By K. Walker,
Roberts recognizes the well-tested Democrat tactic of discrediting, demoralizing, and destroying. He has no interest in subjecting his branch of government to Democrats who are openly acting in bad faith.
They did it with Trump.
And now they are in the process of doing it to SCOTUS.
Now that the Court has a Republican majority for the first time in forever and has tipped away from the legislate-from-the-bench Dems had come to depend on as their end-run around issues too partisan for them to legislate, they hold the institution in contempt.
We have seen a steady increase in pressure to discredit and disqualify Republican nominees.
They have always hated Justice Thomas, but it has ramped up recently, with calls for his removal ranging from his wife’s political associations to financial disclosures to — whatever new angle they will come up with tomorrow.
We remember the obscene things they have said (and continue to say) about Amy Coney Barrett and Bret Kavanaugh — and Chuck Schumer denouncing by name on the steps of the Court with his ominous-sounding ‘reap the whirlwind’ quote against Justices chosen by Republican Presidents.
People like AOC — who equate any criticism of themselves and their favored causes as ‘inciting violence’ — have routinely amplified complaints about the conduct and associations of Republican Justices, including a misleading Politico hit piece yesterday that is being amplified by Schiff, Lieu, and company while being roundly discredited by anyone familiar with the details.
In fact it's an atrociously shoddy story (see here: https://t.co/KMp7HsxNeO) by the same reporter whose anti-Kavanaugh work was exposed by @JCNSeverino and me in Justice on Trial (Chapter 10, I believe). https://t.co/jTMZM2LKPM
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) April 25, 2023
Another garbage hit job. Gorsuch disclosed the amount of sale, never met the the purchaser/has no relationship with him, and the purchaser is a max Democrat donor to Clinton and Gillibrand. https://t.co/bu5gz54n6V
— Garrett Ventry (@GarrettVentry) April 25, 2023
They are doing this because the Democrat dream of packing the Court won’t fly unless they get a groundswell of popular Court echoing their claims that the existing Court (like Trump, or J6 protesters, or FoxNews and Tucker Carlson) is some kind of an existential threat to Democracy that can only be ‘solved’ by way of a massive reversal of American policy and tradition.
They were openly talking about packing the courts 2 years ago once they won the Senate (despite Senate candidates explicitly denying they would do so in their campaigns), but the plan couldn’t get past the filibuster.
AG Garland refused to enforce laws on the books to protect the private residences of members of the third branch of government from public intimidation… despite open calls for protests and violence against Republican appointees to SCOTUS since the Dobbs decision was leaked.
The seething hate the left has for this institution (and for the right more generally) is captured quite neatly in the following tweet.
Professing Christians are now openly compared to the ‘Taliban’ and denounced as ‘cultists.’
In THAT context, Chief Justice Roberts was summoned to testify before the Judiciary Committee by little Dick Durban.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin asked Chief Justice John Roberts or “another Justice whom you designate” to appear before his committee next month for a hearing on Supreme Court ethics rules – a request that is purely voluntary, with Durbin indicating he does not intend to subpoena the justice.
The call for testimony comes after Senate Democrats have raised questions about whether the ethical standards of the High Court need to be reviewed or changed in the wake of a ProPublica report that found Justice Clarence Thomas has gone on several luxury trips involving travel subsidized by GOP megadonor Harlan Crow. — CNN
The Chief Justice gave a reply befitting of someone who understands the independence of a co-equal branch of government is being threatened by invoking law and precedent to tell Durbin, ever-so-sweetly, he can go to Hell.
Some highlights:
‘I must respectfully decline your invitation.’ (that was his only mistake. How can someone do anything respectfully to dumb, dumb Durbin)?
‘separation of powers concerns and the importance of preserving judicial independence
‘only two prior instances… both hearings involved routine matters of judicial administration relating to additional judgeships in the lower courts and jurisdiction over appeals from lower court injunctions.’
‘Congressional testimony from the head of the Executive Branch is likewise infrequent… no President has ever testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee….’
‘In regard to the Court’s approach to ethics matters, I attach a Statement of Ethics Principles and practices to which all of the current Members of the Supreme Court subscribe.’
Cross-Posted with Clash Daily
