Poor, Persecuted Christians

So persecuted, so marginalized, that the only way they can get a break is by wholly undermining our system of checks and balances. Evan at AlterNet PEEK:

Constitution Schmonstitution. Since Indiana Republican Mike Sodrel didn't like the federal court's decision to prohibit explicit mentions of Jesus in state house prayers, he decided to introduce legislation to kick the federal court's ass.

Okay, it's not really about kicking ass so much as it's about stripping the court's jurisdiction with respect to the state house.

Sarah Posner puts this absurdity into context:

"Here's the M.O.: federal court issues decision Republicans disagree with. Republicans cry, "judicial activism!" and assert that the system of checks and balances requires that Congress regulate the activities of the federal courts. Thus, strip them of jurisdiction over hot button issues like gay marriage, prayer in public venues, or abortion. That way, the argument goes, Congress is providing a balance against the out-of-control federal courts."

Posner also notes:

[T]he Republican argument has it backwards. The purpose of judicial review is to ensure that the courts provide a check against political corruption, cronyism, and power plays. One need look no further than Sodrel's own biggest campaign contributors to see why the country's founders designed checks and balances so that the courts provide a check on Congress and not the other way around: the PACs of Tom DeLay, Dennis Hastert, and Roy Blunt.

Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s…and if Caesar doesn’t give you what you want, render him unconscious.

I think that’s from the book of St. Whinybaby in his epistle to the Persecutioncomplexions.