Scalito...and maybe Roberts...plan to pull a Boehner @ SOTU (no-shows)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Supreme Court Justices Could Be No-Shows for Obama's State of the Union Address

By Lee Ross

Published January 24, 2011 | FoxNews.com



http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/24/chief-justice-state-union-alito-begs/

Jan. 27, 2010: Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, left, and Chief Justice John Roberts arrive for the State of the Union address.

Just one day before President Obama’s State of the Union address, it’s still not clear whether Chief Justice John Roberts will attend or, like high court colleague Justice Samuel Alito, skip the event.

Roberts’s decision -- or that of any other justice for that matter -- wouldn’t normally be an issue but for the instant uproar that resulted from last year’s address and the observations he and some of his colleagues have made over the last 12 months about the celebrated but often hyper-partisan evening.

An official with the University of Hawaii Law School confirms to FOX News that Alito, who was a significant part of the controversy last year, will be with students in Honolulu all week and therefore will not attend Tuesday night’s speech. It will be the first time he will not show.

“To the extent the State of the Union has degenerated into a political pep rally, I’m not sure why we’re there,” Roberts said last March. But the escalated calls for bipartisan civility on Capitol Hill might argue against Roberts sending his regrets.

[jaxx]

1. Let them stay home.

It will show how partisan the Supreme Court is under Roberts. They won't look good for not being there.

[kysrsoze]

6. I would expect no less from these two traitors.

[RKP5637]

2. Given the way they think apparently they now want to blatantly and symbolically display it ...

[n2doc]

3. I think he will skip it

I think all the hard right Corporatist judges will not show: Alito, Roberts, Thomas and Scalia. They should put a banner on their seats "Bought and Paid for by the US Chamber of Commerce."

[Chipper Chat]

4. And SHOW IT on television!.

(not likely = thank you Commiecast and Roger Ailing)

[monmouth]

5. Our President has had to tolerate an awful lot of shite. Personally

I'm glad they won't be there but I would imagine the females, the smartest on the SC bench will be there...

[onenote]

9. attendance is pretty hit or miss

For example, while Ruth Bader Ginsburg attended in 2009, that was the first one she'd attended since 1999. Scalia has never attended a SOTU no matter who was president. Here is a list of attendees for some recent years:

OBAMA PRESIDENCY:
2010: Roberts, Breyer, Alito, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Sotomayor
2009: Roberts, Breyer, Alito, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Thomas


BUSH PRESIDENCY:
2008: Roberts, Breyer, Alito, Kennedy
2007: Roberts, Breyer, Alito, Kennedy
2006: Roberts, Thomas, Breyer, Alito
2005: Stevens, Breyer
2004: Breyer
2003: Breyer
2002: Kennedy, Breyer
2001: Breyer

CLINTON PRESIDENCY:
2000: None (due to illnesses and travel conflicts)
1999: O'Connor, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, Ginsberg, Breyer
1998: Rehnquist, O'Connor, Souter, Thomas, Breyer
1997: Scalia, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, Ginsberg, Breyer, White (retired)
1996: Rehnquist, O'Connor, Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsberg, Breyer
1995: Rehnquist, O'Connor, Scalia, Ginsberg, Breyer, Blackmun (retired)

[UTUSN]

7. If they're so big on separation of powers, why is SCALIA speechifying to the TeaBaggers?!1 n/t

[Nye Bevan]

8. I wouldn't go if I was a justice

I would just hate the thought of the cameras constantly scrutinizing my every facial expression to try to figure out what I did and didn't approve of.

[madmom]

10. well they have scheduling conflicts ya know, why did they have to have it at THIS date & time?

:sarcasm: ...just in case

[barbiegeek]

11. Am I the only one that thinks John Roberts is in the closet?

[Sal Minella]

13. No, you are not.

If he is gay, he is doing a grave disservice to my gay family members and friends by continuing his Mother-and-Father-and-Dick-and-Jane-and-Spot routine.

[notesdev]

12. SCOTUS shouldn't be there in the first place

The SOTU is a political event and judges ought to stay out of politics to maintain objectivity.

If you read the Constitution, which makes the SOTU an obligation of the President, it is Congress - and Congress only - to which he must report. Everyone else there is an extra in the gallery and ought to be treated as nothing more than a simple visitor.

[Sal Minella]

14. Funny how they can show up for the Red Mass, but not for the SotU???

Well, I guess that does separate Church and State, come to think of it . . .

[jwirr]

15. I for one will not miss them. Good riddance.

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. Interesting that contempt for the Presidency is now so publicly displayed.

Arrogance and hubris seem to be more important than respecting the Court itself.

[onenote]

17. not sure why you think it reflects contempt for the presidency

Do you think Justice Stevens had contempt for the presidency? After all, he stopped attending the SOTU as far back as 1995 (if not before). Its been a long time since all of the courts' members attended the SOTU and no more than 6 have attended in any year since the mid 1990s. During chimpy's presidency, there were years when only one member of the court (Breyer) attended.

[cherokeeprogressive]

19. I counted 7 listed for 1997 but still it's an interesting bit of information

and I'm guessing there are some here who didn't read your post before they themselves posted.

[onenote]

20. there were seven in 1997, but one was retired Justice White

White left the court in 1993.

[GSLevel9]

18. I have no problem with it...

This isn't a collegiate rally with cheerleaders and pom poms. I don't care who is in the White House or the Supreme Court, the Supreme's aren't required to be there.

"He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. ”

— Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution

[usregimechange]

21. Breyer will be there of course