I Do Not Think That Means What You Think It Means

What is a "Constitutional Crisis" to Chief Justice John Roberts?

It's all about the Benjamins, baby. (bolds mine)

WASHINGTON - Pay for federal judges is so inadequate that it threatens to undermine the judiciary's independence, Chief Justice John Roberts says in a year-end report critical of Congress.

Issuing an eight-page message devoted exclusively to salaries, Roberts says the 678 full-time U.S. District Court judges, the backbone of the federal judiciary, are paid about half that of deans and senior law professors at top schools.

In the 1950s, 65 percent of U.S. District Court judges came from the practicing bar and 35 percent came from the public sector. Today the situation is reversed, Roberts said, with 60 percent from the public sector and less than 40 percent from private practice.

Federal district court judges are paid $165,200 annually; appeals court judges make $175,100; associate justices of the Supreme Court earn $203,000; the chief justice gets $212,100.

Thirty-eight judges have left the federal bench in the past six years and 17 in the past two years.

The issue of pay, says Roberts, "has now reached the level of a constitutional crisis."

Ahem.

As Nicole says:

Habeas Corpus, domestic wiretapping, violations of the Geneva Conventions, illegal wars and THIS is a constitutional crisis for Roberts? Hyperbole much?

Tell you what... Federal Judges can get a pay raise the moment we see an increase in the minimum wage.

Congress can start getting pay raises again once all of the area destroyed by Hurricane Katrina is habitable again. My good friend Stacy was in New Orleans over the holidays and was shocked at how little has been done. "It's like it happened yesterday. If you're outside the French Quarter, nothing has happened."

All of you can start getting pay raises again once the Troops have all the body armor they need.

I'll listen to your complaints about pay when you're feeing a family of six for less than $15,000 a year. In the meantime, fill your mouth with your lobster salad lunch and do shut up.