Six members of SCOTUS to attend SOTU - three partisan tools think they have better things to do.

[jefferson_dem]

Six members of the Supreme Court to attend SOTU
By Robert Barnes

Six of the nine Supreme Court justices will attend President Obama's State of the Union address, the court confirmed Tuesday.

It didn't release names, but that likely means Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. will continue his streak of attending the address, despite his misgivings that the speech and the partisan cheering and jeering that accompanies it had turned into a "political pep rally" that makes members of the court uncomfortable.

The likely attendees are Roberts and Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. The no-shows would be Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. Scalia and Thomas rarely attend the speech, and Alito is on a speaking engagement in Hawaii.

Alito was at the center of last's year controversy at the State of the Union, where Obama made the rare decision to directly criticize the court for its decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which allowed a larger role for corporations and unions in campaign spending. Democratic lawmakers jumped to their feet to cheer, while the court sat mostly stoically. Cameras caught Alito muttering "not true" to Obama's characterization of the case.

<SNIP>

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/01/six-members-of-the-supreme-cou.html

[rsmith6621]

1. No Respect...Period Just Contempt

eom

[onenote]

2. its not a partisan decision

Thomas attended several Clinton SOTUs, but stopped going in 2000 and hasn't attended since. Scalia hasn't attended going back at least to 1995. Stevens, who was progressive, didn't attend no matter who was president.

[Gregorian]

7. I'm glad you pointed this out. It's so easy to make assumptions.

[inna]

8. thanks for the info. I had no idea.

[onenote]

9. updated with more specific information

some of the dates in my original post turn out to be slightly off. Here is the correct info:
Supreme Court Justice attendance at SOTU:

OBAMA PRESIDENCY:
2010: Roberts, Breyer, Alito, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Sotomayor
2009: Roberts, Breyer, Alito, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Thomas

BUSH PRESIDENCY:
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

CLINTON PRESIDENCY:
2000: None (due to illnesses and travel conflicts)
1999: O'Connor, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, Ginsburg, Breyer
1998: Rehnquist, O'Connor, Souter, Thomas, Breyer
1997: Scalia, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, Ginsburg, Breyer, White (retired)
1996: Rehnquist, O'Connor, Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsburg, Breyer
1995: Rehnquist, O'Connor, Scalia, Ginsburg, Breyer, Blackmun (retired

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

[old mark]

3. They will probably go out drinking with Boehner...nt

[JoePhilly]

4. Rub a dub dub, three conservative supremes in a tub!

[yellowcanine]

5. "Me too" Thomas doesn't go because Scalia doesn't go. Scalia doesn't go because he is an arrogant

prick. Alito isn't going because he embarrassed himself last time by being a whiny crybaby. This isn't all that hard to figure out.

[Phx_Dem]

6. Doesn't anyone really want Scalia there. And, hopefully, Alito will stay home too.

And Thomas isn't even worth mentioning. Tool.