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Glenn is shrill. Meanwhile, looks like we won’t get another “You lie!” moment from Alito tonight.
Scholars and historians say Tuesday’s State of the Union address poses another test for the court and its commitment to the appearance of independence and impartiality. Some justices are expected to skip the annual event, having expressed reservations about attending what Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has called a “political pep rally.”
That leaves the possibility that only the liberal justices will attend, thereby creating a visual symbol of a court divided along partisan and ideological lines.
“That would be very unfortunate,” said Stanford law professor Michael McConnell. “Anything that accentuates there are Democratic or Republican justices is not good for the court. It would be fine if none of them went, or all of them went. But if only the Democratic appointees go, it would look like the court is divided and partisan.”
Look like?
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Morning BT and Firepups:
Thank you BT for watching Lawrence. O’Donnell so I don’t have to. You deserve combat pay and some sort of medal..
And this news just in off the teletype machine….
mcconnel is wrong there and if he read my post I do believe he would amend his opinion;
we NEED to demonstrate there are two sharply divided factions in the court and we NEED to demonstrate who represents the people and who represents the corporate world, THAT’S the only way the people will recognize which judges need to be impeached and that’s the way to we elect progressive presidents and law makers
the liberal judges have attended right wing presidents it would be an incredible slap in the face if they followed like sheep along the lines of the concervative parasites
If the conservative justices don’t show, Fox will spin it into a win, and the MSM will find a way to say it’s the same as some democrat who didn’t go to a conservative’s bake sale. All the things that *should* happen, when partisans on the supreme court show their partisanship, won’t. Or better yet, those things will happen to the lesser of the partisans — the “liberal” justices — and not to the staunchly partisan conservative justices.
That’s what I expect to happen if they don’t show. It follows with the “liberals in full retreat” atmosphere of the country.
Hey, Marion in Savannah, where are you? I’m hungry. Is it biscuits, pancakes, waffles or what this morning?
I do hope you are well.
Mornin’, BT, pups
It would seem the uber conservative justices don’t give a rat’s ass about perception. Scalia and Thomas are out for themselves, thinking they’ll go down in history as champions of the conservative movement.
once they did not suffer repercussions for their overt particent decisions and actions the flood gates were bound to open
now that they got corporate power over elections they are indeed imune for-ever and for generations to come, time untold, costs unkown
we are in so much trouble
off to work all
Oops. Just realized I was looking for her on the wrong post and she’s right where she always is on Attaturk’s post.
It is getting uglier and more blatant.
The shootout in St Petersburg yesterday was about 12 blocks from work. Helos hovering all morning, law enforcement vehicles from all over converging on the scene.
Don’t forget to lay a little dust on the Bradley Manning Advocacy Fund. Link above.
Roberts, Thomas, Scalia and Alito are behaving more like teabagger Congressmen than they are SCOTUS Justices. Thomas in particular seems to be only interested in feathering his nest. Don;t know why he hasn’t been impeached yet, seeing as he’s been lying about his wife’s income on financial disclosure forms for the last several years.
I wish I could.
These people really believe they’re back in the Gilded Age and anything goes.
Apparently they’re right.
What does that say about the level of contempt that skeevy little maggot has for We The People? Roberts is far worse than those other 3 conservative assholes on the court.
Good morning all and thanks for the post BT.
I’d agree with that….except for the presence of Thomas.
They lost all legitimacy when they refused to count the votes in 2000.
Say what you like about Jesse Ventura but he’s got more guts than the entire Congress of the United States combined.
This morning it’s toasted Thomas’ English muffins with lots of butter and your favorite jam. Served up downstairs with, I’m sorry to report, a dose of Bobo and some Herbert to take the bad taste away.
Any bets on whether we’ll be looking forward, not back?
JFK being recalled for his advocacy and honoring of the arts, including the JFK Center…..What has happened to us?
Amen…Never forget.
Poor Neko is upset ’cause I’ve got the thermostat turned down to 65 now.
Fat-Fucking-Chance
Give her a blanky
Thomas a shining example of the thinking on the court…the law is for the little peeps. Scalia politicizes the body of case law and the Constitution. Nothing new here move along they have to go after Rowe vs Wade now.
Obama critized Citizens United then did nothing to create the law needed to counter that decision and make election more representative of the voters not the international corporate cartel that takes USA jobs overseas and cheats on taxes.
Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.
US KIA Afghanistan: 1,466
US KIA Irak: 4,436
Iraki, Afghan and Pakistani casualties: estimates vary to over 1.5M
US MBS 2011: 2,976 and counting
Can’t Make It Here
Be good to yourselves, and all other living things
Namasté
Yeah. We’ve become a nation of the wealthy, by the wealthy and especially for the wealthy. They won’t even get a slap on the wrist for appearance’s sake.
He and the rest of the Democrats were going after their piece of that fat pie.
I think it was reported as “not true”, rather than “you lie”. You may be mixing it up with Joe Wilson.
And it was “our” now Chief Justice down there in Florida helping that happen.
I think that means she will be pasted on you…or, would be here.;)
The evisceration of checks and balances.
we are going backwards………….
I do not think I had known that….well, no wonder he was appointed. The past is never past, is it?
So, so sad….It wasn’t really Camelot, but very promising.
Anyone see the PBS documentary on the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine? Rather sad comparing the willingness of Ukrainians standing up for the rule of law while in the U.S. the public prefers to sit down.
Agree with that. How do we go about getting that ass impeached?
Common Cause is working on it….
Just watched the video. Glenn was perfect. Thanks for the video BT.
Well, it’s not like this was news; everyone who was watching the events unfold knew that Thomas and esp. Scalia were simply right-wing mouthpieces. But at least it’s becoming clear for the general public at this point.
Since Harry Reid said that Scalia was his all time favorite, I wonder if he was there.
Does the “general public” even care?
No. The average person in this increasingly Depressed country is just trying to pay his/her bills and keep body and soul together these days.
Any person who has ever served on a local board must recall conflict of interest laws and open meeting law requirements? The purposes of these laws is to protect the public interest from a form of insider trading, in a real sense, during quasi judicial deliberative processes enable by statute, protecting constitutional rights and due process of all parties involved. Zoning Board, Boards of Survey, and Boards of Health members all receive information concerning “behavior” which is illegal. How can it be that a justice of the SCOTUS can act on a case where his wife has a vested interest, in the outcome of the case? Dam, if I acted on a “case” approving a project, where my wife acts as agent or was employed benefiting, from a decision considered, “controversial” I’d be fined and prosecuted for failing to recuse myself. The mere appearance of impropriety? Look it up, in terms of conflict of interest laws and judicial conduct! Hopefully the Ghost of “Dred Scott” can pay a visit to the “Hall of Justice,” and enlighten some clearly learned Justices in the course of their service to hopefully protect the American people. Unlike the Taney Court, which failed to protect, “Scott.” Hey can I get some “access” to Justice Scalia to express my concerns, face to face, just on the merits? With awesome power come responsibly. Nice job guys?
A huge standing army, perpetual war, a permanent state of exception, a massive debt, a finance based economy, more citizens in prison than any other nation on the planet, pervasive propaganda on televisions that are constantly on, flagrant violation of domestic and international rule of law, and an executive branch that exists above it. Doesn’t sound like trouble to me. Sounds like the end of the empire.
Glen was fantastic and spot on. Thank you for posting the clip.
Thomas and Scalia need to step down. They need to retire if they want to play politics.
it’s something deeper than just “trying to pay their bills.” People in other countries have the same struggles and yet they still have the energy to take to the streets to voice their opposition to criminal elites.
I agree. The people taking to the streets in Tunisia – or the Orange revolution in the Ukraine mentioned above – are hardly comfortable well off people. The pervasive rightwing propoganda machine has done it’s evil work well, and citizens, no matter how they vote, have drunk deeply of the Kool Aid that says we’re still a “democracy” of/by/for the “small people,” no matter what.
Citizens are totally asleep at the wheel and are too willing to take whatever crap is shoveled out by the media propoganda and too willing to accept the tiny crumbs tossed our way by the wealthy elite.
I agree. I really hope that the RATS (Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Scolia) stay far, far away from tonight’s SOTU, which these RATS condescendingly and dismissively call a “pep rally.” It would be excellent if the RATS clearly demonstrated their allegiance to their corporate lords and masters, who have resoundingly bought them off.
The fact that they have the nerve to call the SOTU a “pep rally” should send very cold chills up and down the spines of all citizens. But I guess I’m glad Roberts actually barfed that nasty bit of condescension out of his pie hole because it clearly demonstrates who Roberts is working for: the corporate elites, NOT the “people.”
Caveat emptor.
Impeach the RATS!
If I were an editor, I would put a crew on each of them to see where they will or will not watch the SOTU.
RATS…that stirs up an image of a Thomas Nast style editorial cartoon…
“Citizens are totally asleep at the wheel and are too willing to take whatever crap is shoveled out by the media propaganda…”
http://judiciary.house.gov/about/members.html
http://judiciary.senate.gov/about/members.cfm
Express yourself! Make a call. If the Chamber of Commerce can use corporate money to influence election outcomes in various states in the union, Americans should take advantage of the wonderful technology which permits us to express political positions on issues and contact the listed Congressional members on the judicial committees in both the house and senate. Why not? Use the wonders of cell phone technology to do what generations before where not able to do! Call an elected representative from a moving phone at 55 mph sitting in a car. A car which is probably still, at best, 18%-20% efficient in its use of gasoline. Just like my car, my daddy’s cars, my granddaddy’s cars and my great,great granddaddy’s cars! It is amazing how some things change for the better and some things, don’t or won’t?
I’d vote for Ventura in a heartbeat.
“well the Masters make the rules, for the wise men and the fools” .. B. Dylan said that .. “and the beat goes on” .. S. Bono said that .. “what a fucked up system” .. I said that .. :) morning all
Was your ‘Glenn was shrill’ just snark, Blue Texan?
Yeah! James…those critters are sure to give a RAT’s ass about what the citizenry think and feel…that is so evident/S
Pleeze…we are fucked from every possible angle and we all know how this is all gonna end…and it is not going to be pretty or just!
Love the RATS acronym.
Me, too.
Speaking of Glennzilla…
Anybody know why he’s been in Rio for so long? At first I thought maybe he was taking a holiday vacation, but now I’m wondering if he’s moved there. (And if so, if that might be clue for the rest of us!)
“Give her a blanky”
Yes, a nice warm folded up blanky that she can burrow into and leave only her widdle nose poking out.
Pound them. Only dopes give up hope. Being a “sober drunk” 20+ years, I know what a fucking battle is! I don’t lose. I lose, I die!