Clarence Thomas: incompetent Bush Bot, boot licking Bush Bot, or both?

[CatWoman]

Sure, I realize that some Supreme Court justices are going to be less curious than others, and some prefer delving into briefs to quizzing counsel, but Clarence Thomas' reticence is unnerving.

Justice Clarence Thomas sat through 68 hours of oral arguments in the Supreme Court's current term without uttering a word.

In nearly 16 years on the court, Thomas typically has asked questions a couple of times a term.

But the last time Thomas asked a question in court was Feb. 22, 2006, in a death penalty case out of South Carolina. A unanimous court eventually broadened the ability of death-penalty defendants to blame someone else for the crime.

Since October 2004, when high court transcripts began identifying justices by name, Thomas has said 281 words total. Justice Stephen Breyer, who sits next to Thomas, has uttered nearly 35,000 words since January.

My guess is he speaks far more often behind the scenes. After all, he and Scalia have to chat about how best to vote together on all the major cases, right?


http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/014222.php

[Robbien]

1. Since Sandra Day O'Conner left

all pretense was dropped that the Supreme Court was serving the people and lady Justice.

Thomas just took a look around and realized that he is a black man sitting at a table full of rabid right wing fundie bigots.

I expect his silence is his idea of self preservation.

[CatWoman]

2. this is not recent behavior on his part.

[Robbien]

4. Well

I still expect my previous statement still has some merit here.

His silence could still be a self-preservation tool. Whether the defense would be against his fellow Supremes' fundie bigotry or a defense to hide his own incompetence. Or a bit of both.

[Lobster Martini]

3. The longer Clarence Thomas remains mute, the better.

Every time he speaks, the sheer stupidity makes me bang my head against a wall, and I am nearly out of patching plaster. The longer he keeps his cookie hole closed, the longer I can delay the inevitable trip to Home Depot.

Remind me to send a sympathy card to Breyer.

[TahitiNut]

5. That man is an embarassment to the court.

That he sits in Thurgood Marshall's seat is outrageous heresy. He doesn't even deserve to inherit Marshall's used toilet paper.

[CatWoman]

7. made my blood boil

when Poppy nominated him to replace Marshall.

[UTUSN]

6. Like GONZALES, the only minority members willing to be TOOLS for their wingnuts

are those who abandoned their home group, who didn't have the intellect and talent to COMPETE in the crowded field for leadership WITHIN their home group, and who decided to pursue their own self-interest and GREED to be the token minority yes-men.

So THOMAS doesn't talk. GONZALES does, and look how embarrasing THAT is. They're damned if they do, and damned if they don't.

The bottom line is that ever since Poppy BUSH initiated the minority-TOOL strategy, the B.F.E.E. have been frustrated in their recruitment of same, because there ain't no best-and-brightest who are willing to sell out. They can only get mediocrities.

[CatWoman]

8. excellent points

:hi:

[billbuckhead]

9. An embarrassment to Georgia

Actually kind of a forerunner to Chimpy in the stupidity uber alles department.

Imagine Vernon Jordan on the supreme court instead.

:patriot:

[rasputin1952]

10. When I think back to his confirmation hearing, what struck me

most, was his unwillingness to defend his position after being torn to shreds by a wonderful lady named Anita Hill. Hill a remarkably intelligent and dignified woman, had laid claim that Thomas had sexually harassed her, there was absolutely no reason why she would have lied about such an occurrence, and her bravery during the hearings, being attacked by her enemies, was inspiring.

Thomas went on to become a USSC justice, but not after making a remarkable statement for a judge, in essence, he said that he would not respond to the allegation because he had not listened to them. For a judge not to look at an accusation is beyond belief. It was not only arrogant, but it was also telling in how he ran a courtroom, and that is frightening indeed.

Listening to Thomas at the confirmation hearing, he was, in my opinion, astoundingly stupid, worse yet, he was ignorant of the law, ignorant of the English language, and ignorant of just what sexual harassment might be.

Clarence Thomas does not speak in the USSC, because he is so outclassed, he would be deemed the Court Jester as opposed to a Justice. The man is the only Black R that could be found that was even remotely qualified for the job. There were plenty of fine Black judges all over the country, but this was a disaster waiting to happen.

IN the mean time, Ms. Hill left the hearing scarred, but her remarkable dignity was intact, and she should be emulated as one of the great lawyers of our time. She did what was right, not for fame, not for money, but simply because it was the right thing to do, and for that, she is a hero, forgotten perhaps, but most real heroes are.

[CatWoman]

11. I'm grateful that Brock had the courage and integrity to apologize

to her for that "little bit slutty" tag he pinned on her.

[rasputin1952]

12. Brock apologized, but he never should have made that absurd

statement in the first place.

Hill was as dignified an individual as there could be. She showed a wonderful grasp of what had happened and she never once stooped to what the R's were trying to do to her. She was the Republican nightmare, and intelligent woman, and they did all they could to trash her. I am still of the belief that Thomas indeed harassed her, and that alone painted him as a grotesque little monster in my mind. But to actually listen to him, I came to the conclusion in 15 minutes, that he was sorely lacking in the intellectual dept. I would love to see Anita Hill in one of those chairs one day...:D

[CatWoman]

13. Well, Brock did and said a lot that shouldn't have been done/said

At least, unlike several of his peers, he did repent.

[rasputin1952]

16. Point taken...I don't wna to look like I don't have any

forgiveness in my heart, I accept appologies when they are sincere, so I see no reason to bash him over this..:D

:hi: :loveya:

[Jade Fox]

24. Most people forget that.....

that before he was nominated, Thomas had received shocking low ratings from the American Bar Association, and his nomination to the Supreme Court was opposed by all Civil Rights groups. In some ways the Anita Hill thing obscured the very important point that, as a jurist, he sucks and always did.

[CatWoman]

25. plus, he was Director of the Equal Employment Commission

which he made a complete mockery of.

[opihimoimoi]

14. He was there to help W Bush be President...nuff said.

[provis99]

15. if Thomas died during a Supreme Court case's arguments, how would we know?

[LibDemAlways]

21. There was a movie made back in the 80's called "Teachers"

in which one of the characters was a high school teacher the students called "Ditto" because he had the students pass out dittos for the class to work on while he snoozed at his desk in the back. Never did his job. Just collected a paycheck. When he slumped over and died at his desk, no one noticed.

Clarence Thomas is the "Ditto" of the Supreme Court.

[opihimoimoi]

22. One of his missions is to protect the GOP who got him there...he is a Judicial Whore.

[LibDemAlways]

23. He's so useless and predictable in the way he

votes, a rubber stamp would be as effective - and wouldn't require a salary and benefits.

[Skittles]

17. republican whore

Scalia's poodle :puke:

[pscot]

18. Hey, lighten up

It's called judicial restraint. He's probably thinking really deep thoughts. I mean, like about the Constitution and all. I sure wish we could get a look at what's going on inside his head. I bet we'd be really surprised. Terrified even.

[rasputin1952]

19. LOL..."He's probably thinking really deep thoughts."...

:rofl:

Deepest this guy ever thought was how to tie his shoes...:crazy:

[gatorboy]

20. Who knew that Clarence Thomas was really Jack Handey!