Cheney Hunting Trip With Scalia Raises Impartiality Questions

[Newsjock]

Saturdays Los Angeles Times

Continues earlier LBN thread that was locked due to incorrect title. Earlier discussion here.

Cheney Hunting Trip With Scalia Raises Impartiality Questions
By David G. Savage, LA Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — Vice President Dick Cheney and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia spent part of last week duck hunting together at a private camp in south Louisiana, just three weeks after the high court agreed to take up the vice president's appeal involving lawsuits over his handling of the administration's energy task force.

While Scalia and Cheney are avid hunters and long-time friends, several experts in legal ethics questioned the timing of their trip.

"The better part of wisdom should have led Justice Scalia to avoid the vice president while this case was pending before the court," said New York University law professor Stephen Gillers.

Federal law says "any justice or judge shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might be questioned."

For nearly three years, Cheney has been fighting demands that he reveal whether he met with energy industry officials, including then-Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay, when he was formulating the president's energy policy...

"I do not think my impartiality could reasonably be questioned," Scalia said today in a written response to an inquiry about the hunting trip. "Vice President Cheney was indeed among the party of about nine who hunted from the camp. Social contacts with high-level executive officials (including Cabinet officers) have never been thought improper for judges who may have before them cases in which those people are involved in their official capacity, as opposed to their personal capacity. For example, Supreme Court justices are regularly invited to dine at the White House, whether or not a suit seeking to compel or prevent certain presidential action is pending."

<snip>

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-011604duck_lat,1,7094291.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[daleo]

1. They do this kind of thing on purpose

Just a subtle (or not so subtle) reminder of how things really work. Guess what - Cheney will win his appeal. Expect this in November, unless there is a landslide against BFEE.

[loudnclear]

31. Why does it raise questions? We already know there is bias.

The Court belongs to the facists.

[Qutzupalotl]

2. Nixonian precedent.

Sirica met with Nixon in private during the Watergate scandal.

Yes, I learn my political history from Bill Hicks routines.

Looks like Chomsky was right. They are all working from the same playbook they used in the 70's.

[AndyTiedye]

4. THEY DON'T CARE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO

It's in the bag (the black box, actually),
unless we can get a landslide.

[arikara]

3. Why would anyone reasonably question it when

its all so blatantly obvious.

If there really was any justice, the whole lot of them would be behind bars.

[homelandpunk]

26. No.... if there was any justice, then they would

mistake each others heads for a duck at the exact same moment.

[arikara]

34. That's too funny!

:D

[NickB79]

5. How much can these guys eat?

First it was 70 cage-released pheasants, now on to ducks. Next week he'll be out shooting elephants and bison, the week after that chucking a harpoon at a whale. I'm all for hunting, but come on! That's unbelievably unsportsman-like behavior to shoot so many birds. I don't think I've bagged that many total in the last 10 yrs I've been hunting.

[susu369]

15. There's hunting and then there is the Safari Club International

Poppy Bush, Schwarzkopt, Dan Quayle among members of the Safari Club International, which is a disgusting (but very powerful and large) group:
http://www.hsus.org/ace/20054

What weighs 21 pounds, contains 2,560 pages, and lists thousands of names and numbers? It's not the New York City telephone directory, but here's a hint: Its listings run from Addax to Zebra.

The answer is Safari Club International's three-volume compendium of trophy hunters who are immortalized in this record book for doing nothing more than killing animals—an entire alphabet of animals—to win SCI awards competitions. The catalog is a macabre scorecard detailing who shot what animal, where and when. Thousands and thousands of animals, covering more than 1,100 species, are figuratively buried between the covers here.

-snip-

Wayne Pacelle, HSUS senior vice president for communications and government affairs, captures the essence of SCI members and their motivation:

"It's a perverse and destructive subculture," he says. "Thousands of animals suffer and die for the amusement of wealthy elites who have the means to pursue any form of recreation, but choose to shoot the world's rarest and most beautiful animals. There's no societal value to the exercise, just a selfish all-consuming mentality of killing, collecting, and showing off trophies. They know the price of every animal, but the value of none."

-snip-

The club contributes large sums to mostly Republican candidates and, not surprisingly, has been able to ingratiate itself with various administrations, most notably the Bush Administration, and with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). With the help of friendly members of Congress and officials in USFWS, SCI has consistently attempted to navigate around the intent of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and import once-banned trophies of endangered and threatened wildlife. Sometimes, the club has succeeded, sometimes not.

-more-

http://www.hsus.org/ace/20054

[Wink]

6. It's so brazen. And nobody gives a fuck either.

During the recount (or should I say count?) of the 2000 selection it was known that Clarence Thomas' wife was working as a head hunter for Bush. That didn't stop Thomas from his part in deciding for a coup. Sandra Day O'Connor openly admitted she was disappointed that Bush didn't win and there was going to be court involvement. These items should have kept the justices from participating in the judgment. It's pure and open corruption of our government we are witnessing.

[homelandpunk]

27. Some powerless Buddhists were considered corruption with Gore,

when he spent a few hours with them, but Cheney spends a a day hunting with Scalia, and well, yawn. This will not get .0001% of the coverage Gore got by visiting some poor Buddhists.

Call it apples and oranges, but it highlights how absoutely immersed and complicit the media is in the goals of these pigfuckers.

[Dover]

7. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck.......

then we must be fucked!

And they just want to be absolutely sure we know it.

[0007]

8. When our hunting party cranks up Chency and Scalia

will be considered less than mud hens.

[dusty64]

9. Only rethugs

get away with blatant conflicts of interest. Every day a new outrage which is ignored by our Pravda.

[MaineDem]

10. Just when I think I've heard everything...

How much worse can this get???

I'm almost ready to give up and move to Ireland.

[pippin]

11. it's their way of saying

* you to the rest of the world. Ofcourse they don't plan to eat any of the stuff they shoot. These guys are so stinking rich they can afford to trash anything they want at what ever it costs. This includes trashing ducks and people. Cheney quite simply is a monster.

[cally]

12. Wasn't it about that time when SC refused

to consider the Texas redistricting? We have to get these thugs out of office.

[leesa]

24. That's right, but I think the most important thing is keeping the

publicly-owned energy records secret. There must be alot of evidence for the phony wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the planned phony wars in Syria, Iran, SA, etc., the energy scam to cripple California, etc. That's what they are really plotting. Or is it how to keep preventing the investigation into 9-11 which would expose their roles in it? So many crimes, it's hard to tell which might be the topic of corruption.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Oh, yes. Black men who are facing drug charges ALWAYS go

out duck hunting with the judge. Why should it be any different for Cheney? <sarcasm>

[Isere]

14. Deeply shocking. Deeply corrupt.

Deeply typical.

We have no chance with these guys. They don't care. Our only hope is to vote them out.

[donsu]

20. vote them out how? the voting machines can be rigged

nt

[Shadder]

33. No

I've reached the conclusion that nothing short of a second American Revolution will remove these thugs. I just do not see any other way.

[teryang]

16. Ex parte contact violates legal ethics

Was the petitioner invited to the duck hunt? This stuff goes on all the time. Someone in the Scalia family worked for the law firm that represented the petitioner in Bush v. Gore. These rightists are ethically blind.

[Southsideirish]

17. Typical "in your face" arrogance of the rich and powerful. (n/t)

[ElsewheresDaughter]

18. just love repuke wildlife conservation non-profitsgroups "ducks unlimited"

Ducks Unlimited, Inc. ...Ducks Unlimited is a private nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to the conservation
of wetlands for the benefit of North America's waterfowl, wildlife ...and rich republican hunters and gun nuts everywhere...they get tons and tons of gov't funding $$$'s and it is nothing but a private rich repuke hunting club!!!!

GOP wildlife conservation. ... :puke: :puke: :puke:
Ducks Unlimited
Governmental Affairs Office
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest
Suite 402
Washington, D.C. 20004-1763
United States
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Our Objective:
Federal programs are some of the most effective ways to conserve millions of acres of wildlife habitat. Our office in Washington, D.C. exists to promote incentive-based, wildlife-friendly legislation.

President Bush signs Historical Wetland Conservation Bill:
Ducks Unlimited Supports Resolution Honoring North America’s Sportsmen
MEMPHIS, TN, September 17, 2003 – Ducks Unlimited recently joined forces with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and forty-two other organizations in an effort to gain congressional support for America’s sportsmen.

In a letter to the Honorable Richard Pombo and the Honorable Nick J. Rahall, Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Resources, respectively, the coalition of outdoor-oriented groups voiced their support of H. Res. 362, a resolution recognizing the importance and contributions of sportsmen and women to American society and our nation’s economy.

“Ducks Unlimited is proud to support this resolution. DU was founded by sportsmen more than 66 years ago, and sportsmen have always played an integral role not only in DU’s conservation work, but in conservation efforts across the continent,” says Don Young, DU’s Executive Vice President.

The organizations’ letter points out that in the United States alone, sportsmen annually contribute $1.7 billion for conservation programs through license fees, tags, stamps, and excise taxes on sporting equipment. “The total economic contribution of sportsmen amounts to $70 billion annually, with a ripple effect amounting to $179 billion per year. To put this in context,” the letters reads, “if sportsmen were a corporation, they would rank #11 on the Fortune 500 list.”

The forty-four organizations that signed the letter asked that the resolution be passed in time for National Hunting and Fishing Day on September 27th. To view a copy of the letter, click here. To view a copy of the proposed resolution, click here.

President Bush Signs Historical Wetlans Conservation Bill
http://www.ducks.org/news/Bush_Signs_NAWCA.asp

Ducks Unlimited Supports Resolution Honoring North America’s Sportsmen: http://www.ducks.org/news/SportsmenResolution.asp

MEMPHIS, TN, September 17, 2003 – Ducks Unlimited recently joined forces with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and forty-two other organizations in an effort to gain congressional support for America’s sportsmen.

In a letter to the Honorable Richard Pombo and the Honorable Nick J. Rahall, Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Resources, respectively, the coalition of outdoor-oriented groups voiced their support of H. Res. 362, a resolution recognizing the importance and contributions of sportsmen and women to American society and our nation’s economy.

“Ducks Unlimited is proud to support this resolution. DU was founded by sportsmen more than 66 years ago, and sportsmen have always played an integral role not only in DU’s conservation work, but in conservation efforts across the continent,” says Don Young, DU’s Executive Vice President.

The organizations’ letter points out that in the United States alone, sportsmen annually contribute $1.7 billion for conservation programs through license fees, tags, stamps, and excise taxes on sporting equipment. “The total economic contribution of sportsmen amounts to $70 billion annually, with a ripple effect amounting to $179 billion per year. To put this in context,” the letters reads, “if sportsmen were a corporation, they would rank #11 on the Fortune 500 list.”

The forty-four organizations that signed the letter asked that the resolution be passed in time for National Hunting and Fishing Day on September 27th. To view a copy of the letter, click here. To view a copy of the proposed resolution, click here.
http://www.ducks.org/news/SportsmenResolution.asp


http://www.ducks.org/conservation/index.asp


Ducks Unlimited - Texas Ducks Unlimited, waterfowl, conservation ...
... President George Bush Discusses Wetlands Conservation with DU President 12/12/03
7:00 AM Washington, DC, December 12, 2003 – Ducks Unlimited President, John ...
www.texasducks.org/

Missouri Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited Community provides grassroots information to Ducks Unlimited
supporters. ... Welcome to the Missouri Ducks Unlimited Web Site. ..

Welcome to South Carolina DUcks Unlimited
Welcome to South Carolina Ducks Unlimited. SPONSORED BY: ALERT! ... Press BACK to
return after sending! ©1996~2001 South Carolina Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
Description: Committed to protecting, enhancing, restoring, and managing important wetlands and associated uplands.
Category: Regional > North America > ... > Organizations > Advocacy
scdu.org/
www.moducks.org/

www.wyomingducks.com

[NickB79]

37. What are you talking about?

The land set aside through the action of Ducks Unlimited is open for anyone to hunt on who has a hunting license. These are NOT private hunting clubs like you say they are. I have hunted on several different parcels of marshland set aside because of their actions, and I am far from a rich Republican.

Furthermore, the tax money that goes to fund the purchase of this land is from taxes on guns, ammunition, and other hunting gear in addition to the ones paid on other goods. They are spending money generated from special taxes that hunters asked to be enacted in the 1930's. Your tax money is hardly touched compared to the amount hunters volunteer to give. The use of this money helps set aside millions of acres of land across the US and generate income nationwide. Would you prefer that those millions of acres of land were not bought and protected by Ducks Unlimited and instead drained and plowed under? I don't see what you're upset about here. Huge areas of land are set aside which greatly benefit wildlife, duck numbers are up considerably from what they were 30 yrs ago, and it is open to ALL hunters who generate income for thousands of companies across the US.

[jpgray]

19. A SC Justice and a Vice President go to DUCK HUNTING CAMP!?

What the hell is a duck hunting camp?

:crazy:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

23. read my post above.."Ducks Unlimited" taxpayer funded private hunting club

for the corporate and washington elite!

[Hand]

28. Just what it sounds like....

Auschwitz for helpless feathered beings with large bills. That Cheney and Scalia indulge in this kind of systematized slaughter for entertainment doesn't surprise me. It is, however, revelatory of their sick, twisted natures.

It's pretty much a known fact that a history of cruelty to animals is a red flag for similar brutality toward humans; serial killers often have this history.

So does the chimp, as we know. He enjoyed blowing up frogs with firecrackers stuffed down their throats as a child. As governor of Texas, he demonstrated sociopathic behavior as a serial executioner. And he surrounds himself with people of the same ilk.

[Skittles]

29. A CAMP FOR COWARDS

HUNTING - THE "SPORT" OF COWARDS.

[Muddleoftheroad]

21. More overreactions

People in D.C. often socialize together. It's a city filled with politicos. If we watched ALL the travel and vacation pairings you'd be shocked to see some of what goes on.

If they want the fix to be in, they don't need a hunting trip to do it. That's just plain silly.

[panzerfaust]

22. And "Sponsered" By

Everyone did notice that the trip was paid for by an Oil Company?

What a surprise!

[Malva Zebrina]

25. the system is broken and there is no one who knows how to fix it

[Skittles]

30. like there is any question how that fuckwit Scalia will rule

he's a f***ing BUSH WHORE.

[pinkpops]

32. we can only hope for the best

[saskatoon]

35. Cheney and Scalia

It's bad enough they do this shit but then they rub our noses in it by being so blatently upfront about it.

[amber dog democrat]

36. WHAT impartiality?

When was Scalia ever impartial? I can not get excited over this.
AS far as I can tell they are both evil.

[Democat]

38. The Democratic Party needs to make this into a major issue and a scandal

But instead they will sit around on their hands and say little, if anything.

Imagine the investigations, news specials, headlines, and screaming that would go on if the roles were reversed.

Our party is broken.