I am going to do exactly that — via the official Supreme Court website.
The Court is the highest tribunal in the Nation for all cases and controversies arising under the Constitution or the laws of the United States. As the final arbiter of the law, the Court is charged with ensuring the American people the promise of equal justice under law and, thereby, also functions as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution.
Any questions, Alex? Now, let’s do the role of the House of Representatives, shall we?
As per the Constitution, the U.S. House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws. The House is one of Congress’s two chambers (the other is the U.S. Senate), and part of the federal government’s legislative branch. The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law at no more than 435, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states.
Memo to AOC: So [pundit checks notes] I don’t see anything in the above federal government description of the House [nor that of the Senate] where it says “constitutional duty” to “rein in the Supreme Court.”
While it’s true that a Supreme Court justice can be impeached by Congress — with a simple-majority vote in the House and a two-thirds vote in the Senate — it hasn’t happened since 1805. More importantly, contrary to the message AOC and her butthurt Democrat colleagues continue to send, impeachment should not be used to punish justices for their rulings, as explained by the Brennan Center for Justice.
Because the impeachment power lies primarily in the hands of politicians, it is at times threatened for partisan reasons, but the impeachment and removal of judges is in fact rare and usually limited to grave ethical or criminal misconduct such as perjury, fraud, or conflicts of interest.
The United States Constitution provides little guidance as to what offenses constitute grounds for the impeachment of federal judges:
As with other government officials, judges may be removed following impeachment and conviction for “Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors”; otherwise, under Article III, Section 1, judges “shall hold their offfices during good behavior.”
“Historical practice suggests a strong tradition against impeaching judges for judicial rulings,” noted the Brennan Center, citing late-Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
Rehnquist wrote a book examining the history of judicial impeachment, in which he noted that early historical uses of the impeachment power established a norm that “judicial acts — their rulings from the bench — would not be a basis for removal from office by impeachment and conviction.”
Then again, I’m sure Rehnquist also lacked the constitutional chops of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The bottom line:
Again, as I’ve noted many times, the hypocrisy of the left knows no bounds. I’ll give you two perfect examples.
First, the overturn of Roe v. Wade. If SCOTUS had upheld Roe, would AOC, the entire Democrat Party, and liberal media sock puppets have been histrionically whining about the “delegitimized” court failing to do its “constitutional duty” by refusing to protect babies killed by on-demand abortion until birth? The same party that obscenely claims to be the party that protects America’s children? Please.
Second, the 2016 presidential election, which Hillary is still whining about. If the results of the election had been reversed, with Trump winning the popular vote and Hillary winning the Electoral College vote, would the Democrats and their sock puppets in the state media have called for the dissolution of the Electoral College? Another rhetorical question, of course.
When the Democrat Party fails to get its way, its first inclination is to cheat. (See: 2016 election.) When cheating is insufficient, Democrats fight to change the rules. (See: the Electoral College, Packing the Supreme Court.)
Meanwhile, Democrats thankfully have Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to whom they can turn for incisive insight and solutions to all things about which she (and they) remains clueless.
Related on RedState:
AOC Pushes Debunked Conspiracies Against GOP on Colbert Show
Noted Metallurgist AOC Makes Woke Claim About Her ‘Zero Emission’ Engagement Ring
In Earth Day Speech, AOC Says US Should Be More ‘Climate Defense Based’
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