It was unusual for the POTUS to criticize the Supreme Court directly, but it was even more unusual for a member of the court to react, however quietly.
But we can learn a lesson — that is to say, Joe Wilson can learn a lesson in decorum — in the restrained manner in which Justice Samuel Alito demurred.
That’s the way to do it, Joe. A discreet shake of the head, and an inaudible mouthing of “Not true” (or “That’s not right “– authorities disagree). Not interrupting the proceedings by shouting “You lie!”
Now, all kidding aside: In truth, the justice should not have reacted at all. In fact, the proper thing would be for members of the court to maintain their Jovian reserve — and if they can’t, stay home — while members of the political branches confine themselves to reactions of the sort that Justice Alito exhibited. That would be about right.
More accurate, though, if the Supremes had burst into raucous laughter.
The whole State of the Union speech is a farce. Phony posturing. Choreographed standing ovations. Seriously, what purpose does it serve for the White House to release the speech to the media hours beforehand? I actually heard Chris Matthews on MSNBC reading portions of the speech out loud a couple hours before Obama gave it? Why not embargo the speech and force people to actually LISTEN to it?
The words from the President have zero meaning to me. Don’t tell us what you want to do, DO IT!
Don’t stand there talking about how awful “Washington” is when your standing in front of the culprits.
Obama could have bumped his popularity up to record levels if he said, “The reason we’re in the situation we’re in is because of YOU, and YOU, and YOU, and YOU” and point at Pelosi, Reid, Boehner (what a slimeball that guy is!), McConnell, Frank, Dodd, Byrd, Rangel, and every other politician who has been in office since the decade began.
We need a President with guts, not one who can give a speech.
A president or a fuhrer?
I saw far too many closeups of Alito’s “reaction.” He clearly scowled first, then muttered.
So what? It’s a free country. At least he didn’t shriek with rage like Wilson.
This SCOTUS decision will almost certainly cause the original law to be updated and rewritten to reflect modern times. For example, US-incorporated CITGO is wholly owned by the near-communist government of Venezuela. It will be interesting to see what politicians they back.
dat’s right Doug/ In all seriousness too.
First order of business is to establish the rule of law again. That’d take care of a lot of what is going on.
One ironic thing about Justice Alito’s silent dissent is that the Supremes, the only branch in which all the members are appointed, is the branch in which a one-vote majority can do things which would require a supermajority in the Senate. The NYT noted this last weekend.
Burl,
Are those the only two options you can come up with? A phony or a psychotic?
It’s pretty unbelievable really. The GOP has become nothing short of an insane asylum yet the other day the loathesome David Broder uttered for the zillionth time something about the importance of passing a bi-partisan bill. BS. The dems need to roll over these scumbags and pass what works for America and the American people. Folks like Wilson, DeMint, Alito, McConnell, and Bonehead should be slapped down hard and shown who is in charge. Otherwise we risk more overseas calamity and domestic distranquility. The GOP is a disgrace to the progress of this once great nation. But as long as idiots like Broder continue preaching the holy grail of bipartisanship the ship of state will continue to founder.
Hear hear bud! Apparently Republicans are so anti-everything, they have voted against bills they introduced!
Message to Obama, Pelosi and Reid: Just do it!
I just fail to see how the President can just simply “do” whatever he wants. That ain’t how democracy works. Maybe under martial law?
That’s why I added Pelosi and Reid. We still have a majority….
Obama is or can be a very charismatic guy. He needs to use that….
Let ’em filibuster their little hearts out. It’s an empty threat and creates blowback. Didn’t the Civil Rights Act have an big filibuster that made opponents look like jackasses?
Burl—they looked like jackasses to the likes of you and me, but to a lot of folks around here, they are still heroes. Walked by the statue of Strom on the Statehouse grounds this afternoon, as he strides confidently toward the statue of Confederate Womanhood. Pitchfork Ben Tillman is on the other side of the Statehouse.
The Southern Patriot Shop is conveniently located to both I-26 and I-77 on the Charleston Highway….