Any chance Roberts or Alito could flip later?

[quinnox]

Did you see the story in the NY Times about Scalia tounge lashing Roberts for agreeing with an opinion that Alito wrote, it was about if taxpayers can sue the government when they spend money of religious issues, Scalia wanted the door closed completely so taxpayers couldn't sue anymore over this but Alito left the door open, even if a crack, and Roberts signed off on it too. That pissed Scalia off and he called Roberts a fake and other names.

So maybe Alito or Roberts might flip later, even a little? They both are youngish, and I know there were other conservative justices that changed as they years went by on the Supreme Court.

[BlooInBloo]

1. Keep hope alive! lolol!

[Swamp Rat]

2. Yes. They could... will rollover on democracy all together,

as they are intergalactic reptilian theocrats.

[Javaman]

3. Yes, when the 1970's pictures of them in spandex show up in the Post.nt

[quinnox]

5. lol

yea that would do it!

[SoCalDem]

20. I have always loved this pic of Roberts..

Lunchin' with the buds..

in their colorful duds

sportin' that Hamilton tan

envy of every man

[Benhurst]

22. Obviously Roberts could flip. But he'd still be an Opus Dei fascist.

What good does an out-of-the-closet fascist Chief Justice do us?

[Individualist]

4. As much of a chance as Darth Cheney becoming a liberal.

[rusty_parts2001]

6. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They should have been filbustered. No more judcial nominations approved until after the 08 election!

[notadmblnd]

7. so they got a tongue lashing from Fat Tony

for not going along with the program enough?

[quinnox]

8. yup

Scalia in his super maniac right wing persona was upset and pissed off that they didn't go as far as he wanted.

[aquart]

9. I'm hoping Roberts hates Scalia more than he loves life.

I want a death match.

[Warpy]

10. I think Scalia is a sick man

He has become increasingly disinhibited, displaying behavior in public that other justices have kept deeply private, including his rude gestures and profanity. I think we are seeing early dementia, some sort of organic mental disease.

Eventually he'll have to retire. He'll have alienated everybody on the bench by then except the ever faithfully silent Thomas.

[quinnox]

12. Maybe he will have to be confined in a mental institution

Or if not that, at least have to retire early and quietly because of his illness and a Dem president after 2008 can appoint someone to take his place.

[jbonkowski]

18. Sorry, Rehnquist was also loopy for years

He didn't retire until he dropped dead. Expect the same from Scalia.

jim

[Warpy]

30. Sadly, I do

The only way a colossal ego like Scalia's will leave office is feet first.

His attendance will be sporadic toward the end, though.

[ljm2002]

24. "Silent Thomas"

Has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?

We should start using that when referring to Clarence Thomas. Who knows maybe it could become a regularly used expression, like "Doubting Thomas".

:-)

[havocmom]

25. And he thinks Jack Bauer makes the case for torture being used.

The boy jis ain't right.

[ReadTomPaine]

11. If we ever get a strong progressive leader in the WH, we're going to have to remake the SCOTUS.

That's the only way it will change for at least the next generation. They will have to use the expanded powers currently enjoyed by the executive branch to break the RW political machine into pieces before beating that sword into a plowshare so that those who follow cannot undo the changes made to rectify this situation. Those changes will have to include removal of the judges appointed to the SCOTUS during this rogue-state decade, and likely many more.

Never bet on an opponents divided house to insure your victory. If one wants to win, one needs to make it happen. Bush has given us the tools to undo everything he's done so far. All we need is someone with the courage and determination to use them against their creators.

[tandot]

13. Definitely. As soon as this happens:

[onehandle]

14. No. We're stuck with a conservative court for the next 2-3 decades.

Thanks, Ralph.

[Bake]

27. But but there's no difference between the two parties .....

Ain't that right, Ralph?

THIS IS WHY ELECTIONS MATTER.

Bake

[mancandy]

15. You'd be surprised how common these arguments are.....

they just dont get reported

[mmonk]

16. We could attempt to deny judicial review.

[leftchick]

17. they are opus dei fundies

not a chance.

[endarkenment]

19. Between Far Right and Far Righter?

Always a possibility.

[Beelzebud]

21. This post is an example of why Liberals are on a losing streak.

"Maybe if we just wait long enough, they'll come around."

Look where that has gotten us for 6 years.

[BlooInBloo]

28. Yup. More generally, there's the too-common "they just don't understand"....

... assessment of republicans' attitudes, rather than "they knowingly choose do the wrong thing".

It's basically a refusal to hold people accountable for their actions/beliefs, in favor of letting them off the hook due to "not understanding".

[WinkyDink]

23. In your dreams.

[catmandu57]

26. It has happened before

With these two I doubt it will though, the reptilian court has proven to be very, very shallow when it comes to deep thinking, they preger to gulp down the koolaid and pounce on civil liberties.

[Bake]

29. It could happen ... and monkeys could fly out of my butt ...

Seriously though, posters above talk about "remaking the Court." How are you gonna do that? Limiting judicial review. How are you gonna do that?

Go back to Marbury v. Madison: "it is distinctly the province of the judiciary (i.e., SCOTUS) to say what the law IS."

We shouldn't have let BushCo steal 2000 and 2004 (thanks, JK). This is what we got.

Bake

[mmonk]

31. Pancakes?

[AndreaCG]

32. Roberts I give 10%, Alito less than 5%.

Roberts is an idealogue who is too close to the Bush administration but doesn't seem patently evil (well maybe evil-ish.) Alito more of an idealogue willing to bend the law to his desires.

[JoePhilly]

33. No. They were vetted for flipability!

And that's also why no woman was considered (other than the laughable Harriet Meyers who had no chance).