RBG has a great point – What’s with the kid glove treatment the press is giving Trump?
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has ramped up her criticism of Donald Trump in recent days, going so far as to say late Monday that the businessman is a “faker” who must release his tax returns.
“He is a faker,” Ginsburg said in an interview with CNN. “He has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment. He really has an ego. … How has he gotten away with not turning over his tax returns? The press seems to be very gentle with him on that.”
I know we’re all suppose to swoon over RBG. I admit that I think she’s a great justice. But this partisan political shit from a sitting justice is no good and very bad. On this score I prefer a Clarence Thomas. At least he’s got little to say publically outside a written opinion.
The Supreme Court is not suppose to be like this. I don’t like it and I don’t encourage it no matter what “side” does it. It cheapens the institution and the justice. In a few years I suppose the justices will have Twitter and Instagram as well.
Since when did opposing Hitler become a questionable partisan issue?
Meh… Scalia said all sorts of crazy and political things… and then didn’t recuse when he should have.
I think that they can say whatever they want, as long as they are willing to recuse themselves on any case related to the topic of their pontification.
Free speech is afforded to everyone.
careful there. If the GOP is able to engineer another 2000 style election mess, you dont want RBG recusing herself from that decision do you?
I didn’t say she couldn’t say it. I said she ought not to. I didn’t say others haven’t done it as well. I said justices shouldn’t. What I wrote is neither complicated nor controversial.
If we start to compare what a justice ought to do based on what Scalia did, that’s a pretty low standard. But I know the binary horserace is of the utmost importance to you… continue with your memes.
I wish it didn’t fall to RGB to point out the fact the the press is treating Trump with kid gloves.
Dorian is right. Put it this way, if Scalia or Thomas had said something about Obama or Kerry or Gore or either Clinton, would we be pleased?
I agree completely with her, but she probably should not have said it. That said, she shouldn’t apologize for it either. Just move on.
Judges need to show respect and not issue biased statements like she did. Huge error on her part. Lets stop making excuses for disappointing judicial conduct.
The difference is that Trump’s a sociopathic demagogue.
In the face of that, I don’t think she’s obligated to remain silent. NOBODY like Trump has ever been nominated by a major party for president, so it’s not business as usual.
Great point. But look how quickly we fall into our Stocholm syndrome reaction? I’m sure the Sunday shows will get some “democrat” to call for her to step down.
Yep. So let me posit a, um, position: Supreme Court justices should NEVER involve themselves in the politics of the day EXCEPT for when one is confronted with the danger of a sociopathic demagogue ascending to power in America.
I’m pretty sure that RBG was pointing out how different Trump is, and the danger that he represents.
I repeat. Trump is unlike any major party candidate for president in history. He must not be accorded the deference that has traditionally accorded to other candidates b/c he is without precedent.
Hillary is a POS. No defending this career politician that has stood by her lower life husband.
Write in – Bernie
Look, even the New York Times SLAMMED Ginsburg. She was wrong and should just say she misspoke. There are rules of judicial conduct which apply to most federal courts.
Its like when the Justices go to the state of the Union. They don’t cheer or clap. They just listen and don’t actively respond to political issues.
There are rules of judicial conduct which apply to most federal courts.
… But not the the SC. I agree with El Som that the prospect of a Trump election is so horrible that it changes the norms of behavior. I also pray to FSM that this election doesn’t somehow end up being decided in the SC.
I disagree that the prospect of any one’s election changes the norms of behavior.
How would everyone feel if Justice Alito was out there slamming Hillary on her email issues or her general character or 675K fees for speeches? Everyone would be appalled. Judges need to act with proper temperament and decorum, especially at the top level.
Where was all this conservative outrage when Scalia was whoring himself out for speeches where he would endlessly bloviate about the wrong direction the Court was on, Judicial Activism, Strict Constructionism, blah, blah, blah…
Prop Joe is right. There is a huge double standard on the level of free speech afforded to liberals and conservatives. Not just on this issue, but throughout society.
Liberals love having the moral high ground while being constantly kicked in the head by conservatives who don’t give a f%ck about any of that malarkey.
Not to mention Clarence Thomas and his Tea Party leader wife. No outcry then.
Look, I don’t think RBG should have said anything, but… our press isn’t doing its job. That’s the real problem.
Actually even she now says her comments were “ill advised.” Ethics aren’t adjusted day-to-day or based on an election cycle. I know you all want to trash Trump and call out the media. It’s great entertainment!
It’s not for a US Supreme Court justice to do. She made a mistake and admitted it.
Total double standard. Scalia… may the devil shit on his soul… had a loud opinion about everything. RBG did the equivalent of saying “Cancer is bad”. Let’s not legitimize Trump by making it off limits for anyone to point out how dangerous he is.
The right doesn’t play by any kind of rules. “We” can… and feel what… moral superiority in defeat? screw that.
We see the conservatives game plan here, right? Now that they have badgered the target into admitting regret, they (along with some help from Dems) will move on to badgering the target to make that regret tangible. The outrage only builds. Never dissipates.
Part of me wishes all the Bernspiracy shit about Clinton rigging the election is true. We wouldnt have to worry about Trump if she was capable of such a thing. I dont care about winning fairly. Too much is at stake.
I would note that her comments included nothing about policy. “How has he gotten away with not releasing his tax returns?” takes no position on any legal case. Her comments were about the media’s impotence, not Trump himself.
If Alito talked about HRC in specifics, as someone posited above, that would be very different. If Alito asked, “Why has the press done so little probing into the Clinton Foundation?” that’s well within the bounds of decorum.
Antonin Scalia once admitted to an audience at Princeton that he and his colleagues settled Bush v. Gore as they did because “We were the laughingstock of the world—the world’s greatest democracy that couldn’t conduct an election.”
Low bar? Sure. But I find the perspective useful. YMMV.
Took a few days, but RBG just now said she regrets her Trump comments….end of story..she belatedly did the right thing!!
No, the “right thing” as you define it is to never speak in the first place. Too late for that.
But congratulations on such thorough liberal hand-wringing.
^^^Yes.
And it isn’t as though she spent time at some hunting lodge with Dick Cheney before hearing a case about his energy group.
I am always tickled by the “well, our side did it, but their side did it WORSE.” I remember the first time I heard this line of argument. I think it was 2nd grade recess on the playground.
Yes, well, there is a difference between speaking one’s mind and getting your quid pro quo on. Which would be plenty obvious once you get off of the playground.
Even so, there is little doubt that there are very different standards for liberals vs conservatives in the press.
DG, I for one do not care if I seem like a hypocrite. We must fight to win. The fact is, “Their” side does “do it” more…. and to horrible ends. A moral high-ground loss is still a loss.
She walked her words back. Someone finally knocked some sense into her. The backlash against her was intense and she realized it would hurt her legacy.
Lets get some decorum back into the judicial branch. Its not the political branch folks. Anyone has the First Amendment right to shoot their mouths off. But if you want too, then hang up the judicial robe!!
knocked some sense into her…… you pigs just love the idea of violence against elderly women dont you. FTR, the Notorious RBG would eat you for breakfast.
Let me politely rephrase then: RBG finally found some wisdom!