Clarence Thomas Doesn't Like State Of The Union: "I didn't go because it has become so partisan"

[kpete]

Feb 4 2010, 11:27 am by Chris Good
Clarence Thomas Doesn't Like The State Of The Union

If you thought President Obama's Supreme Court criticism as this year's State of the Union was a bit uncomfortable, Justice Clarence Thomas appears to have seen it coming.

Thomas skipped the State of the Union, so he missed the episode of President Obama criticizing the Court's campaign finance ruling--and Justice Samuel Alito's partially verbal rebuke of the rebuke. Why? Because the event is too partisan.

"I didn't go because it has become so partisan," Thomas said in a question and answer session at Stetson University College of Law in Florida, The Weekly Standard's Philip Terzian reports. "And it's very uncomfortable for a judge to sit there. There's a lot that you don't hear on TV: the catcalls, the whooping and hollering and under-the-breath comments. One of the consequences is now the court becomes part of the conversation, if you want to call it that, in the speeches. It's just an example of why I don't go."

His stance on State of the Union attendance turned out to be prescient, as this year was a particularly uncomfortable one for justices of the Supreme Court.

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/02/clarence_thomas_doesnt_like_the_state_of_the_union.php

[Mz Pip]

1. Irony is lost

on this guy.

[Jennicut]

2. Yes, and what side made it that way? And really, the consequences go back to the Supreme Court

decision of 2000. The mistrust was building up during the 1990's and exploded right after that. The Rethugs also think they can get away with being immature.

[timeforpeace]

27. Would things be cool with the Supremes if they had selected Gore instead of Bush?

[gateley]

3. Yes. He's above all that partisan crap. nt

[wtmusic]

4. He just watched on TV, with a nice cold can of Coke. nt

[Jim__]

5. Did Clarence miss any of Bush's State of the Union addresses?

Just wondering.

[onenote]

15. thomas has only attended one sotu since 2000

he attended in 2006, but missed all of the other Bush SOTU's.

He also attended Obama's address to Congress in February 2009 which technically was not a SOTU address but was regarded as such by many.

BTW - I'm not defending Thomas, just answering the question posed.

[Jim__]

16. Thanks. I didn't know that.

[onenote]

17. here's a complete list of scotus attendance at sotu since 1995

2008: Roberts, Breyer, Alito, Kennedy
2007: Roberts, Breyer, Alito, Kennedy
2006: Roberts, Thomas, Breyer, Alito
2005: Stevens, Breyer
2004: Breyer
2003: Breyer
2002: Kennedy, Breyer
2001: Breyer
2000: None (due to illnesses and travel conflicts)
1999: O'Connor, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, Ginsberg, Breyer
1998: Rehnquist, O'Connor, Souter, Thomas, Breyer
1997: Scalia, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, Ginsberg, Breyer, White (retired)
1996: Rehnquist, O'Connor, Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsberg, Breyer
1995: Rehnquist, O'Connor, Scalia, Ginsberg, Breyer, Blackmun (retired)

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/24/obama-speech-scotus-in-the-house/?fbid=Ry1ZoZKaYBw

[Jim__]

20. Thanks.

[FailureToCommunicate]

28. I am shocked. Since all they have to do is sit and listen-pretty much all they do in

court- you'd think that the SOTU address would be easy for them. But, hey, after 2000 maybe they didn't want to show their faces; they knew they'd been bad boys...

[joeybee12]

6. He didn't go because Obama uses big words and Clarence doesn't

understand those.

[FailureToCommunicate]

7. Pssst...pass this note to Clarence: It was Obama's FIRST SOTU address. So, if old

Clarence 'I don't really like to participate in the actual working of the court either' Thomas has no stomach for all the, as he said "under-the-breath comments" he should maybe turn in his black robe and go back home to mama.

[gratuitous]

8. Since this was President Obama's first State of the Union address

He didn't really have any of that - what do lawyers call it? Oh yeah, evidence that President Obama's address would continue in the "partisan" fashion of his predecessor. I wonder why a judge would allow himself to be so prejudiced as to write something off before it was even presented to him? I wonder if this predilection slops over into other parts of Justice Thomas' life?

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, when a trusted friend suggested that he might be slipping a bit intellectually, resigned from the Supreme Court. I'm sure Justice Thomas takes a back seat to no one when it comes to personal integrity; perhaps it's time for him to consider emulating Justice Holmes?

[LiberalFighter]

18. He is prejudiced because he didn't have to pull himself up by the bootstraps.

As for integrity. Thomas never had any.

[Blue Owl]

9. What?

Oh that's right -- 2000-2008 under a stolen GOP presidency never existed, Clarence.

Put on your corporate-logo-emblazoned robe and go fuck some other country over, you Republican-enabling partisan tool.

[bridgit]

10. Fucking no doubt, and Alito made that point for him - what a bunch of pampered old whigs

[Mari333]

11. oh, someone give the man a Coca Cola

and tell him to go away.

[Democrats_win]

14. Don't forget the pubic hair! Pervert Thomas should never speak.

[LiberalFighter]

19. Make sure it is a man's pubic hair. But don't tell him.

[Submariner]

12. Obama: "I would not have nominated Clarence Thomas,"

Having an exceedingly intelligent man say that about you probably gave Clarence some pause. Clarence knows he is sub-par and probably felt SOTU cameras would allow the press/pundits to make "distinctions" between himself and the President.

I'd say the guy is paranoid as hell and knows that probably a majority of people feel he's operating at a level way above his pay grade. As long as he knows how Scalia is going to vote, Thomas is going to coast.

[Canuckistanian]

23. Thomas' nightmare

Would be if Scalia ever said to him, "Why don't YOU handle this one, Clarence?"

[Democrats_win]

13. Also, there was no pubic hair in coke for Perver Thomas to drink.

This shameful man should never speak.

[liberal N proud]

21. I want to know, when did he decide it was too partisan to attend

Did he attend all previous State of the Union speeches prior to Obama being elected, or is this a pattern?


An ultra conservative judge suddenly decides when a liberal President is in office the speeches are too partisan. It would be interesting to see.

[brendan120678]

22. See the list in post 17 above. (nt)

[UTUSN]

24. Oh, like HIS strings being pulled are NOT partisan!1 n/t

[mochajava666]

25. That is one very angy and bitter man

Worst Justice ever?

[Ganja Ninja]

26. Probably stayed home and watched an old porn flick.

Long Dong Silver or whatever.