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Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013 | 2 a.m.
Another view?
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During the president’s State of the Union address, I noticed one thing that, I think, symbolizes the dysfunction of our government. Not all nine of the Supreme Court justices attended.
This has happened at all of Obama’s State of the Union addresses and is not uncommon. In fact, since the modern State of the Union began, only five speeches have been attended by all of the justices. At a few addresses, there were no justices in attendance.
I propose, starting with the next State of the Union, all the justices should attend and they should keep attending every State of the Union thereafter. Having all three branches assembled virtually in their entirety is an important symbol.
Supreme Court justices have a lifetime appointment, so showing some humility once a year isn’t out of order. Some justices feel uncomfortable because decorum demands that they sit quietly. The justices get the final word in every decision. One day a year, they can be quiet and listen (which is required of everyone else attending sessions of the Supreme Court).
Finally, some justices have complained that the State of the Union has become a political show. Actors on the largest and most powerful political stage are certainly tougher than that. They were appointed by politicians and it is naive to think that they were elevated to the Supreme Court without some political maneuvering of their own. They should set an example for all the members of our government and put the needs of the people over their own petty grievances and political desires.
Scott says "Supreme Court justices have a lifetime appointment, so showing some humility once a year isn't out of order. Some justices feel uncomfortable because decorum demands that they sit quietly."
The president loves to insult the Justices.
Obama Like to rip into them and make them look bad
Obama is mean-spirited embarrassing them
Of course the Supremes never publicly attack the office of the President
I am Ok with what the writer is saying as long as they get to shout out, "You are a liar" about every 15 minutes.
Otherwise there is no legal or moral requirement for anybody to watch or listen to what is mainly a bunch of hogwash no matter who is president.
There is no reason, except show and tell, for all the Supreme Court justices to be present at the State of the Union address. The Judicial Branch is a coequal part of government along with the Executive [President] and Congressional Branches. Separate and equal. The State of the Union is the President's address to the people and even they watched it in lower numbers this year than in the past 12 years preceding it.
CarmineD
You want to have a few in reserve in case North Korea blows up Washington with a nuke.
There is no constitutional requirement for the President to even GIVE a "state of the Union" speech in the first place.
The "state of the Union" has turned into another stump speech by WHOEVER is the occupant of the White House. It is also political theater with politicians on BOTH SIDES "gladhanding" with the Prez hoping their constituents happen to be watching.
One might expect that members of a co-equal branch of government, sworn to uphold the Constitution, might feel it's their duty to inform themselves of what's going on in the other branches of that same govenment.
Probably not the most pressing issue facing our country at the moment.
Clarence Thomas wouldn't know how to get there, he wouldn't know how to ask for directions...
Ridiculous! Who cares if the Supreme Justices attend or not? I never watch the SOTU charade. You going to make me? It's not only borrring; it's asinine in its meaninglessness. The SOTU is about as interesting as a political parties platform and as fake. With that said, after the slap in the face Osama Obama gave the Justices in one of his empty SOTU speeches, it's no mystery why some would not attend but a mystery why any would. Notice, the consternation shown about whether or not Justices should attend is driven by the left; one more way they strive to usurp an individuals right to decide for him(her) self how to live their lives. Leftists are dangerous to our freedoms. Ignore that at your own peril!
Miller,
Please report to the Promenade Deck Aft, as two of the chaise lounge chairs are a bit askew.
Thanks in advance to your prompt attention to this matter.
Purgatory
Why stop with mandatory attendance for the Supreme Court? Make it mandatory for all Americans to watch the state of the union address. Introduce into legislation mandating every student to read Obama's biography once a year AND mandate all schools to put up a bronze statue of Obama in front of every school in the nation. The script on the stature should read "socialism today, socialism tomorrow, socialism forever!" and mandate schools to make this phrase the "pledge to socialism" to replace our current "pledge of allegiance".
Clarence Thomas only speaks one time every 6 or 7 years so he can't ask for directions.
Some of our justices are so old, sick and obese I'm amazed they can stand up by themselves. At least the Pope had the common sense to step down when he knew deep inside he could no longer do his job. The justices need to take a lesson from him.
"One might expect that members of a co-equal branch of government, sworn to uphold the Constitution, might feel it's their duty to inform themselves of what's going on in the other branches of that same govenment." Jim Weber
Like the voters, some do a better job than others. Nothing and no one says listening to a political speech given by one person, even if the President of the US, on one night of the year for one hour is the best way to inform. Most listeners will draw their own conclusions, not on the facts, but their interpretations and opinions of the facts. Now, if you want to make the case that rising and sitting 3 dozen times during the speech while simultaneously clapping both hands together is good physical and neurological leg exercise for sitting Supreme Court judges, then I might even agree with you.
CarmineD
Scott.......
Justices should attend if they had any class or
integrity at all.
But what we should NEVER FORGET is that the
republicans on the Supreme Court gave George
Bush the presidency after he lost the election to
Al Gore.
After that, George Bush destroyed the entire
economy.
If the correct president, Al Gore was in office,
9/11 would not have happened and the Iraq war
would not have happened.
WE WILL NEVER FORGET!
And the Bush tax cuts would not have happened.
"But what we should NEVER FORGET is that the
republicans on the Supreme Court gave George
Bush the presidency after he lost the election to
Al Gore." Teamster
Listen to you! You nag Republicans about geting over the loss of Romney to Obama in November 2012 and telling them to move on. While you still harbor ill will and feelings over an election that Gore lost 13 years ago. How funny are you!
From a person that supported Al Gore for his first run at the Democratic nomination for President, I can say with almost complete certainty I was entirely and unequivocally wrong. You and other Dems made a big deal here out of the fact that Rep Ryan could not win the state of Winconsin, his home state, in the November 2012 election. But forget that in 2000, Gore didn't win his home state of Tennessee and on the day of the election his own home town newspaper supported President Bush.
It's one thing to be wrong, like me, and admit it. Another to be wrong, like you, and deny it.
CarmineD
Nothing new coming out of the mouth of my little buddy Carmine.
Hmmmmmm...maybe I'm wrong about that....
Carmine now says that he voted for Gore in 2000.
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! I find Carmine's little rant very, very funny!
Yes, Gore didn't carry his home state but he had a majority of the popular vote & would have carried Florida & won the electoral vote if the Supreme Court had not decided to simply hand the election to George W....
Yes, teamster is 100% correct. If Gore had become the president, there would have been no recession and there would have been no Iraq War..
Unfortunately, the Constitution is exactly what the Supreme Court says it is at any point in time....
I personally don't care if the members of the court do or do not attend the SOTU Address.
The presidential election of 2000 and the presidential election of 2012 are two totally different things....
The election of 2000 was stolen from the American people where as the election of 2012 was a clear mandate for Obama.....
People such as Carmine haven't as yet accepted the fact that Mitt Romney simply got his butt kicked...
Give Carmine another 15-20 years and he might come around to the truth and accept the facts......but don't count on it!
Why should everyone HAVE to attend the President's rousing pep-fest? I certainly wouldn't attend if he didn't have anything nice to say about me.
TheTruthDetector.....
If you really want the truth, PRESIDENT OBAMA
hands it out in huge amounts.
The problem we still have in this country is that
too many people can't handle the truth.
The fact is still the fact,
The truth will set you free.
"Carmine now says that he voted for Gore in 2000.
El Lobo
"From a person that supported Al Gore for his first run at the Democratic nomination for President," Carmine D
For someone who claims adherence to the facts, you are sorely lacking them here. Or you are too young to know when Gore actually made his first run for the Presidential nomination for the Democratic party. Or both.
CarmineD
"...my little buddy Carmine." El Lobo
I've told you this before but obviously it didn't sink in. I'm neither little or your buddy, although I suspect with the time and effort you take in saying it so often here, you wish it were so.
CarmineD
Carmine......
If we want to keep Democracy alive, we must never
forget the fact that republicans stole the
election from Al Gore.
If you don't believe this, you didn't do your
homework or you didn't pay attention to the
facts as they unfolded.
I remember that election like it was yesterday.
And the Supreme Court should NEVER, EVER pick
a president.
Especially after the majority of Americans voted
for Al Gore.
After voting stations were closed in some poor
areas of Florida.
And after Bill Clinton and Al Gore gave us the
best economy in our lifetime.
We must never again let the minority republican
party steal another election.
And in our last election, there were eight hour
lines in Florida AGAIN!
Thousands of Democratic voters went home and did
not vote AGAIN!
THIS CAN NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!
El_Lobo.......
Great comments on the 2000 election.
Right on the mark.
Blah blah blah , Nobody should be made to attend a State Of The Union address, nobody. Every one of them is all bull@#$% anyway. I wouldn't blame anyone for not showing up , what would be nice is if nobody showed up. It's all about a bunch of fake clapping and support. If it was held in the Oval office and not in the capitol it would be worth watching, ,, sometimes.
fedup.....
If you want to miss out of live history, it's up
to you.
For me, I watch them all.
If you think it's nothing but BS, you might as
well not vote too.
"Carmine......
If we want to keep Democracy alive, we must never
forget the fact that republicans stole the
election from Al Gore.
If you don't believe this, you didn't do your
homework or you didn't pay attention to the
facts as they unfolded." Teamster
Please tell me what history book and factual accounts you read, beside those in your own mind, that say this. The fact is that Gore conceded the election and agreed with the Supreme Court ruling. He made a good Senator and VP like Biden. President? Never, ever. Even Gore's own hometown and state agreed that Bush was better and voted against the home boy favorite son Gore.
CarmineD
"People such as Carmine haven't as yet accepted the fact that Mitt Romney simply got his butt kicked..." El Lobo
"And in our last election, there were eight hour
lines in Florida AGAIN!
Thousands of Democratic voters went home and did
not vote AGAIN!" Teamster
Had Romney selected Sen Marco Rubio [R-Florida] he would have won the 400,000 votes to win [in Florida alone probably]. Romney didn't. He chose the candidate that made the best VP for the country, and hence president. It was Ryan not Rubio, at least for the election in 2012. That will change as Rubio gets acclimated to politics and statesmanship. Something Gore never ever did. Take it from someone who supported him for his first bid at the party's nomination for president. He found his niche and legacy: Climate control.
CarmineD
Carmine.....
Al Gore won the 2000 election, peroid.
The majority of Americans voted for Al Gore,period
The election was stolen by republicans in Flordia
and the Supreme Court.
Al Gore new the fix was in and decieded not to
fight it.
I didn't need a history book on it.
I watched and lived every second of it.
Al Gore would have made a great president after
being vice-president for 8 years.
We would not have had the HUGE MESS that
republicans created and left for DEMOCRATS to
fix.
We will never let republicans steal another
election again.