
Justice Scalia set to address Tea Party Caucus on Capitol HillBy Bill Mears, CNN Supreme Court Producer
January 21, 2011 10:53 p.m. EST
Critics of Scalia's appearance said it could raise the appearance of impropriety and lead to political polarization over the high court.
The speech "suggests an alliance between the conservative members of the court and the conservative members of Congress," Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, said on his legal blog. He said the justice was showing "exceedingly poor judgment."
But Edward Whelan, a former Scalia law clerk, and head of the Ethics & Public Policy Center, downplayed any concern.
"Does he think it's improper for any justice ever to speak to any group of members of Congress who might be perceived as sharing the same general political disposition?," he asked in a posting on the National Review's Bench Memos blog. "My guess is that, schedule permitting, Scalia would be happy to speak on the same topic to any similar group of members of Congress who invited him."
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/21/scotus.scalia.tea.party/index.html?hpt=Sbin