BVP Demands Resignations

Bob Vander Plaats is renewing his call for the four Supreme Court Justices who were not up for retention Nov. 2 to fall on their gavels and resign. It's the honorable thing to do, your honors.

From Rod Boshart on the scene:

“The people have spoken and demanded a change in leadership,” Vander Plaats told a news conference, saying a majority of Iowans have indicated they do not believe the unanimous court acted within their authority in making Iowa “a same-sex marriage state.”“… I believe it is now time for the four remaining Supreme Court justices to respect the will of the people and uphold the integrity and honor of the court by resigning in a timely fashion,” he said. “This is how we hold judicial activism in check.”Vander Plaats said the resignations should be tendered in such a way as to keep a three-member quorum in place to keep the Supreme Court functioning during the transition.Steve Davis, a spokesman for the Iowa Judicial Branch, said “the court chooses not to respond” to Vander Plaats' comments.

“… I believe it is now time for the four remaining Supreme Court justices to respect the will of the people and uphold the integrity and honor of the court by resigning in a timely fashion,” he said. “This is how we hold judicial activism in check.”

Vander Plaats said the resignations should be tendered in such a way as to keep a three-member quorum in place to keep the Supreme Court functioning during the transition.

Steve Davis, a spokesman for the Iowa Judicial Branch, said “the court chooses not to respond” to Vander Plaats' comments.

And you 445,000 losers who voted to retain them, get out of the state by New Year's. OK, he didn't go that far. But would you really be shocked?

I addressed this a few weeks ago.  My feeling is, in our fine system, if you're not on the ballot, you can't win or lose an election. It's pretty straight forward. So the idea that these four justices should quit because three other justices lost seems odd. And it seems especially odd coming from someone who has shown that he clearly will not take no for an answer from voters.

Every judge should get his or her own judgment day. Surely BVP and his allies know that.

But Vander Plaats praised Branstad's search for judicial restrainers to fill three empty Supreme Court chairs, so I guess I was wrong. Maybe they will play nice together.