Montana Republicans try to take over state supreme court to guarantee legality of unpopular agenda.

Conservative judicial activism doesn't get the press is it should, so in my little way, I will try to pass along instances where the right wing is trying to win their long quiet takeover. 

Just how far will Republicans go to warp, convolute or even destroy our judicial branch of government to gain political favor for their unpopular ideology?  Check out what the GOP in Utah is attempting to do to their state supreme court, just gain a majority, and to protect against citizen legal challenges:

Great Falls Tribune: A district court judge on Tuesday rejected a Republican-backed ballot initiative that aimed to help conservatives in Montana Supreme Court elections. The GOP-controlled Legislature last year sent the initiative directly to the primary election on June 5. It would establish regional districts that would each elect one justice to the Supreme Court. The court's six justices and one chief justice are currently elected in statewide elections.

Judge James Reynolds said in his ruling that the initiative would change the Montana Constitution by adding new candidate requirements for Supreme Court justices. He said the initiative's provision requiring judicial candidates to live inside the proposed regional districts is unconstitutional, saying the state constitution only requires state residency for two years.

Why are Republicans trying to make these changes? Will they even try to hide their partisan reasons?

Supporters of the measure have argued that justices elected statewide favor Democrats and do not represent certain places, like the rural areas that generally favor Republicans.

Dr. Seuss couldn’t have come up with a wackier or scarier defense of the changes either:

A legislator who advanced the proposal argued the measure is constitutional. State Sen. Joe Balyeat of Bozeman said the constitution says justices must reside in the state, and argued the proposal does not conflict with that requirement. Balyeat said he does not consider the constitutional residency requirement to apply to candidates, just the justices once elected. 

What is it about the GOP that makes them hate everything about this country, and to go to such lengths to undermine it?