Supreme Court Corruption (Formerly Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire) (1 Viewer)

[cuddlemonkey]

It seems that a billionaire GOP donor has spent a small fortune on vacations for Ginni and Clarence Thomas.

Clarence Thomas Secretly Accepted Luxury Trips From Major GOP Donor

Island-hopping on a superyacht. Private jet rides around the world. The undisclosed gifts to Thomas have no known precedent in the modern history of the Supreme Court. “It’s incomprehensible to me that someone would do this,” says one former judge.

www.propublica.org

 

[SFIDC3]

He also used his sister as a doormat to political prominence.

THOMAS` SISTER`S LIFE GIVES LIE TO HIS WELFARE FABLE

Everyone remembers Janet Cooke, the Washington Post reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize for a story about a 7-year-old heroin addict. It was a poignant, terrifying tear-jerker of a story. Unfortunate…

www.chicagotribune.com

She's like many Americans who are working hard to get by. Her son was in the navy.

The thing that really bugs me is how he shirts on the very system that helps him elevate his status. He actively tries to destroy it.

There is a Netflix show call ugly delicious. David chang interviews a Vietnamese man who immigrated in the 70/80s and the topic of immigration comes up. The guy says he wants more restrictive immigration because he views immigrants today to be lazy. Wtf....

One of my wife's cousins is married to a huge albeit "polished" redneck who is a retired doctor....she was one of the first to come to this country in her family, she feels she is better than everyone that came after her and she is so special because she was here first.....that's the unbelievable unfeeling, uncaring right wing sociopath, fascist POV that she loudly trumpets on FB (she parroted "it must be Antifa during Jan 6th), most of the family particularly the younger folks can't stand her.

Thankfully her kids are different and seem ok but that is the mentality, it really makes no sense that some of the folks that are in or adhere to white supremacy groups and traits are actually non white, but she is a living example in my small world....it's a special kind of sickness....

 

[MT15]

Not that it will matter but I’m glad they’re doing it.

 

[DaveXA]

Not that it will matter but I’m glad they’re doing it.

Exercise in futility, but they're not wrong either.

 

[MT15]

 

[Booker]

Lawmakers Urge 'Corrupt As Hell' Clarence Thomas To Resign After New Revelations

The Supreme Court justice was called out for "a shameless lifestyle underwritten for years by a gaggle of fawning billionaires."

www.yahoo.com

The thing is, there's really no mechanism to actually force him to resign or to hold him accountable short of impeachment -- which will never happen because it would require Republicans to join the effort. Which they would never do both because Biden would then name the replacement, and also because they are loathe to call out one of their own (meanwhile, if it came out that Jackson or Sotomayer accepted a free lunch they'd be calling for hearings).

 

[zztop]

I can't see this happening... but...

 

[cuddlemonkey]

I can't see this happening... but...

This is exactly where I am. We need legislation that sets the number of seats equal to the number of circuit courts with some sort of time frame laid out to nominate judges to fill those seats.

 

[MT15]

This is exactly where I am. We need legislation that sets the number of seats equal to the number of circuit courts with some sort of time frame laid out to nominate judges to fill those seats.

And term limits so SCOTUS isn’t a lifetime appt.

 

[cuddlemonkey]

And term limits so SCOTUS isn’t a lifetime appt.

And a code of ethics FFS.

 

[DaveXA]

This is exactly where I am. We need legislation that sets the number of seats equal to the number of circuit courts with some sort of time frame laid out to nominate judges to fill those seats.

I'd be fine with that only if they set term limits.

I will admit though that once these things happen, SCOTUS will become far, far more politicized, essentially becoming an extension whatever party controls the majority of SCOTUS seats.

 

[coldseat]

I'd be fine with that only if they set term limits.

I will admit though that once these things happen, SCOTUS will become far, far more politicized.

Actually, I think that if you have SCOTUS terms spread out and rotating to where they replace 2 or 3 (depending on the # of judges) during a presidents 4 year term, it would become a lot less political. Because then you wouldn't have the incentive of locking in a conservative or liberal court for years on end like it is now. It would also make the appoints a lot more routine.

That incentive of locking in a court supermajority with lifetime appointments has wreaked havoc once Republicans decided to exploit it with ideological appoints and the Federalist Society.

 

[SFIDC3]

I'd be fine with that only if they set term limits.

I will admit though that once these things happen, SCOTUS will become far, far more politicized, essentially becoming an extension whatever party controls the majority of SCOTUS seats.

You mean, like it is....right now?

 

[DaveXA]

You mean, like it is....right now?

Worse. A lot worse. You'll be replacing a whole lot more judges than we already do and imagine that convoluted nomination and confirmation process every election cycle let alone every year. It would be a complete sheet show.

I was thinking maybe make the terms 12 years, leave the number of justices at 9 and pass a code of ethics bill that would hold them accountable for actions that should be considered unbecoming for a sitting judge. I think if there are too many justices there are a whole host of issues to consider.

I just don't think more justices is going to be the panacea people think it will be. I like the idea of 13 justices, but the more I think about it, the less I like it.

 

[MT15]

Worse. A lot worse. You'll be replacing a whole lot more judges than we already do and imagine that convoluted nomination and confirmation process every election cycle let alone every year. It would be a complete sheet show.

I was thinking maybe make the terms 12 years, leave the number of justices at 9 and pass a code of ethics bill that would hold them accountable for actions that should be considered unbecoming for a sitting judge. I think if there are too many justices there are a whole host of issues to consider.

I just don't think more justices is going to be the panacea people think it will be. I like the idea of 13 justices, but the more I think about it, the less I like it.

I think that I saw a proposal that they would operate much like the circuit (?) courts do now - there would be randomly chosen panels to rule on cases. They would never all be on the same cases. That way they could take more cases as well.

 

[DaveXA]

I think that I saw a proposal that they would operate much like the circuit (?) courts do now - there would be randomly chosen panels to rule on cases. They would never all be on the same cases. That way they could take more cases as well.

That's an interesting approach. I don't know of that would work for SCOTUS, but it certainly seems worth consideration.

 

[SFIDC3]

Worse. A lot worse. You'll be replacing a whole lot more judges than we already do and imagine that convoluted nomination and confirmation process every election cycle let alone every year. It would be a complete sheet show.

Dave, it's a complete sheet show now.....we have a rogue, Christian nationalist majority SC that routinely rules against the will of the majority.....it can't get much worse....

 

[DaveXA]

Dave, it's a complete sheet show now.....we have a rogue, Christian nationalist majority SC that routinely rules against the will of the majority.....it can't get much worse....

Lol, it absolutely can. I used to say things couldn't get worse, until they did, so...nope, not making that mistake again.

 

[LA - L.A.]

Lol, it absolutely can. I used to say things couldn't get worse, until they did, so...nope, not making that mistake again.

Fear of unintentionally making things worse should never keep us from trying to make things better. Things need to be made better with the Supreme Court. The current system is flawed and is vulnerable of leading to an authoritarian takeover of the US.