Statement of Gov. Bob Riley (regarding the Ten Commandments Monument)

CNS ^ | 08/21/03

[Pokey78]

By Bob Riley
CNSNews.com Information Services
August 21, 2003

(Editor's Note: The following is a statement from Gov. Bob Riley regarding the Ten Commandments Monument.)

August 21, 2003

"Today is a sad day in Alabama. Because of a series of what I believe to be erroneous federal court rulings, theTen Commandments monument has been ordered removed from the Alabama Judicial Building. Although I fundamentally disagree with what the federal courts have ordered, the State Supreme Court was correct in unanimously voting to uphold the rule of law.

Because we are a society of laws, the Alabama Supreme Court has a duty to comply with the federal court order, whether they agree with it or not. By not complying, the state stood to incur some of the most expensive fines ever imposed on Alabama. The suggested fines could have exceeded $1 billion within just four months. With an already underfunded judicial system, as evidenced by the suspension of jury trials in the past, and the current $675 million shortfall that threatens further cuts, the associate justices took the only responsible course of action.

Attorney General Bill Pryor should be commended for showing similar resolve to ensure that the rule of law prevails in Alabama. General Pryor and I will continue to pursue every possible course of legal action to protect the First Amendment rights of all Alabamians.

I support the public display of the Ten Commandments and have, in the past, filed an amicus brief to the 11th Circuit in support of Chief Justice Moore's position. In addition, I am prepared to file a similar brief in support of his appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Once this case has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and the lower courts' rulings have been reversed, we should not waste one second of time returning the monument to the rotunda."

[50sDad]

It's all about the Benjamins. Who can serve mammon and also God?

[rwfromkansas]

pansy

[Catspaw]

It looks like Bob is walking a tightrope.

[Alberta's Child]

Statement of Freeper Alberta's Child (regarding the Ten Commandments Monument)

If the Federal government had spent half the energy tracking down radical Muslims in this country that it now spends getting stone tablets removed from an Alabama courthouse, there never would have been a need for a "war on terror."

Thank you.

[an amused spectator]

By not complying, the state stood to incur some of the most expensive fines ever imposed on Alabama. The suggested fines could have exceeded $1 billion within just four months. With an already underfunded judicial system, as evidenced by the suspension of jury trials in the past, and the current $675 million shortfall that threatens further cuts, the associate justices took the only responsible course of action.

Reference my earlier post on another thread: "In a capitalist society, you only need machine guns for those who can't be brought to heel with fines and/or homosexual gang rape. Our masters don't need a Tiananmen Square - they've got their phony "rule of law" - the 800 holy federal Druids. ;-)"

[Pokey78]

Statement from AL AG Bill Pryor

[DoughtyOne]

Indeed!

[DoughtyOne]

I agree. I would add the ACLU to the feds. They both have a myopic view of society. We must protect the non-existant right of the few to be exposed to the tangible and existing freedoms of the majorty.

[DoughtyOne]

Let me rework this just a little.

I agree. I would add the ACLU to the feds. They both have a myopic view of society. We must protect the non-existant right of the few NOT to be exposed to the tangible and existing freedoms of the majorty. However the majority must be exposed to the non-existant rights of the few.

[an amused spectator]

Moore needed to get his own pet national legislature to pass a bill with a subsection named "Protection against malicious recording of fictitious liens by Federal judges". ;-)

[Catspaw]

Fox should be showing a Moore press conference in a few moments.

[BamaG]

Are all politicians so afraid of Moore in Alabama that no elected official criticizes him? Riley is a bigger wuss than I thought he was.

Maybe Moore will declare for Gov. soon, so we will accomplish two things, get his sorry ass off the court, and get Riley's sorry ass out of the Gov's house.

with love,
J.Grumby

[Catspaw]

BamaG, you know this is Riley triangulating--he desparately wants his tax increase passed, but he's insulted the Alabama Christian Coalition--who are against the tax increase--by bringing in the national director of the Christian Coalition and having her say she supports the tax increase, with an aide of Riley insulting the leader of the Alabama CC to boot. The Alabama Christian Coalition also are strong supporters of Judge Moore, so Riley is trying to woo the Alabama CC members by supporting Judge Moore--AND saying he'll support the rule of law BUT says the monument will be put back when (not if) Judge Moore wins at the USSC AND hoping they'll vote for his tax increase because he's a good guy.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Bob Rino Riley is a gutless-lying-self-serving-half-wit who thinks he can threaten Alabama into passing his POS tax bill. He is about as Republican as Shillery Clinton.

I am glad that I ended up working late last November and didn't get to vote for him as I had intended to do all day long.

[BamaG]

Yup, you are probably right. Riley's tax bill has more of a chance of passing than Moore's appeal (and I don't think Bob's bill has a snowballs chance!)

[LiteKeeper]

"Compromiser"

[ohioman]

Riley will be a one-term Governor. If he wants it, Judge Moore will have Rhino Riley's job in four years.

[MissAmericanPie]

Wrong point of view Governor. When faced with an over reaching Supreme Court the Govnernor has an obiligation to the citizens of his state to stand firm for their states rights.

The Fed can go whistle for it's fine money. Every state in the Union should be standing firm behind the Governor and the state of Alabama.

[Lancey Howard]

Because we are a society of laws, the Alabama Supreme Court has a duty to comply with the federal court order, whether they agree with it or not.

The framers are spinning in their freaking graves.