Note to readers: This post was written before Justice Ginsburg made her ill considered apology for her ill considered act. Sorry your honor but you were right the first time and you’re wrong now.
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Oh, the Humanity! A little old lady from Brooklyn has caused a fire worthy of the Hindenburg. Not only did Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg set the blimpish windbag Donald Trump afire, she did it without so much as a match and a cubic yard of hydrogen.
Ginsberg had the gall to do what pretty much any little old lady from Brooklyn might do and that is call Donald Blimp a “faker.” Probably she had a better word than faker in mind. But the dignity of the court, don’t you know.
The first to pipe up were the hangers on who cite the federal code of judicial conduct which bars judges from taking political stands.
Turns out, the code does not apply to Supreme Court justices who not only can rule until death -- and in some cases after death -- but can say anything they want. Justice Ginsburg was not on the bench when she spoke. But it wouldn’t matter if she were.
So Trump says she should resign because her mind is shot. She’s “mentally unfit,” he says. Right. When and if she develops that hole in her head, she will still be smarter than most of the rest of us.
Blimp wants her to recuse herself from any Supreme Court case involving him. What noive! What case involving him would be worthy of consideration by the court?
What Justice Ginsburg did is not all that unusual. Scalia did it all the time. So did Brennan, and Thurgood Marshall.
Poor Ruth. She’s not even Mexican. Although she is Jewish and in Trump World, that might be almost as bad, even if his daughter is married to a Jewish guy and has converted. (These things can be undone. Being born a Jewish woman in New York cannot.)
But Trump isn’t the only critic. Even Ginsburg’s supporters are piling on. Both the Washington Post and the New York Times editorial pages have joined in.
Senators Murphy (D-CT) and Durbin (D-IL) don’t like what she said. And White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest says “She didn’t earn the title Notorious RBG for nothing.”
The failed Republican candidates for the presidential nomination don’t like it. And McConnell and Ryan are livid. Big surprises.
We are so used to public figures of stature and power giving us doubletalk that when one doesn’t, it’s a cause celebre.
We love it when the little guy speaks truth to power. How about cutting the judge some slack. It’s power speaking to power.
Today’s Quote: "He has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment. He really has an ego. ... How has he gotten away with not turning over his tax returns? The press seems to be very gentle with him on that..." -- Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “clarifying” her position on Trump a day or so before re-clarifying with an apology.
Shrapnel:
--It’s hard to understand the RBG hysteria because every word out of every Supreme Court justice’s mouth is political, even if less direct. Instead of yelping about “crossing the line” or weaseling that “I would say the same thing no matter who she was talking about,” one can learn something here. If someone of that stature takes that step, maybe there’s something to it, even if they later say they didn’t know the gun was loaded.
I’m Wes Richards. My opinions are my own but you’re welcome to them. ®
Please address comments to wesrichards@gmail.com
© WJR 2015
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