It seems that, especially in the cases of Thomas and Alito, they feel like they don’t have the economic stroke they should have based on their actual political power. So they do the remora fish thing onto rich ghouls so they can live commensurate with their actual power exertion.
Peak of their profession, untold levels of power and access (and clandestine gifts and money!), and yet they still can’t help but bitch and moan about how unfairly they’ve been treated. These fucking losers should be met with a chorus of fart noises wherever they go.
"And as I will discuss, he allowed me to occupy what would have otherwise been an unoccupied seat on a private flight to Alaska. It was and is my judgment that these facts would not cause a reasonable and unbiased person to doubt my ability to decide the matters in question impartially."
The most convincing argument I’ve seen is that you’re not paying for their vote (because that’s a forgone conclusion) but rather you’re paying them to stay. Thomas loves to bitch about how underpaid he is and how he could be making bank in the private sector. Which is a coded message for pay me or I’m leaving and someone who isn’t a psycho will take my seat.
I think that's a lot of it. One other piece is the Supreme Court justices choose which cases to hear so people are paying to make sure they decide to hear the "right" cases and pass on others
Not that I in any way agree with him, but I can at least see Thomas having an axe to grind after being (rightfully) raked over the coals in his confirmation, and that screwing with his worldview for the next 40 years.
I have no idea what's going on with Alito. He's just a ghoul.
There’s a world where Thomas’ bitterness and contempt would make him a pitiable or at least compelling character, ala a Richard III. Instead he’s just another boring jackass who does the same old dumb boring rich guy shit.
Yeah, but he really wasn't raked over any coals. The nomination, led by the hand by the Chair of the Senate Judiciary committee...lemme check my notes here...ah, here we are. Joseph R. Biden, only brought in Hill's testimony at the very end, in essence after being shamed into it. Also recall the massive slander against Hill, e.g., "A little bit nutty, a little bit slutty."-David Brock, the political hitman who seemed to have felt a bit of shame over that.
Anyway, the point being, Thomas wasn't raked over enough coals, he still became a Supreme, and something about Biden reaping what he sowed 40 years ago.
-Mind, I'm a fan of Biden. I met the guy back in the 00s when he was a Senator and I was an EPA contractor on a Superfund site in Dover, DE, and I would have followed him into Hell itself. My wife, who works on Capitol Hill, said, "Kind of impressive when they shine the light on you. They all can do it, too. It's quite eerie but quite effective." Twenty-odd years on, I most likely wouldn't follow him into Hell, but I would definitely go into Heck for the guy.
I'm not sold on the argument that the right-wing does more crimes versus them going outside of normal/acceptable crimes/graft.
What Alito (& Thomas) did isn't a crime. It is corrupt as all get out. But, it isn't a crime since the Supreme Court doesn't have binding ethics rules (please correct me if I'm wrong). It is more extreme/blatant than the judges accepting speaking fees/free trips in exchange for speaking, but it is still corruption. Let's be honest, the main reason someone is paying for a Supreme Court justice to give a speech is because the Supreme Court justice is currently on the Supreme Court.
Similar to the current & prior president both getting caught with classified documents. One was more blatant/extreme, and the other's was the normal/accepted version
It seems that, especially in the cases of Thomas and Alito, they feel like they don’t have the economic stroke they should have based on their actual political power. So they do the remora fish thing onto rich ghouls so they can live commensurate with their actual power exertion.
Peak of their profession, untold levels of power and access (and clandestine gifts and money!), and yet they still can’t help but bitch and moan about how unfairly they’ve been treated. These fucking losers should be met with a chorus of fart noises wherever they go.
"And as I will discuss, he allowed me to occupy what would have otherwise been an unoccupied seat on a private flight to Alaska. It was and is my judgment that these facts would not cause a reasonable and unbiased person to doubt my ability to decide the matters in question impartially."
This is peak law school socratic eagling.
paying thomas and alito to vote in favor of big business is like paying a dog to take a dump
The most convincing argument I’ve seen is that you’re not paying for their vote (because that’s a forgone conclusion) but rather you’re paying them to stay. Thomas loves to bitch about how underpaid he is and how he could be making bank in the private sector. Which is a coded message for pay me or I’m leaving and someone who isn’t a psycho will take my seat.
I think that's a lot of it. One other piece is the Supreme Court justices choose which cases to hear so people are paying to make sure they decide to hear the "right" cases and pass on others
Not that I in any way agree with him, but I can at least see Thomas having an axe to grind after being (rightfully) raked over the coals in his confirmation, and that screwing with his worldview for the next 40 years.
I have no idea what's going on with Alito. He's just a ghoul.
There’s a world where Thomas’ bitterness and contempt would make him a pitiable or at least compelling character, ala a Richard III. Instead he’s just another boring jackass who does the same old dumb boring rich guy shit.
Yeah, but he really wasn't raked over any coals. The nomination, led by the hand by the Chair of the Senate Judiciary committee...lemme check my notes here...ah, here we are. Joseph R. Biden, only brought in Hill's testimony at the very end, in essence after being shamed into it. Also recall the massive slander against Hill, e.g., "A little bit nutty, a little bit slutty."-David Brock, the political hitman who seemed to have felt a bit of shame over that.
Anyway, the point being, Thomas wasn't raked over enough coals, he still became a Supreme, and something about Biden reaping what he sowed 40 years ago.
-Mind, I'm a fan of Biden. I met the guy back in the 00s when he was a Senator and I was an EPA contractor on a Superfund site in Dover, DE, and I would have followed him into Hell itself. My wife, who works on Capitol Hill, said, "Kind of impressive when they shine the light on you. They all can do it, too. It's quite eerie but quite effective." Twenty-odd years on, I most likely wouldn't follow him into Hell, but I would definitely go into Heck for the guy.
I'm not sold on the argument that the right-wing does more crimes versus them going outside of normal/acceptable crimes/graft.
What Alito (& Thomas) did isn't a crime. It is corrupt as all get out. But, it isn't a crime since the Supreme Court doesn't have binding ethics rules (please correct me if I'm wrong). It is more extreme/blatant than the judges accepting speaking fees/free trips in exchange for speaking, but it is still corruption. Let's be honest, the main reason someone is paying for a Supreme Court justice to give a speech is because the Supreme Court justice is currently on the Supreme Court.
Similar to the current & prior president both getting caught with classified documents. One was more blatant/extreme, and the other's was the normal/accepted version