WASHINGTON - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay ratcheted up his criticism of judges and singled out U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy on Tuesday, faulting him for using the Internet to conduct research and for writing court decisions "based on international law."
DeLay, R-Sugar Land, who was critical of federal judges who refused to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube before her death, also noted his disappointment that Republican-appointed judges are "judicial activists."
DeLay and other conservatives were angered last month when the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, found the Constitution forbids executing convicts who committed crimes before turning 18. The court majority opinion noted that the views of international courts had been taken into account.
"We've got Justice Kennedy writing decisions based upon international law, not the Constitution of the United States? That's just outrageous. And not only that, but he said in session that he does his own research on the Internet? That is just incredibly outrageous," DeLay said during an interview on Fox News Radio's The Tony Snow Show
To my Republican colleagues: You cannot possibly agree with DeLay and be a mainstream attorney. His uneducated criticism goes against everything we as attorneys are taught in law school and practice every day. DeLay is not going to listen to a liberal Democrat like me. But some of you who are moderate and conservative Republicans, good lawyers who understand the history of the development of the law and use of technology in researching the law, you he might listen to.