FILE – In this Sept. 5, 2011, file photo Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., speaks at the American Principles Project Palmetto Freedom Forum in Columbia, S.C. Most 2012 Republican presidential candidates support proposals that would significantly undercut the independence of federal judges. Bachmann, in criticizing Iowa judges who ruled same-sex marriage legal in the state, described judges as “black-robed masters.” She said Congress should prevent the courts from getting involved in the fight over same-sex marriage, among other high-profile social issues. (AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain, File)