Republicans Plan To Impeach Judge for being Liberal

In today’s episode of Republicans are shady AF. We travel to the ‘Cheese State’ of Wisconsin, where newly elected State Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz is facing possible impeachment by Republican Legislators. The proposed impeachment by the State GOP has been considered before she has even had a chance to hear a single case. So what is the allegation that has Republicans seeking such an extreme punishment? Well, it turns out the only ‘infraction’ that Republican Officials have against her is that she is a liberal.

Her election to the State’s highest court has swung the balance of power to a 4-3 Liberal advantage. Creating panic among the Republican Party which controls both the State Assembly and Senate by a super majority. Giving them the necessary votes needed to impeach and convict a State Supreme Court Justice. The Wisconsin GOP fears that the State’s high court can now rule against their gerrymandered congressional maps along with any anti-abortion laws the court deems unconstitutional.

Justice Protasiewicz’s past comments on these issues have given the Republicans the only ammunition they think is needed to remove her. With an upcoming State Supreme Court decision to be made on redistricting, Republicans are chomping at the bit to remove her. According to a New York Times article Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson said “She obviously should recuse herself from any redistricting case, and if she doesn’t, the Legislature has the ability” to impeach her, he said in a text message. “I hope they would.”

The Wisconsin Constitution stipulates that impeachment is intended for “corrupt conduct in office or for the commission of a crime or misdemeanor.” So if Republicans are implying that Justice Protasiewicz’s opinion on a subject is corrupt conduct. Then why hasn’t an impeachment hearing been held for some of the conservative Justices?

“Justice Brian Hagedorn once compared homosexuality to bestiality, called Planned Parenthood “a wicked organization” and wrote that “Christianity is the correct religion, and that insofar as others contradict it, they are wrong.” He has said those statements would not warrant his recusal on cases about abortion, gay rights or religion” according to the New York Times. So why is it fair for Conservative Justices to have prior thoughts on a subject matter with no recourse when a Liberal Justice could face impeachment for far less conjecture?

It’s because today’s Republican Party is infested with hypocrisy and anti-democratic solutions, to their out-of-touch vision of how this country should be governed. They are all too committed to ignoring the will of the people, so they can force-feed their beliefs onto their constituents. Which is such a clear violation of our democracy and the oath these politicians swore to uphold. This is the only way a Party, in such decline as Republicans are, can maintain power. When the majority of the electorate refutes the hate-driven agenda, that they depend on, to rile their dwindling base. The “Cheese State” is just the latest example of how a rotten Republican Party can spoil democracy for us all.

“They’re deliberately trying to overturn the will of the people,” said Sarah Godlewski, the Democratic secretary of state. “We have to understand the risk this is posing. It’s a potential reality that would put Wisconsin’s democracy in jeopardy.”

For more on this check out the New York Times article