In the history of the State of the Union has any President ever called out the Supreme Court by name, and egged on the Congress to jeer a Supreme Court decision, while the Justices were seated politely before him surrounded by hundreds Congressmen? To call upon the Congress to countermand (somehow) by statute a constitutional decision, indeed a decision applying the First Amendment? What can this possibly accomplish besides alienating Justice Kennedy who wrote the opinion being attacked. Contrary to what we heard during the last administration, the Court may certainly be the object of presidential criticism without posing any threat to its independence. But this was a truly shocking lack of decorum and disrespect towards the Supreme Court for which an apology is in order. A new tone indeed.
It appears that this has become the take-away moment of the SOTU address. Nice job, doofus!
1 comment:
On the one hand, the Constitution dosn't actually give the federal courts the authority to rule on the constitutionality of legislation.
On the other hand, Zero, Our Won wasn't complaining that the courts routinely exceed their constitutional authority; rather, he was merely bitching about particular a ruling (which happens to be factually correct) which he doesn't like.
And, of course, he was both lying and projecting.
Post a Comment