Justice Antonin Scalia: Quick Quiz

With Antonin Scalia plugging his new book on 60 Minutes and telling people still pissed off about the Court appointing a president to "get over it," Paul Slansky revisits some interesting moments in his career as a jurist.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Doofus]

Once upon a time Rehnquist (& Scalia) decided that Capital Punishment
was 'not unconstitutional', in part because although it might reasonably
be considered 'cruel', it was not unusual, as it has been used often in
our history. Therefore, not cruel AND unusual. (One might argue that
what the Framers had in mind, semantically, was 'cruel OR unusual',
but that wasn't what they wrote, now was it?)

Now, we have Scalia opining that Torture is not 'cruel & unusual punishment',
because it's not 'punishment', which is what is meted out for being found
guilty of a crime. If you inflict torture before you convict a person, OBVIOUSLY
that's not 'punishment, per se'. But then it wouldn't be 'unusual' either.

Is this a great country or what, that has such judges in it?

[Durango]

Everyone is missing my favorite Scalia opinion.

Innocence is no defense against execution. As long as due process was served you cannot bring up evidence that you are innocent.

Process trumps justice according to that loathsome worm.

[boylane]

Antonin Scalia...striving to end American democracy since 1986.

[BrighterStar]

Actually just the opposite is the case. It is Scalia that thinks major decisions should be made by elected officials instead of unelected judges. The intent of originalism is to enforce democratically implemented laws. Most people who disagree with Scalia do so because they are ignorant.

[Doofus]

One is reminded that the Constitution says next to nothing about the
function of the Supreme Court, doesn't even specify the number of
Justices. The Court has essentially invented its own role & responsibilities,
since the very beginnings of the republic. THAT is 'originalism'.

[BeamMeUpScotty]

If nothing else, the Treasonous Five: Scalia, Rehnquist, Thomas, Kennedy, O'Connor.... remind us that being loyal to the Republican party agenda is more important than the Rule of Law they PROFESS to honor and uphold. They are shills for the Republican party; the 2000 Florida presidential coup is solid evidence of that. To claim, as Scalia did, that the Court was honoring the voters whose votes were not counted, by not counting their votes, is beyond compehension. Just as the Executive and Legislative branches have their agendas, so too does the Supreme Court. Justice is not blind when five right wing justices rule the court and interpret the law, not fairly, not impartially, but according to their agendas and the wishes of a president who desecrates the Constitution with the stroke of a pen. They are a stain and a shame on this great country and will be remembered as such.

[SonnyBono]

And this miserable A**HOLE is just the type of Justice that McCain wants to appoint to the Court if he were president - yet another reason not to vote for the 100 year war guy.

[mellene]

This guy gives me the creeps. Maybe he's part of the Italian mafia--eh?

[JohnKemp]

Stahl's attemps to "question" Scalia were laughable.

She'd have been better off having someone on with a (lack of) intellect more in line with her own; Ginsburg comes to mind.

The only bad news would have been that Ginsburg would have talking about her role on the Supreme Court instead of a muni-court dispensing parking ticket penalties where she would have been much better suited.

[BadCompany]

Yeah, she should only interview people that know the difference between punishment & torture.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

We can only imagine the horror of America after 9/11 were Gore president.

Maybe OBL would have been captured and tried by now, and the economy would not be tanking under the weight of $120 barrel oil, mindless deregulation and incompetance. It"s interesting that people like Barry Goldwater JR as well as his father think Bush-Cheney are biggest losers this country ever produced and also think the conservative movement will be set back 50 years. Maybe it will take a depression to give the wing nuts a taste of the good old days of the last Republican Great Depression, which put the Republican Party in the weeds for 2 generations. My father lived though it and it wasn"t pretty.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

This arrogant prick makes me ashamed of being a Catholic; it is just amazing to me that the true ideologues on the Court who paint themselves as strict constructionist in the Federalist tradition are all Catholics. Conservatives attacked JFK for being a Catholic in 1960 for this very reason, now it has come to past. In the book "The Nine" Justice O"Connor admits that the Bush vs. Gore was a purely political decision, which she latter regreted, I think she"s unhappier with the Fascists she helped install into office. Scalia looked at Lesley Stall like she was some kind of bug when asked him the same question. This phony conservative Neo-Federalist court is now doing what is expected of them, taking on cases that are best left up to individual states from hearing Indiana"s Voter ID law which their was no evidence to uphold, except the court thought was good idea, to Alaska"s law suite against Exxon. This people disgrace the robes they ware.

By the way was it a Murdock Company that published his book?

[MalloMel]

How did we get guys like this on The Supreme Court? What the hell is wrong with us? No wonder we're going down.

I guess it does make sense when you consider that about half the people in this country voted Bush in... twice. My God, what are we doing to ourselves. I say that because I know that this is not God's will. This is totally our own doing. If you ever want to know about good and evil, you are witnessing it right here. God help us... I'm not so sure that he will. As a matter of fact, I get less sure as time goes on. Buckle up! It's going to be one hell of a ride.

[Doofus]

'How did we get guys like this on The Supreme Court?'

Basically, by electing assh*les to be the President.

Of course, sometimes these assh*les SELECT the President,
returning the favor and promoting self-preservation.

But you knew that.

[BadCompany]

God is a fictional character.
We'd better help ourselves.

[leftLibertarian]

This guy is a liberty hating thug. Just human garbage like his masters Bush and Cheney.

[repugssuck]

How about trying to go out and bag a duck with your buddy "Dickie Deferment Cheney" hopefully this time his aim is a little better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[VivaZapata]

pubic enemy number one

[rkx13]

.The Bush/Gore decision was not that bad. It destroyed the justice department, disabled the congress,
fractured the military, killed thousands on 3 continents and bankrupted the nation. Hey don't let it bother you , it was just another decision.

[boylane]

Yes the horror: immoral chosen war against a nation that had NOTHING to do with 9/11, domestic spying, torture, shredding the Constitution, fear as a political stapel, personal and corporate cronyism, secret prisons, secret tribunals...and it goes on and on and on. You are sooooo very right. If Presidnet Gore had served his term all this marvelous HORROR would never have occured. Just think, a Gore presidency may have fought responded to the attack in a way that actually would have put to good use the good will the world had toward us after 9/11, and we would be bogged down in an uncalled for invasion and occupation. Now that's horror you stupid troglodyte!

If this is too personal you don't have to answer, but do you have a dirty bum due to an inability to wipe properly? Most moronic scum suffer from this condition.

[awcbuddy8]

We can only imagine the horror of America after 9/11 were Gore president.

[rkx13]

With President Gore we would have peace, justice and the constitution.

[awcbuddy8]

We would have a emboldened Taliban in charge of Afghanistan, instead of being forced out of the 5% they occupy. Saddam Hussein would still be murdering people and Gore probably would have pussed out and pulled our troops out of Saudi Arabia. By the by, the Constitution is fine, try reading it instead of hiding behind it.

[flacon]

Scalia is a monumental intellect. The country is lucky to have him. May he live and serve forever!

[KOisGod]

Same goes for Bill O'Liely, both are monumental intellects, and have a special gift for expressing what's good for America, and who understand the moral superiority of white men and most especially Republican's.

God bless money and all it buys.

[Blurp]

You're joking, right? That's sarcasm, right?

[comebackid]

I believe Scalia supports laws that make this possible:http://www.cato.org/raidmap/

[TheShadow]

This egomaniac should have never been allowed to be voted to the highest court in the nation. His views are contrary to the ordinary American's concerns, lifestyles, or basic values. He is ethically, and morally bankrupt, and we are stuck for life with his potential societal damaging opinions. His arrogance is disgusting as well.

We can do much better than this, and we deserve better.


.

[awcbuddy8]

Yeah...f**k anybody who follows the Constitution. Gay marriage and abortion for all!!!!!

[BadCompany]

Leave your religion out of this.

[zendem1]

You first.

[BrighterStar]

Scalia believes that a judge should interpret law by deciding what those who passed it thought it meant. Not only is that entirely reasonable I can"t think of any other legitimate way to do it. I do not understand why Scalia is hated by so many. He is the model of what a good justice should be.

[Durango]

So you have no idea how common law works do you?

[BadCompany]

As Ginsberg pointed out on the program, the Founding Fathers (who passed the US constitution) thought it meant "rich white guys" when they wrote "We the People".
Scalia is a model of repulsive.

[BrighterStar]

If you don't want to look to original intent how do you propose a judge decide what a law means?

[BadCompany]

So, you're just going to ignore Ginsberg's point?
Do you think judges should read "We the People" as the Founding Fathers intended it or should it be interpreted according to what it says?

[awcbuddy8]

By whatever he feels like that day.

[ndnndpendent]

Scalia, Robert & Alito----the unholy trinity.................

[zendem1]

Stinkin' Blinkin', and God