Media Matters: Drudge makes outrageous Supreme Court "INTIMIDATION" claim about Obama's SOTU

[highplainsdem]

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201001270087

Drudge makes outrageous Supreme Court "INTIMIDATION" claim about Obama's SOTU

January 27, 2010 11:58 pm ET by Media Matters staff


Responding to Barack Obama's criticism of the Citizens United Supreme Court case during his State of the Union speech, The Drudge Report ran with the sensationalist headline suggesting that Obama's remarks "condemn" the Supreme Court were "INTIMIDATION," linking to a video of the speech:


From Obama's 2010 State of the Union address:

And it's time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office. Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests - including foreign corporations - to spend without limit in our elections. Well I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that's why I'm urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.

But Obama's criticism of the Supreme Court was not unusual. Previous presidents have made similar comments about the judicial branch. Ronald Reagan effectively criticized the Supreme Court while he argued in favor of prayer in schools in his 1988 State of the Union:

-snip-

It'll be interesting to see whether that outrageous and ridiculous "intimidation" meme shows up again as a RW talking point.

So far I've seen Obama's blunt but perfectly truthful hammering of that SCOTUS decision criticized as "demagoguery" by RWers, in posts on National Review Online that Media Matters pointed out ignored the fact that Obama agreed with Justice Stevens' opinion.

http://mediamatters.org/research/201001280003

Orrin Hatch also turned to the "demagoguery" meme:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14283386

"Taking on the Supreme Court like he did, I thought it was kind of rude," said Hatch, a Utah Republican and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "It's one thing to say that he differed with the court but another thing to demagogue the issue while the court is sitting there out of respect for his position."

The RW overreaction is a good sign - they know how much Obama's criticism of the SCOTUS decision will resonate with the American people, and the last thing conservatives wanted was a direct attack on the decision's undermining of democracy in last night's speech. So we're going to see a lot of faux indignation over this.

[harun]

1. RW'rs have been whining about activist judges for over 10 years and we get one of

the most activist decisions of my lifetime and they whine about intimidation.

Wah, wah, wah.....

[Enrique]

2. Tom Delay to judges "you will answer for this"

now this is intimidation:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0401-04.htm

"We will look at an arrogant, out of control, unaccountable judiciary that thumbed their nose at the Congress and president when given jurisdiction to hear this case anew and look at all the facts ... The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior, but not today."

[Solomon]

3. Don't forget though. This is a "black" man chastising the

Court. They don't notice when white guys do it.

[gratuitous]

6. That's it

The "justices" on the Supreme Court aren't used to seeing a black man do anything but nod in agreement. Who knew they could talk?

[blondeatlast]

4. The first time I heard a Repug say "activish judges" I laughed my ass off.

I challenged them to tell me why Bush and Reagan's SCOTUS appointments didn't qualify--of course they had no answer.

Unfortunately, it isn't funny anymore. I bet Bader Ginsburg wishes she could retire--but she's putting her country first. What a horrible position to be in.

[Bluerthanblue]

5. the President URGING Congress to pass a bill to right a wrong is

intimidation?

gimme a frickin break. the party of no sense/cents strikes again.

:shrug:

[peacetalksforall]

7. Orrin Hatch - what a mess of a man. Mr Morality. How many years did he pound the

President (Clinton). Where is your line drawn, Mr Hatch.

[Soylent Brice]

8. drudge is irrelevant. n/t

[NJmaverick]

9. We have to hammer any traitor that supports the rightwing five's treasonous

ruling from the the bench.

[UTUSN]

10. K&R #2 n/t