http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/15/us/politics/ruth-bader-ginsburg-donald-trump.html
I have a mixture of feelings about this whole episode. I do think it was inappropriate for Ginsburg to trash Trump. Whether it was truth or opinion seems besides the point. I don't have much in the way of logic to support my opinion. It's just that I expect Supreme Court Justices to avoid that kind of commentary. It seems undignified.
But there is a double standard in my opinion. I also think it's inappropriate for Trump to call members of the lower court racist, or for that matter, for any president or politician to make derogatory comments about court bias or imply in anyway that courts ignore the constitution. But for some reason, I expect this from politicians, low-lifes that they are and am not taken aback by it.
I have a higher expectation for justices, but for the life of me, I don't have any thoughts on why I should hold that double standard.
I agreed with her take on Chump; but I'm with you (and many others) who think she should not have said it publicly.
She shouldn't have said it publically. While there is not a rule that Supreme Court justices can't voice political opinions, lower courts have an explicit rule against this, there is an expectation that justices are impartial. There is no expectation that a politician is impartial. Do we want Supreme Court justices going on news programs wearing t-shirts that say "Hillary lied and people died?" or "Trump = Racist"?
I also think that because she made a sincere public apology the matter should be dropped. Everyone says things at times they didn't completely think through. If Trump sincerely said "I apologize for saying ____. I was wrong, out of line and that comment doesn't reflect how I truly feel" I would let that go too.
The big issue for me is; suppose my biggest and best pal (Chump) does win the Presidency? I am not confident at all; either of them could maintain any professional objectivity or decorum on national interest issues they were on opposite sides of.
I think its a strange situation we live in when the people whose job it is to ensure we can continue to freely express our opinions are themselves barred from doing so.
Did she express her opinion on Trump in the midst of delivering an opinion on a legal matter being heard by the supreme court? No. She delivered her criticism of Trump as an American citizen who has the right to do so. The consensus here seems to be that she should not have spoken, not that what she said was wrong. I can't get on board with that. She should be allowed to say whatever the fuck she wants to whomever will listen, and if "legal experts" or whatever get their panties in a twist because its not "done" then they can shove their traditions up their asses.
Rule #1 of politics: never apologize to a Republican.
I don't expect the Supreme Court to be impartial, so I don't find what she did wrong in the least. Let's face it; the Supreme Court members are appointed precisely to be impartial and to lean towards which ever party put them into power. They may be more central of the party proper but you know they are going to back the side that put them in 9 times out of 10.
Quote from: Nonsensei on July 14, 2016, 09:34:33 PM
I think its a strange situation we live in when the people whose job it is to ensure we can continue to freely express our opinions are themselves barred from doing so.
This is a good point. I think we expect judges to be impartial, but we know in reality, they are not. When they speak as citizens, we have to confront the reality of judicial bias, and our bubble of American democracy deflates.
If Trump can have an opinion about a judge's qualifications based on that judge's heritage then a judge can have an opinion on the exact size of ass Trump is.
And there's your difference between a liberal and a conservative -- a liberal is capable of admitting a mistake and attempting to make amends.
And while I agree with what she said, I also agree that it was an inappropriate thing for a Supreme Court justice to have said, and I appreciate that she was able to take responsibility for it and apologize.