In a remarkable display of self-degradation,  some New York State judges are considering joining the United Federation of Teachers, a highly politicized, big bucks political donor, in an effort to raise their pay. The New York Post reports:

State judges are trying to join forces with the state's largest teachers union in a campaign to get raises, The Post has learned.

Maverick Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Arthur Schack is leading a faction of angry jurists talking to the United Federation of Teachers about putting judges under the umbrella of the local union or its Albany County-based parent, New York State United Teachers.

"One option is having judges affiliate with a union for political clout," Schack told The Post. "We're exploring our options."

Schack -- a card-carrying member of the UFT who was once a teacher -- has been joined by another Brooklyn judge, Wayne Saitta, in recruiting colleagues to unionize in recent weeks, court sources said.