Dean's World

When Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks, people listen.

And he has spoken bluntly:

LAWRENCE, Kan. — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Thursday he would prefer not to face another election-related lawsuit, but defended the high court's decision to get involved in the contentious dispute over the 2000 presidential vote in Florida.

''What are you supposed to do when somebody brings a lawsuit?'' Thomas asked University of Kansas law students. ''You hear people say the Supreme Court jumped into the last election. I find it very ironic that the very people saying judges are interfering are bringing lawsuits.

''What do you think? Donald Duck is going to decide it?''

(That's a classic set-up line, folks. I will NOT lower myself to do a joke about a "Mickey Mouse decision." NO! I just won't!!")

When asked about the prospect of more litigation over the 2004 vote, Thomas said, ''I would prefer not to have to decide it, but that joins a long list of things,'' adding: ''It's my job.''

Appointed to the court in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush, Thomas was part of a 5-4 Supreme Court majority that ended a recount in Florida in 2000.

(link)

Dean Esmay (www):

Minor correction/clarification: the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that what was going on in Florida violated the Constitution's election protections. The 5-4 decision was more contentious since it stopped any further recounts.

Since the subsequent unofficial recounts almost all gave the state to Bush, and all the official recounts that Gore asked for would have given the state to Bush, it's kinda funny people still whine about this decision.

10.31.2004 1:14pm

Rodney Dill (mail):

There are more than one possible view. My view is that the US Supreme Court did not decide the election. The US Supreme Court put down the attempted coup, of the legally elected current administration, by the Supreme Court of Florida (SCOFLA). The US Supreme Court did this by upholding the validly completed ballots of correctly registered voters as certified by the State of Florida.

10.31.2004 1:51pm

Steven Malcolm Anderson (www):

I support that decision of the United States Supreme Court. George W. Bush is, lawfully and Constitutionally, the President of the United States of America and Commander in Chief of our armed forces. I also support the decision of the United States Supreme Court of June 26, 2003, that John Geddes Lawrence and Tyron Garner have the right to privacy in their own home, and therefore that Steven Malcolm Anderson has the right to privacy in his own home, and therefore that you have the right to privacy in your own home. I oppose those who are and have been trying to subvert the United States Supreme Court.

10.31.2004 5:46pm