No Argument: (Clarence) Thomas Keeps 5-Year Silence

[tishaLA]

A week from Tuesday, when the Supreme Court returns from its midwinter break and hears arguments in two criminal cases, it will have been five years since Justice Clarence Thomas has spoken during a court argument.

If he is true to form, Justice Thomas will spend the arguments as he always does: leaning back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, rubbing his eyes, whispering to Justice Stephen G. Breyer, consulting papers and looking a little irritated and a little bored. He will ask no questions.

In the past 40 years, no other justice has gone an entire term, much less five, without speaking at least once during arguments, according to Timothy R. Johnson, a professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. <...> New York Times

maybe he's just keeping close to the axiom that it's to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and be recognized as a fucking criminal with a teabagger wife. oh, right. We already know that part.

[Mz Pip]

1. Why bother to speak or ask questions?

All Thomas does is copy from Scalia when he does his ruling anyway. Anything else would just be a waste of effort.

[Adsos Letter]

6. He's just there to vote witht the Scalia/Roberts/Alito bloc; no coherent thought necessary.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. wow

[bluestateguy]

3. He's an intellectual lightweight

Probably only qualified to be Justice of the Peace in some small county somewhere.

[brewens]

4. Is there any video of him speaking coherently, or otherwise, recently?

It occurred to me his wifes more visible activism might be a sign he's losing his grip. If he's no longer able to control her could it be a sign he's having some problems? Wouldn't it be a shame for him to be suffering from Alzheimer's or something similar.

[ashling]

10. Excuse me?

Ok, I detest the man. I detest his spouse. They are both pigs! I could go on.

But to suggest that he is losing his faculties because he is "no longer able to control" his wife is just plain sexist.

[brewens]

11. It's not that I would like to see anyone "control" their wife. It's

the way I think someone like him looks at it, and would do if he could.

[blondeatlast]

12. "...no longer able to control her?" Got sexism? nt

[brewens]

15. Like I told the other person that got in me for that. That's the

way I would expect him to look at it, and try to do. Not the way I would ever look at things. So, his wife is causing him a little trouble these days. I would bet he's not happy about it.

[Webster Green]

5. The supreme court is directly responsible for so many of our problems.

Thomas is totally unqualified. He's just a right-wing stooge.

He should be facing impeachment right now for his tax problem.

[Mira]

7. Nicely evaluated, tishaLA.

I don't say this lightly, I am anti violence, I walk out or cover my eyes should I get caught unawares seeing any in a movie, or I step in and stop it in real life if possible.
But Clarence Thomas: I'd like to slap the sh*& out of him all by myself, with my bare hands, and I'd win.
That's been my wish since I watched every minute of the hearings about Anita Hill.

He is a disgrace.

[Control-Z]

8. I'm shocked.

And no one has questioned his behavior - until now (assuming it is now being questioned)? WTF? This needs to get out there. I can't think of anything that would have a bigger impact than replacing one of right wing supremes.

[blondeatlast]

9. I don't know what's scarier: that he doesn't have a mind of his own or that would use one if he had

one.

[Alexander]

13. He's always been like this. Even during the oral arguments in Bush v. Gore he didn't speak.

It's clear he was not cut out for the job, and Bush Sr. just nominated him as a "token" to replace Thurgood Marshall.

[Peregrine Took]

14. We can thank Biden, Spector, Kennedy and others for putting him there.

Cowardly Democrats too timid to challenge him lest they be accused of racism. They treated Anita Hill like dirt.

[opihimoimoi]

16. Political polarization of the COURT has resulted in this Insane SHIT to

subvert our nations well being.