Is it acceptable for SCOTUS members to blow off the State of the Union address?

[DaveinJapan]

Just curious, perhaps it happens all the time.

But I just find it very weird that Darth Scalia and his idiot lackey Clarence blew off the event, perhaps in the knowledge that they were to be called out.

So, do SCOTUS Justices routinely miss hearing about the State of the Union from their President?

[Mass]

1. Yes. This is not uncommon.

[backscatter712]

4. IIRC, one or more members may be absent for national security purposes.

There's always one member of the Cabinet missing too, because the President, VP, the Cabinet, Congress, the SCOTUS, etc. are all in one building, in one room, so if say the Capital got nuked, the ones who are absent would be the ones that would ensure government continuity.

Maybe that's why a member or two of the SCOTUS wasn't there.

[gateley]

8. Maybe that's why Hillary wasn't there -- that's what I was thinking, anyway. nt

[backscatter712]

10. Exactly. I know that one member of the Cabinet's always missing.

And that's in case the Capital gets nuked - there has to be a plan B to ensure .gov continuity. These procedures came into place during the Cold War.

[jkshaw]

12. No, she had an important meeting or

conference or something in London.

[Pab Sungenis]

13. Since she was already out of the country

they probably just picked her as Designated Survivor tonight.

The DS is always a cabinet member because the cabinet (roughly in the order in which their departments were created, except for Defense which holds the space once held by the Secretary of War) comprise the line of succession if the VP, Speaker, and President Pro Tem should all either be killed or ineligible for the Presidency. (The Speaker, for example, does not have to be a natural born citizen, and can be as young as 25, in theory.)

The Supreme Court are not in the line of succession, so their absence is probably nothing more than a slight to the President.

[gateley]

14. Interesting -- thanks. nt

[gateley]

15. Oh, I missed that she was out of the country - thanks. nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. They aren't required to be there -- it's just tradition that they come.

Technically, the SOTU is just a report to Congress.

[tridim]

3. Damn, I was just in the bathroom wondering the exact thing.

Seems to me it is not acceptable for any reason except hospitalization.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. Why were you wondering this in the bathroom?

:o

[tridim]

7. Nothin' else to do. :)

[Kaleva]

9. Some read....others ponder why certain people are not present at a SOTU.

[old mark]

6. They are appointed for life - they don't give a fuck about anyone else. nt

[DarthDem]

11. Good Question

I thought that all nine of them were there for the two or so Dumbya SOTUs that I made myself watch, so I was a little surprised to see a few missing. From the pics, it appeared that Sclia, Thomas, and Stevens were not there. The other six were. Also, from previous SOTUS, I thought that they were usually seated in the upper gallery, not just in front of the rostrum. I can't help wonder if White House/Democratic organizers did that deliberately based on Obama's plans to call them out. If so, I love the move even more.

[Stardust]

16. Is it acceptable for SCOTUS members to sleep during the SOTU?

Jackeens posted some pics and I swear Ginsburg is snoozin.'

[timeforpeace]

17. Sure as hell gonna happen from now on!

[LLStarks]

18. Scalia wouldn't have been able to stomach the call-out without flipping Obama the bird. nt

[lib_wit_it]

19. How did such a low life scumbag get on the SCOTUS!? Oh, right.