The Supreme Court (Republican) of the United States. Justice Thomas rightly earns the most media opprobrium, but the Scandalous Six are all a disgrace to their (stolen) robes.
our new ethics code is that we probably should obey the law sometimes, unless we don’t want to
— flglmn (@flglmn) November 14, 2023
But the federal recusal statute already provides that “[a]ny justice . . . *shall* disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned.” Are they just going to keep ignoring federal law?
— Alex Aronson (@alexaronson) November 13, 2023
Words, words, words. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D – RI) is not impressed:
Let’s take a look at some of the tweaks the Supreme Court made to the lower courts’ code of conduct. Swapping out “judge” for “justice” makes perfect sense, but a few of these edits ought to raise eyebrows.
Here’s the “no ratting out your colleagues” switch: pic.twitter.com/OeUFHAeE8F
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) November 16, 2023
Note here the addition of “knowingly.” pic.twitter.com/MfTNwpsShb
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) November 16, 2023
“Shall” is swapped for “should.” pic.twitter.com/QAyfvXTjiO
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) November 16, 2023
“Shall” swapped for “should,” and “knowingly” sprinkled in a few more times. pic.twitter.com/Ha5RZwauHV
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) November 16, 2023
Deleted: “that a judge’s conduct contravened this Code, that a judicial employee’s conduct contravened this Code, that a judicial employee’s conduct contravened the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees, or that a lawyer violated applicable rules of professional conduct.” pic.twitter.com/NmrBebGIq8
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) November 16, 2023
And one more excerpt.
Setting aside the main problem of no process/no umpires, even the Code itself is watered down for Their Olympian Highnesses. pic.twitter.com/WpfZ0IS5Bo
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) November 16, 2023
Chief ‘Just Us’ Roberts is no doubt weeping into his pillow, but he doesn’t care enough about his L*E*G*A*C*Y to rein in his fellow grifters, so… {shrug emoji}
— victoria r (@mitchisacadaver) November 17, 2023
RepubAnon
“When he heard the word ‘ethics’, he reached for the dictionary”
-Vogon thinking adopted by the Supreme Court.
karen marie
I would love to have seen what Sheldon Whitehouse said but the images within his tweets are not viewable without going to twitter – not something I’m going to do.
Baud
@karen marie:
I think it’s the same as the images that appear underneath the tweets.
H.E.Wolf
Possible workaround:
https://nitter.net/SenWhitehouse/status/1725243586956996880#m
Anne Laurie
That’s why I included screen shots of all those images — do those not appear for you?
Anne Laurie
@H.E.Wolf: Thank you!
Wapiti
The Supreme Court Justices should have an absolute requirement to report any outside gift or income over a nominal amount. ($50? Whatever the rest of the Federal Government is bound to.)
The Justices should have an absolute duty to recuse when a family member or employer or close friend or their agents have matters before the court.
If they are impartial actors, this should not cause undue difficulties.
Baud
I SHOULD wear pants to the office.
kalakal
This “ethics” code is a middle finger to the people of the US.
bbleh
To my mind it boils down to (1) Republicans (duh) and (2) paralyzed political branches. Absent something to hold the naturally corrupt in check, they’ll do their thing and react indignantly if anyone questions it.
For all the more or less valid criticism of the Carters, we seem to have fallen rather far since then …
Bill Arnold
@karen marie:
Here’s a threadreader rollup for that Sheldon Whitehouse thread.
Yutsano
Yep. I can’t accept anything over $10 or anything that might cause me to not act in the best interest of the government. My standards are higher than theirs and that’s disgusting. I’m ashamed to have to be even in the same government as them.
Jay
@Wapiti:
should is suggestive. shall is directive.
Baud
@Yutsano:
I would totally buy you a $9 RV.
Alison Rose
@Baud: Baudonomics
Suzanne
@Baud:
Dresses are acceptable. You may want tights at this time of year to go with.
Harrison Wesley
@Baud: A tasteful breechclout would be acceptable,if a bit chilly this time of year.
Frankensteinbeck
@Harrison Wesley:
Baud needs to learn how to gird his loins.
Jay
@Baud:
You could wear a kilt, full formal with a sporran, (purse) or just a utility kilt, (they have pockets)
underwear is optional, but suggested.
Mr. Bemused Senior
What office?
Dan B
Right winger won in Argentina. 😔
Suzanne
@Jay: I learned recently that Disney registered an official McDuck family tartan. Baud would look great in that.
Harrison Wesley
@Dan B: Not cool. Maybe what I’ve read is prejudiced,but he sounds like a bizarre mix of libertarianism and fascism.
Mike in NC
It wasn’t too long ago that the media showed the Supreme Court building surrounded by a tall fence and with snipers on the roof. Totally normal!
SpaceUnit
The curly little hair on the coke can is a nice touch.
Geminid
I heard some not-so-good Argentina news on WTOP news: Mr. Millei, a flaky right wing populist, won Argentina’s Presidential election. Millei beat a candidate from the current ruling party, mainly because of a poor economy.
But, on the good news side, reporting is that Armenia and Azerbaijan are moving closer to a peace treaty that would finally end their 30 year, on-and-off war.
Harrison Wesley
@Suzanne: Probably wouldn’t be allowed to wear one here in Florida.
SiubhanDuinne
@Jay:
COMMANDO BAUD!
SiubhanDuinne
@SpaceUnit:
Good eye! I missed that completely.
dm
@Anne Laurie: Thanks for that, Anne. I realize it’s probably a lot of trouble for you to go to, and I want you to know it’s noticed and appreciated
MagdaInBlack
@SiubhanDuinne: I wish I had. Yik 😉
Anne Laurie
@Jay: If you’re not wearing a sporran, take my word: Underwear is *not* optional.
(Proper utility kilts, IIRC, have a little strap inside, running back-to-front, to prevent the ‘inadvertent flashing’ problem.)
TriassicSands
The flaw in that formulation is that Clarence would simply arrange N-thousand $50.00 gifts. The problem with trying to come up with a workable ethics code for completely unethical people is that there is almost always a workaround. There need to be hard and fast rules, absolute limits, and specific time frames. It is hard — impossible? — to cover or anticipate every eventuality, every dodge, every excuse, etc. when you are dealing with fundamentally dishonest and corrupt people. Both Thomas and Alito reflect the elitism of America’s leaders in the period when they formed the government. In Thomas’ case it’s a more than a little laughable and ironic, because not only would he not have been a member of the elite during that period, he would have had a very good chance of being a slave. This is a man who picks and chooses selectively anything and everything that is to his benefit. The rest? Ignored.
Geminid
@Dan B: I don’t know if you mess with Twitter, but there is an account titled “Populism Updates” that has provided some good reporting on Mr. Millei, Argentina’s next President. I expect she’ll recap it tonight. I don’t know if she’s on other social media sites.
This account specializes in foreign election news. The reporting is serious, but the reporter’s twitter portrait is tongue-in-cheek. It shows her in an army jacket and a rakish beret, with a bandolier full of carrots.
TriassicSands
George Santos channeling Clarence Thomas or Sammy “Da Pope” Alito.
“How dare you impugn my integrity!”
H.E.Wolf
I can still hear the Glaswegian tones, complete with thoroughly rolled “r”, from one of the older women in the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, as she admonished one of the be-kilted men who’d propped one foot on the seat of a chair while standing around chatting: “It’s not a pretty sight, Murray.”
BeautifulPlumage
@Yutsano:
@Baud:
Don’t listen to Baud. I’ll buy you a $9.99 RV and throw in a tasteful jar of mustard.
H.E.Wolf
In contrast to the two Justices, complaining about ethics rules of any kind: “How dare you integ’ my impunity!”
BellyCat
Say what you want about the “progressive three” but until they sign onto a full ethics code or co-sign a dissenting opinion, they are little better than the rest and complicit in this shit
ETA: Judicial Omertà. Plain and simple.
evap
@SpaceUnit: LOL, I missed that. Perfect!
BellyCat
@Jay: “It looks like a P@nis, only smaller.”
TriassicSands
@H.E.Wolf:
Yep. Sheesh.
Jay
Get all the kilt/penis jokes, but having worn kilts many times, the key reason for underwear is “The Highland Charge”, (running “free” ain’t free),
the second reason is sharts,….
lgerard
The Supremes already have their own police corps,currently 180 strong. Despite this they are also spending millions on Federal Marshals to supplement their security. Perhaps some of these can be tasked with enforcing ethics.
Just kidding
Kay
Hired on merit!
TriassicSands
When I read those words, I thought, “You’ve got to be kidding.” And you were.
Mai Naem mobile
Mitch the Bitch McConnell can go fuck himself. This is his court. I do so hope the court rules for some anti environmental legislation that directly affects something he or his extended family own. Like having some fracking right next to a summer home they enjoy.
StringOnAStick
@Geminid: I talked to regular Argentineans when we were there 4 years ago. To a person (all young) they were completely cynical about politics and politicians and pretty much checked out on any of that. Cynicism is how the right wins, because too many never see their lives improve no matter who is office. It’s a risk we’ve got here too, but my impression in Argentina was that it’s much worse than here, at least so far.
wjca
What utter nonsense! I, on the other hand, would sell you an RV for $9. Less than what I paid for it, of course. But everybody knows that the value of a vehicle craters the moment you drive it off the lot. Plus, not a gift at all. (Smiles smugly.)
wjca
Has it occurred to you that the alternative might well have been no Scotus ethics code at all? Once one exists, getting changes to move it towards sensible ethics is likely to be notably easier than getting the first version adopted.
No One of Consequence
The pube on the coke can is what makes it Art…
Peace,
-NOoC
Ruckus
@Yutsano:
You should be ashamed that they are in the same government as you.