The “Lawyers, Guns and Money” Cases

Special to FreeRepublic ^ | 11 November, 2004 | John Armor (Congressman Billybob)

[Congressman Billybob]

[In using the link, go to "ACLU Watch" and then to "The 'Lawyers, Guns and Money' Cases" This is a unitary website, so the URL cannot go directly to this article.]

Election Day Lawsuits

None of the cases discussed this month are likely to arrive on the bench of the US Supreme Court. Nonetheless, when taken as a group these cases represent a direction in the use of lawyers and litigation to influence the results of elections. As such, they represent a negative development in American elections that may be of great interest to the readers of these Updates.

The problem that has reared its ugly head can be corrected before the next presidential election in 2008. If Congress gets cracking, the problem could be headed off before the next congressional elections in 2006. And the suggestions here are intended to contribute to a national discussion of how to put this problem to rest.

The “Lawyers, Guns and Money” Cases

Those who participate in hardball politics in Washington and elsewhere around the nation commonly use a phrase borrowed from an apocryphal telegram sent from the scene of an unnamed South American revolution. It read, “Send lawyers, guns and money. All Hell has broken loose.”

Fortunately, other than the American Revolution and the Civil War, in this nation guns have seldom been a part of our political processes, contrary to the nearly universal experience of most of the world’s nations. Still, the other two parts of that telegram, sending lawyers and money, did apply to the 2004 election more than any prior election. It’s a trend that will expand in future elections unless it is cut off at the knees by Congress now, pursuant to Article I, Section 4, of the Constitution, which states:....

[Congressman Billybob]

For five years now, I've been writing monthly articles on constitutional law for the American Civil Rights Union, not to be confused with the ACLU. These are a tad dry, and heavily larded with legalese. So this is only the second time I have posted one of these for the FR community.

Because this deals with two issues of prime interest to FR -- litigation in this election and reducing fraud in the next next election -- I have posted this one up.

Let me know what you think.

Billybob / John

[don'tbedenied]

"a phrase borrowed from an apocryphal telegram sent from the scene of an unnamed South American revolution. It read, “Send lawyers, guns and money. All Hell has broken loose.” "
Nah. Its Warren Zevon:

Now, I'm hiding in Honduras,
I'm a desperate man,
Send Lawyers, Guns and Money,
The shit has hit the fan"

[Little Bill]

I am distantly related to William Walker through the looney's on my grandmothers side, he could have used some guns and money.

[lodwick]

Well done. Thanks for the linkage.

[Congressman Billybob]

Thank you. I am a student of quotes, and I'm pleased to know that this IS a quote, and where it's from. I never cease to marvel at the eclectic knowledge that Freepers possess, as a group.

Billybob

[Jack Black]

My strong impression is that the phrase predates the song. I remember hearing it in the late 70s. I kinda remember the song coming out and thinking "good appropriation". I could have only heard people who'd heard the song though. Not sure.