The Saxbe fix can’t be used for judges because their salaries can’t be reduced. In other words, you can’t reduce the salary of the new judge’s predecessor to get around the emoluments clause.

From Article 3, Section 1 of the constitution:

“The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.”

I don’t mind your taking the time to present your side. Feel passionate about your case, fine, but I believe Fred made the better case. These people have worked hard at what they’ve known their entire lives. Packing up and going back to school for a new career at an advanced age in an era of rampant age discrimination is simply infeasible. My take is that I don’t care that UAW continues to fight for the middle class that used to be, even as overall union membership is down and more people have accepted their declining wages. That complacency hasn’t exactly been good for the overall economy.

I personally couldn’t imagine myself joining a union but not everyone can be spared of a callous, cold, calculating employer telling them one thing (Full pensions! Generous health benefits! Come work for us!) only to be told something else 20-30 years later.

Here is a better explanation of the history of the clause and it’s application: http://www.heritage.org/Research/LegalIssues/wm2149.cfm

This is actually an interesting, if arcane, constitutional question related to checks and balances. Madison wanted to prevent the executive from “buying support” even if it prevented legitimate appointments.

Congress reducing the salary before the appointment begins circumvents this clause but may still meet the original intent because it still requires Congressional support for the Executive to “buy support”. Checks and balances are still in place. If two branches of government are corrupt then we are all screwed anyway and checks and balances can’t help.

ok tuff guy…..go buy a new gm product and support working class Americans..

DNFP Says:
Fred,

I didn’t say they are responsible, but they certainly aren’t as innocent as people make them out to be.

What’s wrong with quitting your job if it sucks? That’s what the rest of us do!

Life is hard, and especially hard on those who can’t handle it.

Well, which is it, are they responsible or not….you seem to want to have it both ways.

When you are in your fifties and have worked your entire life at one job it’s not so easy to just quit and give up health insurance and pensions just because your job sucks……sounds mightily like a pull yourself up by your bootstaps kind of a comment to me….sorry, I relate to thier plight…….don’t understand your lack of compassion.

life is hard…….did you really say that? So, what, they should just lay down and die and give up on everything they worked for their entire life?

You know, you are a musician and I don’t think that is the same as a manufacturing job……most people work hard jobs for barley enough to get by….including union memebers in manufacturing……..I don’t think you understand nearly as much as you want me to believe that you do.

Throw down that horn and get a real job and get back with me.

But the current crisis the Automakers are in is a clusterfcuk with enough blame for everyone involved.

There’s no easy fix. And the “fix” our retarded Government will finally dole out with be fraught with corruption and greed – business as usual – with no foresight or vision.

That’s why my sympathy has expired for these poor souls. I’m tired of the braying old mare, put a bullet in him already.

I didn’t say they are responsible, but they certainly aren’t as innocent as people make them out to be.

What’s wrong with quitting your job if it sucks? That’s what the rest of us do!

Life is hard, and especially hard on those who can’t handle it.

You seem to misunderstand….maybe willfully the intent and purpose of a union.

These jobs are what were available to working class Americans and they worked hard to make living wage jobs out of them.

The company prospered for many years despite concessions to the wage earners….to say that they are now responsible for it’s failure is patently unfair and expsoses an agenda.

Just lending a voice as a Union member to a bunch of clap-trap from those who aren’t.

speaking oo sticking by rotting corpses……just sayin.

How specifically is the union members situation something they are partially responsible for?

In a free society, I believe one has the choice to seek whatever job they like.

Are these UAW workers slaves? By whose accord?

It’s not always easy to walk out the door of an employer, but sometimes, desperate times call for desperate actions. But these employees, chose to stick by their rotting corpse of a corporation in attempt to suck every last drop of blood from it.

DNFP Says:
If sour grapes is pointing to the fallacy of those better off than me WHINING about their personal situation which they’re partially to blame for, then please pour me a pint.

How specifically is the union members situation something they are partially responsible for?

They have made concessions to what they had bargained for….now the company who failed to see the handwritting on the wall wants them to make more concessions….to a barley living wage…..please don’t contend that they are getting wealthy working for gm…..that smacks of calling welfare a failure and that people who draw welfare do it to get wealthy….a republican talking point in both cases.

What the hell is this? Is this the neocon’s Hillary derangement syndrome at work? Were they talking about this when Dick Cheney left congress to serve as Secretary of Defense? Rob Portman? Many others? Hillary has made millions from her book and Bill in speeches and they actually believe she is motivated by a $20,000 increase in salary?

It is just a simple matter of following the Constitution. Hillary is not the first to go from Congress to the Executive who had to have a special pay cut to comply with the Emoulment clause.

And like you say, they are worth millions, $20K is chump change to them.

No different than saying Trial Lawyers all took higher paying jobs than me, but that certainly doesn’t mean I want to be a lawyer.

If sour grapes is pointing to the fallacy of those better off than me WHINING about their personal situation which they’re partially to blame for, then please pour me a pint.

And “bad management” is a two-way street.

I’ve pulled my resources and walked out on every shit-laced, corrupt employer becauese I DON’T WORSHIP MONEY, I DON’T LIVE FOR MONEY.

I’ve lived in some of the worst places and honestly, the trappings of “wealth” are a burden to me.

I’m a member of a Union (Musicians Local 47), but the UAW is no better than the US Government as far as shooting themselves in the foot. I never have to go to shitty meetings, we’re never a news item, and they send me quarterly checks.

Anyway, found this to be VERY interesting:

Some Brains Are Wired for Change

People who welcome new experiences have stronger connections between their memory and reward brain centers than people who tend to avoid anything new, research now shows.

“The strength of the connection is positively correlated to novelty seek[ers] … but this does not imply that having weaker connections is a ‘bad’ thing,” Weber told LiveScience.

LINK

From what I gather from this is that those who don’t feel a sense of reward from novelty (change) avoid it.

Like a caveman.

I’m sorry, I disagree. I like Kucinich but he would have gotten us beaten this year….maybe at a time in the future that will change but it wasn’t his year this year.

No, Kucinich could’ve easily beaten McCain. Hell, my dog could’ve beaten McCain. And I don’t own a dog.

Gary Kleppe Says:
President-elect Obama “is making clearer than ever that tens of thousands of American troops will be left behind in Iraq, even if he can make good on his campaign promise to pull all combat forces out within 16 months.”

Remind me why we elected this guy again? Next time support a real progressive like Kucinich.

Because he didn’t get us into this war of atrition, because he didn’t destroy our economy and because he is our best chance to fix these problems.

you could have voted for Kucinich but if you had in large numbers we would be inaugurating mccsame in January…..simple.

As far as dnfp. What has happened to you man. You blame union workers for a company failing because of bad choices by management? Really?