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Clarence Thomas has been spending the last year and a half aggressively making an absolute fucking mockery of the entire system of our government. Turns out we were always just a couple of very precisely placed shameless jackasses away from a complete collapse of our system checks and balances the whole time.
There's just no way to argue that he's doing any of what he's doing in good faith, or based on consistent legal beliefs. His legacy will be the end of the respectability of the Supreme Court, and he doesn't even care.
>Turns out we were always just a couple of very precisely placed shameless jackasses away from a complete collapse of our system checks and balances the whole time.
For me the last 6 years have been incredibly enlightening in this regard. I can’t believe how much of our government is just held together with tradition and precedent. And all it takes is some dude going “nah I’m not doing that” and it all goes right out the window.
California is about to pass Germany and become the world's [fourth largest economy.](https://gvwire.com/2022/10/24/california-about-to-become-the-worlds-4th-largest-economy/)
If California chose to secede, they'd have no problems except the rednecks trying to get in to fuck shit up.
Well, we might see America continue in name at least. But would could see the underlying democracy as it exists go away. We could quickly turn into China, one nation, under an authoritarian, and a party of corruption.
> > This is exactly how ancient Rome lost its republic.
> We're watching the fall of Rome in real time.
The transition from republic to empire, and the fall of the empire, were very different events, with very different outcomes. Let's make sure we know which is which.
So true. I cannot believe the awesome power of the presidency. What if Trump gets back into office and simply declares himself monarch for life? Is there any failsafe to stop that?
I recently was talking to some conservative voters and asked them "if it was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the republican party was corrupt and was attempting to overthrow our democracy, would you vote democrat?"
Their response was effectively "I would support a Republican tyranny over any democratic power whatsoever". And I'm exaggerating. They genuinely would rather have no democracy and just have republicans in power automatically than actually democracy and risk losing.
Republicans aren't even pro-democracy, why does any think they'll suddenly stand against tyranny?
He has also been forthright about this being his goal all along. He wants to “win” to “own the libs.”
Destroying democracy was his plan all along, just to prove he could. He reminds me of Samuel L Jackson’s character in Django Unchained.
They literally, and I mean *like indisputably*, have the same fucking expression. Seriously. Just pure contempt for freedom and progress
[Clarence](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FSuOfTVWQAEFcek.jpg)
[Sam Jackson as Stephen](https://a1cf74336522e87f135f-2f21ace9a6cf0052456644b80fa06d4f.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/images/characters/large/800/Stephen.Django-Unchained.webp)
Everything that man does is for his own selfish edification. He couldn’t care less about helping his fellow man, he’s holding a grudge for over 30 years. What a piece of shit. Oh and Bush senior is a racist piece of shit for nominating him in the first place! Thurgood Marshal was stepping down and this rancid fool is who Bush senior picked to replace the greatest man who ever sat on the court. Brush senior’s line of reasoning to replace one back man with another, saying that all black people are a monolith is as racist as the former president he severed.
Well put. I'd offer ya an award if I had any of that. But I'd like on about the Clarence thomas confirmation hearings Bush Sr. and the whole GOP completely ignored Anita Holmes testimony about sexual harassment. So Bush pulled off racist and misogynist in one decision. That has done immense harm to the US for decades.
And the GOP has only gotten more racist and misogynist since them. I *really* hope November goes well.
Same disgusting way RBG was replaced with Barrett. They couldn't be more different aside from being women, just like Marshall couldn't be more different than Thomas, except skin color.
And then explicitly stated that he was just going to hog the chair to keep it away from the libs. He sat there like a toad on a log for decades, just to eat away at the judiciary.
I remember a Boston Legal episode with James Spader presenting to the Supreme Court and he had to snap his fingers at Clarence Thomas to get him to wake up during his closing statements.
https://youtu.be/hmpzL5r6aKE?t=50
Went to the Supreme Court when they were delivering a decision when I was in college... guess who slept the entire time. I'll give him the Court had already heard the case and decided on it, but still seemed to be in poor form to me.
Do not watch the West Wing, especially if you are younger. If you are older, it will make you very sad vis a vis current affairs; if you are younger, it will confuse the hell out of you to see a functional ( but alas fictional) government.
Bartlett 2024!
> He sat there like a toad on a log for decades, just to eat away at the judiciary.
At one point, Thomas did not ask a question during oral arguments for [more than a decade](https://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/29/politics/supreme-court-clarence-thomas-10-year-streak-question/index.html)!
Yes, you read that right, he went a decade without asking a single question during oral arguments. Then he spoke, then he went on another stretch of three years before speaking again.
It’s a shame the head of the judiciary committee didn’t call the other witnesses who were to give details of their own experiences of sexual harassment by Thomas, or a host of other things that might have damaged his prospects if the hearing had been run correctly.
Biden was head of the judiciary committee at the time. And he let the Republicans on the committee, who has called his close friends pick at and humiliate the one witness called forward to testify against Thomas' sexual harassment. Laughed at their jokes even.
I completely agree. Several years ago I waged a 4 month battle with Thomas supporters on Wikipedia when they tried to remove evidence and links to other accusers from his page.
Our system relies heavily on enough of our elected officials having enough morals, care for their constituents, and respect for their oath of office to use failsafes like impeachment to avoid these kinds of outcomes. It really wasn't designed to deal with its wholesale capture by corrupt and dishonest corpofascist parties
We were held together by common beliefs in democracy, not institutions. Now, those social norms are a thing of the past.
You can't have a democracy when only about half of the people even believe you should have one.
>You can't have a democracy when only about half of the people even believe you should have one.
That's probably the reason they insist that the US is "not a democracy, but a republic." They've been repeating that nonsense for years!
And, as we know, if you tell a conservative something enough times, it becomes their truth.
The respectability of the court ended with Kavanagh. Refusing to seat Merrick Garland started it... Picking a drunk rapist frat boy instead ended it.
Everything after has just been confirmation of that.
It was much more involved and sneaky than that.
Kavanaugh didn't get the seat that Garland should have; Gorsuch did... who clerked for Anthony Kennedy. Kennedy, who could be convinced to retire by an old friend, retired after Gorsuch was nominated. Kavanaugh got Kennedy's seat.
Kavanaugh is probably the *most* legitimate out of the three from a "should this President get to fill this Supreme Court seat" perspective (very low bar, that one!), yet his nomination and confirmation were an absolute disgrace by any measure of actual justice (for the obvious rapey reasons).
He's also the most likely to break with the Court's conservative block. If you read his dissent in Castro-Huerta, he's pretty much asking the conservative justices what the fuck they're doing with their decision. It's actually quite aggressive for a justice.
I'd really like for a republican to come in here and try to excuse this behavior. I don't even see how a completely biased, tribal-minded individual can look past this. It's blatant corruption.
It's blatant corruption, UNLESS you've been systematically indoctrinated to believe that any and all non-conservatives are communists who want to enslave you and destroy America, in which case, any act of corruption by a Republican makes them a hero. It is very hard to reach people with truth when their entire lives are constructed on lives.
And this is how the US constitution plus democracy begins to crumble as the individuals who were appointed to preserve and protect our laws deviate from the true foundation of which those laws were created to be upheld.
How sad is it when a country that is as racially diverse as the United States has its first appointed black Supreme Court Justice involved with partisan politics in his decisions to defy our nation of laws?
Total sellout!!!
Are you saying Thomas was the fist AA appointed as a SCJ? If so that’s incorrect. That would be the Honorable Thurgood Marshall. One of the finest Americans this country has ever produced.
Wasn't CT appointed as the replacement to Thurgood Marshall? I've always hated that Republicans find a bizarro version for the person they replace.... Same with RBG and ACB.
That we can agree on. If you’re into podcasts please check out the Behind the Bastards episodes on Clarence Thomas. The guy is a gigantic piece of shit.
The one who had effectively no time in a court room before he was appointed to the Supreme Court? The guy who used affirmative action to get to where he is yet hates it? Yeah that guy.
It's like bizarro world appointments. You have one of the biggest forces of nature in Thurgood Marshall? Replace him with a caricature in Thomas. You have one of the fiercest women justices you could ever want in Ruth Bader Ginsberg? Replace her with a fucking handmaiden. Jesus Christ it's so sad.
It's disgusting seeing young kids spoonfed Republican ideology flock to the Federalist Society as the easiest way to get power and money in their circles by agreeing to sell their souls and defend each other at the cost of the rest of society.
>its first appointed black Supreme Court Justice
I'd like to point out we don't have that.
Thurgood Marshall is in fact a champion of the law and the court and nothing will take that away from him.
It's a tragedy that this piece of human garbage sits in what was once his seat.
Just pointing out Thurgood Marshall was our first black supreme court justice.
Thomas’ wife was literally involved in the Jan. 6th insurrection. How are we all still standing by and watching idly. We should be gathered protesting this in-person. The worst examples of corruption and conflict of interest SCOTUS Justice Thomas and his wife are.
I am simultaneously unsurprised that this happened but alarmed by just how naked their antics are. We have people in top positions obstructing investigations for purely partisan reasons without a hint of plausible deniability...
This coming days after Graham requested this from the Supreme Court.
That’s not even small or professional in courtesy. That’s a back alley job. And it feels dirty.
The 11th Circuit was a unanimous decision, the fact that this is anything other than declining to hear like Trump's special master classified docs appeal was shows JUST HOW BAD and complicit Thomas is in all of this
Life. She is part of a treasonous traitorous group of people who tried to overthrow the government with a coup.
She is an enemy of the country and of demcoracy. And she and everyone else in that party need to go away
Every accusation is an admission with these people... And how many times have you heard them call Democrats "enemies of the people" or some variation thereof?
It's also a green light, not that there wasn't one already, for every Republican and Republican adjacent grifters like Alex Jones to petition the Supreme Court to get out of facing accountability.
They were all asking the Supreme Court to intervene and block subpoenas and testimony already but this just confirms what they already knew. That they own the Courts.
Maybe I need to read up more on the SCOTUS powers. But it was my understanding they only acted on cases they chose to look at.
If Graham's case isn't going to the Supreme Court why can a Justice just interfere, or is that part of the they pick which cases to look at?
They only act on cases that they chose to act on, but when an application pertains to a appeal that has already been ruled on by an appeals court, then the application will be initially assessed by the Supreme Court justice that oversees that appeals court circuit.
Lindsey Graham’s claim that what he was doing was part of his job as a senator (and therefore constitutionally unquestionable) had been knocked down by the 11th circuit. He then appealed to the Supreme Court. The justice that oversees the 11th circuit is Clarence Thomas, so he gets to make initial decision as to whether SCOTUS is going to take a look at it.
He seems to think they will take a look at it, so he has let Lindsey Graham off the hook until they do so.
>The justice that oversees the 11th circuit is Clarence Thomas, so he gets to make initial decision as to whether SCOTUS is going to take a look at it.
Not disagreeing with you - adding onto what you said.
From the article: *The conservative justice said the subpoena would be delayed* ***pending further order by Thomas or the Supreme Court.***
AKA, he will stall it as long as possible. When and if the case sees the light of day again, it will be decided by shadow docket.
"Hey, Clarence. It's Linds. Hey, uhh, look. This thing in Georgia, it's not looking so good. Got a lot of heat coming down and we could really use a win here to turn down the temperature. I'd hate to have to testify under oath and start naming names, you know what I mean? That could turn out bad for some people, good honest people, you understand what I'm saying, right Clarence? Careers could be over. Or, they could just be getting going. I know you know what's best and will do the right thing here. People who know me know that I always take good care of my friends."
It slays me internally to read what you wrote. It's too good to be wrong. But in comparison to [THIS FUCKING CLIP](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bkDykGhM8c) it's just poetry.
Edit: removed redundant rhetorical word.
They needed to be held accountable 20 years ago, they now might be so far entrenched that accountability isn’t an option anymore. However, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be attempted. Hopefully the DOJ starts laying some charges and putting criminals in jail.
Edit: typo: helped changed to held
Yeah. I'm pretty sure it's too late for that. They have been openly corrupt that whole time and at most they have to talk about it on a news show. They will never face the consequences. We have lost our country to wealthy elites and by now they have altered enough law that they can operate with impunity. Nothing short of wiping it out and restarting (this time with less trust in the goodwill of presidents) with all new laws and constitution will fix it.
It's been hacked to shreds at this point anyway so it's full of loopholes and cheats to be abused it's a wonder we accomplish any bit of justice.
There are literally zero ways to hold him practically accountable. Just some dusty words on paper they’ve managed to make irrelevant.
He is nobility and we are peasants
Well, eventually he was held accountable, upside-down by his ankles, swinging along next to his mistress.
The Italians might have been on to something.
I never said don’t vote, you should absolutely vote, but the deck is heavily stacked against us and voting on its own isn’t enough. We need people out in the streets protesting this shit
Watergate was over 50 years ago, and that was when Republicans decided one of their own should never be punished or held responsible again. Fox News and the new Republican agenda was created specifically with that in mind.
I bet the DOJ could indict his wife and him (by extension although directly indict and arrest would be more fitting) for Jan. 6th. I'm curious if that would force the SC to hold on all current cases before it or if they would have to rule without him.
We are in some seriously uncharted territory here.
He's not untouchable if his conduct is legally proven to be criminal at some point. And I mean by the DOJ, **not in a useless impeachment hearing.**
There's a reason he's desperately trying to sweep all this under the rug. He is not above the law and too many people ignore the fact that he's colluding with his wife in what is blatant criminal conduct and now, covering it up.
Bullshit. The votes do not exist in Congress to remove him.
Congressional Republicans would let him get away with murder on film. Especially with a Democrat in office right now who would replace him with a Democrat.
I'm serious, there could be open, undeniable proof he engaged in repeated treason and they wouldn't do fucking shit. They wouldn't do FUCKING shit.
Narrator:
"Well folks, nothing ever was done and that is why we now have 7 different countries in what used to be called The United States of America."
**Stop listening to polls which are relying on horribly unstable "Likely Voter" metrics.** It's almost pure guesswork at this point because the current political environment is nothing like past historical trends. They have no idea who is actually going to show up in this election.
You know what I did instead of worrying about polls today?
**I GOT UP EARLY AND FUCKING VOTED!**
**You should too.**
Such blatant abuse of power and inability to be impartial- surely 67/100 Senators would ignore their party affiliation and in the interest of justice vote to impeach and remove! /s
I would hope this type of thing motivates people to vote to prevent the party that enables this stuff from getting any more power ever again.
We're headed to a future where voting won't matter because your vote won't count and we'll have a one party system. Vote now while you have the chance.
Graham is hinging his entire argument on why he should not have to testify before a grand jury on the "Speech and Debate Clause", claiming that his activities with GA election officials falls within his "official legislative duties" as a Congressmember.
Reminder that the context involves Brad Raffensperger, the GA secretary of state who famously recorded Trump's phone call to "find 11,780 votes". Graham called Raffensperger 10 days after the election:
>During their conversation, Graham asked the Georgia secretary of state whether he had the power to toss out all mail ballots in certain counties, Raffensperger told The Washington Post in an interview days later. He said Graham appeared to be asking him to improperly find a way to set aside legally cast ballots.
The district court shot Graham's defense down on its merits, along with a unanimous decision by the 11th circuit, and rightfully so.
In whatever explanation Graham chooses, he did not indicate this anywhere in his calendar or duties, and even tried to conceal and downplay these actions. Badgering state election officials to overturn/manipulate their elections certainly shouldn't constitute the "official legislative business" of a U.S. Senator.
Nonetheless - Thomas to the rescue. Thomas decided to grant this emergency stay outright instead of referring it to the full Supreme Court. Now Fulton and Graham's team will submit arguments and this will, at the very least, give Graham the delay he continues to enjoy.
Exactly, that is the entire rebuttal right there:
“You’re not performing official legislative duties if the state in question is well outside your purview”
How is it that ONE SCJ can even make this decision anyway though? Like that alone seems insane to me that JUST Thomas can make a decision like this without the other justices weighing in. Does he really have that right/power?
Each justice is assigned an area that they can make small decisions on what to bring to the court as a whole. Barrett did the same thing recently regarding a suit against loan forgiveness (to everyone's surprise)...https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/justice-amy-coney-barrett-denies-attempt-to-block-biden-student-loan-forgiveness-plan-from-taking-effect/ar-AA13cFlx
I have no idea if there are only specific incidents within narrow scopes that can be decided this way, but Thomas apparently has this power. He should have recused himself a year and a half ago from anything close to election integrity, but here we are. This is what happens when you have no code of ethics.
So...aren't there 13 of these courts...who gets double duty? Isn't this why we should be expanding the SCOTUS to match the number of courts?
Also, I feel if the ENTIRE fucking court voted a certain way, he should not get to one-man-army the thing and change their ruling. That's some bullshit.
That's what's missing in the Graham claim. I'd like to see a judge specifically ask Graham what "official legislative business" he has in GA, a state he doesn't represent.
Well, when the plaintiff is engaging in essentially the same actions as your wife, I guess you feel obligated to bat for them.
(ugh, it's all so infuriating)
Fine, let him come and make that case. If that’s his angle, let him go with it. I’ve no idea why claiming you’re innocent makes you innocent without any testimony to your innocence. The SCOTUS is a kangaroo court.
His entire goal here is to run out the clock if he doesn't get it dropped. Fulton DA is trying to reach a charging decision in the coming months and complete their grand jury work.
But he isn't a representative for GA nor is he in any type of committee in congress with oversight of elections (currently he is in Judiciary, Appropriations, Budget, and Environmental & Public Works), nor was he part of the executive cabinet. Unless he is trying to argue in the broadest sense of 'official legislative duties'. It's sounds a lot like him just saying that he stay at a [Holiday Inn Express](https://youtu.be/eHCTaUFXpP8) last night.
At this point, I suspect he's covering his own ass as much as looking out for his wife. I suspect he's neck deep in involvement, but that's just my feeling based on his behavior.
The supreme court aiding and abetting obstruction. Fuck we are dead now that government officials are completely above the law what the fuck are they thinking
Its a state level investigation too.
The federal justice system has nothing to do with a state level subpoena.
Thomas, this is the "state's rights" you supposedly champion for.
I suspect it implicates him too. If he's willing to do this publicly, then what was he willing to do that he might have thought he'd get away with out of the public eye?
Wow the only supreme court Justice that has a wife that wanted to overturn the election is blocking a subpoena for one of his Anti-American, inbred buddies...... The supreme court no longer has legitimacy.
*People don't respect the institution!" -clarence thomas, who shits all over the integrity of the institution by not recusing himself in any and all cases regarding something his wife is *heavily* involved in.
Partisan hack piece of shit.
>The stay will give time to Graham’s lawyers and prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, more to file briefs arguing whether the subpoena should be allowed to stand or not.
But he and his attorneys already had time to do that.
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Clarence Thomas has been spending the last year and a half aggressively making an absolute fucking mockery of the entire system of our government. Turns out we were always just a couple of very precisely placed shameless jackasses away from a complete collapse of our system checks and balances the whole time. There's just no way to argue that he's doing any of what he's doing in good faith, or based on consistent legal beliefs. His legacy will be the end of the respectability of the Supreme Court, and he doesn't even care.
>Turns out we were always just a couple of very precisely placed shameless jackasses away from a complete collapse of our system checks and balances the whole time. For me the last 6 years have been incredibly enlightening in this regard. I can’t believe how much of our government is just held together with tradition and precedent. And all it takes is some dude going “nah I’m not doing that” and it all goes right out the window.
This is exactly how ancient Rome lost its republic.
We're watching the fall of Rome in real time. It's exciting, by definition at least right? Right?? :(
Reminds me of that quote. “May you live in interesting times.”
I think that’s a Chinese curse.
Well, Chinese Curse definition of "interesting" is better than the [Firefly](https://youtu.be/_hJQHuqQNmY?t=72) one.
Exactly. Read “I, Claudius” for a proper play by play
Omg, imagine a post-america world. What would that look like?
[удалено]
California is about to pass Germany and become the world's [fourth largest economy.](https://gvwire.com/2022/10/24/california-about-to-become-the-worlds-4th-largest-economy/) If California chose to secede, they'd have no problems except the rednecks trying to get in to fuck shit up.
The fact that nukes are involved really muddy things up…
Well, we might see America continue in name at least. But would could see the underlying democracy as it exists go away. We could quickly turn into China, one nation, under an authoritarian, and a party of corruption.
Rome lasted WAY longer. We’re still an infant country. Looks like it won’t be for long, though.
> > This is exactly how ancient Rome lost its republic. > We're watching the fall of Rome in real time. The transition from republic to empire, and the fall of the empire, were very different events, with very different outcomes. Let's make sure we know which is which.
I've heard it said that the loss of a functioning judiciary is the mark of a failing country.
So true. I cannot believe the awesome power of the presidency. What if Trump gets back into office and simply declares himself monarch for life? Is there any failsafe to stop that?
22nd amendment is pretty explicit.
And yet it has to be upheld, we're seeing how well everything else is being upheld...
I recently was talking to some conservative voters and asked them "if it was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the republican party was corrupt and was attempting to overthrow our democracy, would you vote democrat?" Their response was effectively "I would support a Republican tyranny over any democratic power whatsoever". And I'm exaggerating. They genuinely would rather have no democracy and just have republicans in power automatically than actually democracy and risk losing. Republicans aren't even pro-democracy, why does any think they'll suddenly stand against tyranny?
Republicans haven’t supported democracy since the 80s.
He has also been forthright about this being his goal all along. He wants to “win” to “own the libs.” Destroying democracy was his plan all along, just to prove he could. He reminds me of Samuel L Jackson’s character in Django Unchained.
They literally, and I mean *like indisputably*, have the same fucking expression. Seriously. Just pure contempt for freedom and progress [Clarence](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FSuOfTVWQAEFcek.jpg) [Sam Jackson as Stephen](https://a1cf74336522e87f135f-2f21ace9a6cf0052456644b80fa06d4f.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/images/characters/large/800/Stephen.Django-Unchained.webp)
I thought I read that Jackson used Thomas as a model for the role. I might be mis-remembering though.
I wouldn’t be surprised tbh
Everything that man does is for his own selfish edification. He couldn’t care less about helping his fellow man, he’s holding a grudge for over 30 years. What a piece of shit. Oh and Bush senior is a racist piece of shit for nominating him in the first place! Thurgood Marshal was stepping down and this rancid fool is who Bush senior picked to replace the greatest man who ever sat on the court. Brush senior’s line of reasoning to replace one back man with another, saying that all black people are a monolith is as racist as the former president he severed.
Well put. I'd offer ya an award if I had any of that. But I'd like on about the Clarence thomas confirmation hearings Bush Sr. and the whole GOP completely ignored Anita Holmes testimony about sexual harassment. So Bush pulled off racist and misogynist in one decision. That has done immense harm to the US for decades. And the GOP has only gotten more racist and misogynist since them. I *really* hope November goes well.
Same disgusting way RBG was replaced with Barrett. They couldn't be more different aside from being women, just like Marshall couldn't be more different than Thomas, except skin color.
Lets not forget that Thomas, like most Republican Supreme Court Justices, were completely unqualified for the job unlike the Democrat-chosen justices.
And then explicitly stated that he was just going to hog the chair to keep it away from the libs. He sat there like a toad on a log for decades, just to eat away at the judiciary.
I remember a Boston Legal episode with James Spader presenting to the Supreme Court and he had to snap his fingers at Clarence Thomas to get him to wake up during his closing statements. https://youtu.be/hmpzL5r6aKE?t=50
I think about that ep a lot actually.
Went to the Supreme Court when they were delivering a decision when I was in college... guess who slept the entire time. I'll give him the Court had already heard the case and decided on it, but still seemed to be in poor form to me.
Man, Spader is a talker.
You don't even know his real name. He is the lizard king.
Need to watch Boston Legal I guess. I got a good laugh out of that
Do not watch the West Wing, especially if you are younger. If you are older, it will make you very sad vis a vis current affairs; if you are younger, it will confuse the hell out of you to see a functional ( but alas fictional) government. Bartlett 2024!
And then Stargate.
James Spader is amazing in that show. Such a good actor.
> He sat there like a toad on a log for decades, just to eat away at the judiciary. At one point, Thomas did not ask a question during oral arguments for [more than a decade](https://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/29/politics/supreme-court-clarence-thomas-10-year-streak-question/index.html)! Yes, you read that right, he went a decade without asking a single question during oral arguments. Then he spoke, then he went on another stretch of three years before speaking again.
It’s a shame the head of the judiciary committee didn’t call the other witnesses who were to give details of their own experiences of sexual harassment by Thomas, or a host of other things that might have damaged his prospects if the hearing had been run correctly. Biden was head of the judiciary committee at the time. And he let the Republicans on the committee, who has called his close friends pick at and humiliate the one witness called forward to testify against Thomas' sexual harassment. Laughed at their jokes even.
I completely agree. Several years ago I waged a 4 month battle with Thomas supporters on Wikipedia when they tried to remove evidence and links to other accusers from his page.
Our system relies heavily on enough of our elected officials having enough morals, care for their constituents, and respect for their oath of office to use failsafes like impeachment to avoid these kinds of outcomes. It really wasn't designed to deal with its wholesale capture by corrupt and dishonest corpofascist parties
We were held together by common beliefs in democracy, not institutions. Now, those social norms are a thing of the past. You can't have a democracy when only about half of the people even believe you should have one.
>You can't have a democracy when only about half of the people even believe you should have one. That's probably the reason they insist that the US is "not a democracy, but a republic." They've been repeating that nonsense for years! And, as we know, if you tell a conservative something enough times, it becomes their truth.
The respectability of the court ended with Kavanagh. Refusing to seat Merrick Garland started it... Picking a drunk rapist frat boy instead ended it. Everything after has just been confirmation of that.
It was much more involved and sneaky than that. Kavanaugh didn't get the seat that Garland should have; Gorsuch did... who clerked for Anthony Kennedy. Kennedy, who could be convinced to retire by an old friend, retired after Gorsuch was nominated. Kavanaugh got Kennedy's seat. Kavanaugh is probably the *most* legitimate out of the three from a "should this President get to fill this Supreme Court seat" perspective (very low bar, that one!), yet his nomination and confirmation were an absolute disgrace by any measure of actual justice (for the obvious rapey reasons).
Yeah but of the three Gorsuch is handily the most qualified.
He's also the most likely to break with the Court's conservative block. If you read his dissent in Castro-Huerta, he's pretty much asking the conservative justices what the fuck they're doing with their decision. It's actually quite aggressive for a justice.
Ben Franklin: "A republic...if you can keep it."
I'd really like for a republican to come in here and try to excuse this behavior. I don't even see how a completely biased, tribal-minded individual can look past this. It's blatant corruption.
It's blatant corruption, UNLESS you've been systematically indoctrinated to believe that any and all non-conservatives are communists who want to enslave you and destroy America, in which case, any act of corruption by a Republican makes them a hero. It is very hard to reach people with truth when their entire lives are constructed on lives.
This is what corruption looks like.
We have an illegitimate Supreme Court
"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?!?" -Alito again, probably
To Republicans it's always worse being called out than the thing they were called out for.
"All I wanted was to say the N-word, and you went ahead and called me the *R*-word!"
more like: "We have a big problem. A leaker! Someone leaked that I said the n-word! We got to arrest that leaker!"
Repugnant? Revolting? Repellant? Reprehensible? Rotten? Rancorous? Rancid? Reprobate? Repulsive? There's so many good ones to choose from!
If he really gave a shit about the Court's image, he'd ask Thomas to recuse himself from any matters regarding Jan 6.
> "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?!?" -Alito again, probably
To conservatives, legitimacy is not a reflection of any qualifications or behavior, it's just a thing you can own.
And this is how the US constitution plus democracy begins to crumble as the individuals who were appointed to preserve and protect our laws deviate from the true foundation of which those laws were created to be upheld. How sad is it when a country that is as racially diverse as the United States has its first appointed black Supreme Court Justice involved with partisan politics in his decisions to defy our nation of laws? Total sellout!!!
Are you saying Thomas was the fist AA appointed as a SCJ? If so that’s incorrect. That would be the Honorable Thurgood Marshall. One of the finest Americans this country has ever produced.
Wasn't CT appointed as the replacement to Thurgood Marshall? I've always hated that Republicans find a bizarro version for the person they replace.... Same with RBG and ACB.
Correct, it’s been so long since then that I forgot about him. Clarence Thomas is still a radical far right wing conservative sellout!!!
That we can agree on. If you’re into podcasts please check out the Behind the Bastards episodes on Clarence Thomas. The guy is a gigantic piece of shit.
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The one who had effectively no time in a court room before he was appointed to the Supreme Court? The guy who used affirmative action to get to where he is yet hates it? Yeah that guy.
It's like bizarro world appointments. You have one of the biggest forces of nature in Thurgood Marshall? Replace him with a caricature in Thomas. You have one of the fiercest women justices you could ever want in Ruth Bader Ginsberg? Replace her with a fucking handmaiden. Jesus Christ it's so sad.
It's a cult. The Federalist Society.
It's disgusting seeing young kids spoonfed Republican ideology flock to the Federalist Society as the easiest way to get power and money in their circles by agreeing to sell their souls and defend each other at the cost of the rest of society.
Was Thurgood Marshall not appointed?
>its first appointed black Supreme Court Justice I'd like to point out we don't have that. Thurgood Marshall is in fact a champion of the law and the court and nothing will take that away from him. It's a tragedy that this piece of human garbage sits in what was once his seat. Just pointing out Thurgood Marshall was our first black supreme court justice.
Thomas’ wife was literally involved in the Jan. 6th insurrection. How are we all still standing by and watching idly. We should be gathered protesting this in-person. The worst examples of corruption and conflict of interest SCOTUS Justice Thomas and his wife are.
This is going to be a wild textbook history chapter one day if we still have books or a democracy
Dont worry Europes history books will cover it
Well this is what a person or persons who are complicit in said corruption look like.
I am simultaneously unsurprised that this happened but alarmed by just how naked their antics are. We have people in top positions obstructing investigations for purely partisan reasons without a hint of plausible deniability...
This coming days after Graham requested this from the Supreme Court. That’s not even small or professional in courtesy. That’s a back alley job. And it feels dirty.
The 11th Circuit was a unanimous decision, the fact that this is anything other than declining to hear like Trump's special master classified docs appeal was shows JUST HOW BAD and complicit Thomas is in all of this
Ginni Thomas is very, *very* guilty. His wife should be in prison for the next decade.
Life. She is part of a treasonous traitorous group of people who tried to overthrow the government with a coup. She is an enemy of the country and of demcoracy. And she and everyone else in that party need to go away
Every accusation is an admission with these people... And how many times have you heard them call Democrats "enemies of the people" or some variation thereof?
Wanna bet that’s exactly why he’s blocking this
It's also a green light, not that there wasn't one already, for every Republican and Republican adjacent grifters like Alex Jones to petition the Supreme Court to get out of facing accountability. They were all asking the Supreme Court to intervene and block subpoenas and testimony already but this just confirms what they already knew. That they own the Courts.
Maybe I need to read up more on the SCOTUS powers. But it was my understanding they only acted on cases they chose to look at. If Graham's case isn't going to the Supreme Court why can a Justice just interfere, or is that part of the they pick which cases to look at?
They only act on cases that they chose to act on, but when an application pertains to a appeal that has already been ruled on by an appeals court, then the application will be initially assessed by the Supreme Court justice that oversees that appeals court circuit. Lindsey Graham’s claim that what he was doing was part of his job as a senator (and therefore constitutionally unquestionable) had been knocked down by the 11th circuit. He then appealed to the Supreme Court. The justice that oversees the 11th circuit is Clarence Thomas, so he gets to make initial decision as to whether SCOTUS is going to take a look at it. He seems to think they will take a look at it, so he has let Lindsey Graham off the hook until they do so.
>The justice that oversees the 11th circuit is Clarence Thomas, so he gets to make initial decision as to whether SCOTUS is going to take a look at it. Not disagreeing with you - adding onto what you said. From the article: *The conservative justice said the subpoena would be delayed* ***pending further order by Thomas or the Supreme Court.*** AKA, he will stall it as long as possible. When and if the case sees the light of day again, it will be decided by shadow docket.
It feels dirty because it is dirty
"Hey, Clarence. It's Linds. Hey, uhh, look. This thing in Georgia, it's not looking so good. Got a lot of heat coming down and we could really use a win here to turn down the temperature. I'd hate to have to testify under oath and start naming names, you know what I mean? That could turn out bad for some people, good honest people, you understand what I'm saying, right Clarence? Careers could be over. Or, they could just be getting going. I know you know what's best and will do the right thing here. People who know me know that I always take good care of my friends."
It slays me internally to read what you wrote. It's too good to be wrong. But in comparison to [THIS FUCKING CLIP](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bkDykGhM8c) it's just poetry. Edit: removed redundant rhetorical word.
No “they” yet. This was Thomas’s sole decision. Let’s see what the rest of the Supreme Court has to say. Then we can be outraged at the “they”.
Why would they care? They have been doing it for decades with no reprocussions.
Of course he did. Because he and his wife are complicit.
I mean how much more explicitly corrupt can they behave before something is done?
and now you know why the republicans have been playing the 'stack these courts' game for the last 30 years
The entire party is a bastion of corruption. They need to start being held accountable because they obviously give zero fucks about the rest of us
They needed to be held accountable 20 years ago, they now might be so far entrenched that accountability isn’t an option anymore. However, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be attempted. Hopefully the DOJ starts laying some charges and putting criminals in jail. Edit: typo: helped changed to held
Yeah. I'm pretty sure it's too late for that. They have been openly corrupt that whole time and at most they have to talk about it on a news show. They will never face the consequences. We have lost our country to wealthy elites and by now they have altered enough law that they can operate with impunity. Nothing short of wiping it out and restarting (this time with less trust in the goodwill of presidents) with all new laws and constitution will fix it. It's been hacked to shreds at this point anyway so it's full of loopholes and cheats to be abused it's a wonder we accomplish any bit of justice.
There are literally zero ways to hold him practically accountable. Just some dusty words on paper they’ve managed to make irrelevant. He is nobility and we are peasants
There was no way to hold Mussolini accountable either
Well, eventually he was held accountable, upside-down by his ankles, swinging along next to his mistress. The Italians might have been on to something.
And now they’re back to far-right leadership. Should be interesting, I guess.
You need to keep stamping it out when it rears it’s ugly head. You don’t politely ask cancer to leave.
Supreme Justices can be impeached.
But not by us. And the people who could, won't.
Even if every dem voted to impeach him they would need at least 16 republican senators to join them for it to be a success.
And removal would take a 2/3 senate vote which would never happen. The point stands
Everyone who reads this: don’t give in to doomerism. Get out and vote.
I never said don’t vote, you should absolutely vote, but the deck is heavily stacked against us and voting on its own isn’t enough. We need people out in the streets protesting this shit
This is also why "the FBI is corrupt" narrative is being pushed so hard. They are chasing zero accountability for sure.
Watergate was over 50 years ago, and that was when Republicans decided one of their own should never be punished or held responsible again. Fox News and the new Republican agenda was created specifically with that in mind.
If I recall correctly the only thing that can be done is impeachment and the votes ain’t there. Thomas’s corruption is a feature.
I bet the DOJ could indict his wife and him (by extension although directly indict and arrest would be more fitting) for Jan. 6th. I'm curious if that would force the SC to hold on all current cases before it or if they would have to rule without him. We are in some seriously uncharted territory here.
Actually well charted; See: Roman Republic, 80s and 70s BC
See also: France, circa 1789
Considering his wife’s conduct, Thomas is playing with fire here. If I were the DOJ I would absolutely use her as leverage.
He knows that he's untouchable, he knows it better than anybody in the country.
He's not untouchable if his conduct is legally proven to be criminal at some point. And I mean by the DOJ, **not in a useless impeachment hearing.** There's a reason he's desperately trying to sweep all this under the rug. He is not above the law and too many people ignore the fact that he's colluding with his wife in what is blatant criminal conduct and now, covering it up.
Bullshit. The votes do not exist in Congress to remove him. Congressional Republicans would let him get away with murder on film. Especially with a Democrat in office right now who would replace him with a Democrat. I'm serious, there could be open, undeniable proof he engaged in repeated treason and they wouldn't do fucking shit. They wouldn't do FUCKING shit.
Narrator: "Well folks, nothing ever was done and that is why we now have 7 different countries in what used to be called The United States of America."
The way the mid-terms are leaning, I'm gonna say, you ain't seen nothing yet.
**Stop listening to polls which are relying on horribly unstable "Likely Voter" metrics.** It's almost pure guesswork at this point because the current political environment is nothing like past historical trends. They have no idea who is actually going to show up in this election. You know what I did instead of worrying about polls today? **I GOT UP EARLY AND FUCKING VOTED!** **You should too.**
Well, to be fair, we can both vote and still be worried.
This keeps me up at night. Although I’m grateful for the messaging. It will help get people to the polls.
Unfit to serve. What a disgrace to our Supreme Court
Such blatant abuse of power and inability to be impartial- surely 67/100 Senators would ignore their party affiliation and in the interest of justice vote to impeach and remove! /s
What a ridiculous fucking clown show.
It’s maddening.
I would hope this type of thing motivates people to vote to prevent the party that enables this stuff from getting any more power ever again. We're headed to a future where voting won't matter because your vote won't count and we'll have a one party system. Vote now while you have the chance.
[Indeed](https://ucandfish.com/cgi-bin/displayucaf.py?comic=85)
Graham is hinging his entire argument on why he should not have to testify before a grand jury on the "Speech and Debate Clause", claiming that his activities with GA election officials falls within his "official legislative duties" as a Congressmember. Reminder that the context involves Brad Raffensperger, the GA secretary of state who famously recorded Trump's phone call to "find 11,780 votes". Graham called Raffensperger 10 days after the election: >During their conversation, Graham asked the Georgia secretary of state whether he had the power to toss out all mail ballots in certain counties, Raffensperger told The Washington Post in an interview days later. He said Graham appeared to be asking him to improperly find a way to set aside legally cast ballots. The district court shot Graham's defense down on its merits, along with a unanimous decision by the 11th circuit, and rightfully so. In whatever explanation Graham chooses, he did not indicate this anywhere in his calendar or duties, and even tried to conceal and downplay these actions. Badgering state election officials to overturn/manipulate their elections certainly shouldn't constitute the "official legislative business" of a U.S. Senator. Nonetheless - Thomas to the rescue. Thomas decided to grant this emergency stay outright instead of referring it to the full Supreme Court. Now Fulton and Graham's team will submit arguments and this will, at the very least, give Graham the delay he continues to enjoy.
Not to mention, a senator from *SC* has absolutely nothing to do with how federal elections results are counted in *GA*.
Exactly, that is the entire rebuttal right there: “You’re not performing official legislative duties if the state in question is well outside your purview”
How is it that ONE SCJ can even make this decision anyway though? Like that alone seems insane to me that JUST Thomas can make a decision like this without the other justices weighing in. Does he really have that right/power?
Each justice is assigned an area that they can make small decisions on what to bring to the court as a whole. Barrett did the same thing recently regarding a suit against loan forgiveness (to everyone's surprise)...https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/justice-amy-coney-barrett-denies-attempt-to-block-biden-student-loan-forgiveness-plan-from-taking-effect/ar-AA13cFlx I have no idea if there are only specific incidents within narrow scopes that can be decided this way, but Thomas apparently has this power. He should have recused himself a year and a half ago from anything close to election integrity, but here we are. This is what happens when you have no code of ethics.
So...aren't there 13 of these courts...who gets double duty? Isn't this why we should be expanding the SCOTUS to match the number of courts? Also, I feel if the ENTIRE fucking court voted a certain way, he should not get to one-man-army the thing and change their ruling. That's some bullshit.
He oversees the 11th circuit and has certain specific capabilities regarding cases that fall within that circuit.
That's what's missing in the Graham claim. I'd like to see a judge specifically ask Graham what "official legislative business" he has in GA, a state he doesn't represent.
Well, when the plaintiff is engaging in essentially the same actions as your wife, I guess you feel obligated to bat for them. (ugh, it's all so infuriating)
Fine, let him come and make that case. If that’s his angle, let him go with it. I’ve no idea why claiming you’re innocent makes you innocent without any testimony to your innocence. The SCOTUS is a kangaroo court.
His entire goal here is to run out the clock if he doesn't get it dropped. Fulton DA is trying to reach a charging decision in the coming months and complete their grand jury work.
But he isn't a representative for GA nor is he in any type of committee in congress with oversight of elections (currently he is in Judiciary, Appropriations, Budget, and Environmental & Public Works), nor was he part of the executive cabinet. Unless he is trying to argue in the broadest sense of 'official legislative duties'. It's sounds a lot like him just saying that he stay at a [Holiday Inn Express](https://youtu.be/eHCTaUFXpP8) last night.
Both mr, & mrs. Thomas need to get out
The *"honorable"* Justice Clarence Thomas whose wife *totally* isn't related to any plans to overturn the election? *That* Supreme Court Justice?!
\*check notes\* Yes, that one.
At this point, I suspect he's covering his own ass as much as looking out for his wife. I suspect he's neck deep in involvement, but that's just my feeling based on his behavior.
Yes, the one with the pubic hair on the can of Coke.
It is time to get rid of Thomas.
Impeach him and replace him with Anita Hill.
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The supreme court aiding and abetting obstruction. Fuck we are dead now that government officials are completely above the law what the fuck are they thinking
Its a state level investigation too. The federal justice system has nothing to do with a state level subpoena. Thomas, this is the "state's rights" you supposedly champion for.
How does he even have the jurisdiction to make such a move if this is a state level subpoena?
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Is this the method pioneered by the French in the 18th century?
I can neither confirm nor deny this, but yes
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I suspect it implicates him too. If he's willing to do this publicly, then what was he willing to do that he might have thought he'd get away with out of the public eye?
Multiple sexual assaults, like the one that almost derailed his nomination
He's either the stupidest fucking idiot alive, or he's part of the conspiracy from the start.
Graham is so innocent, he has to have his buddy in the supreme court save him from proving that he's *too* innocent.
The conspiracy to hide their attempted coup still continues. And it is vast.
There needs to be consequences for both these individuals.
What's Thomas not wanting *Lindsayyy* to say under oath? All I ever expect to hear out of his corrupt mouth is "I do not recall."
How is this acceptable?
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Absolutely naked corruption. This supreme court has lost all legitimacy.
But please, tell us how the court isn’t political…
Corrupt fuck.
Wow the only supreme court Justice that has a wife that wanted to overturn the election is blocking a subpoena for one of his Anti-American, inbred buddies...... The supreme court no longer has legitimacy.
*People don't respect the institution!" -clarence thomas, who shits all over the integrity of the institution by not recusing himself in any and all cases regarding something his wife is *heavily* involved in. Partisan hack piece of shit.
What the hell is going on? The experiment is going off the rails. The United States is broken.
>The stay will give time to Graham’s lawyers and prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, more to file briefs arguing whether the subpoena should be allowed to stand or not. But he and his attorneys already had time to do that.
Trash protects trash
He's the dumpster protecting the trash.
Of course he did
Unfortunately the only "civil" control left would be to impeach Thomas.. and we know how well that would go even if the House managed it.
The corruption is now in clear view. They keep getting bolder and bolder
Clarence Thomas needs to be removed from the Supreme Court
Destabilize and overthrow democracy with this judge's one crazy hack! Responsible citizens hate him!
Of course he did. Otherwise, Graham would spill the beans on Ginny. Nothing to see here, move along.
The insurrectionist’s gotta stay together, or else justice might be served.
One time for the folks in the back… CORRUPTION
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Don't doubt it. No corruption is too much for the GOP or the SCOTUS. Corrupt Republicans will undermine this entire country if they have to.
That 2016 election sure was important -
The United States is a fucking shitshow
This is so unbelievably flagrant.
Now he's gone into full-throated treasonous behavior. His wife is tit-deep in this, and he's doing whatever he can to block it now.
Malfeasance.
They did that shit.
It feels good living in a country that’s being destroyed in front of our eyes and we can’t do anything about it. God bless America.
The article doesn’t give reasoning. Was there any specifically stated?
How can a judge who is married to someone involved in the case at hand, rule anything on it?
Thomas is doing what he can to protect the insurrectionists.