Highway61
Well-Known Member
Impeachment is not as effective as James Madison thought it would be when he wrote the Constitution. And the Supreme Court already legalized bribery with the Citizens United case so unless more comes out about Thomas, his financial relationships with right wing supporters will probably be a source of outrage but little else. I want to believe that the Supreme Court can be saved but I think it more likely that we are stuck with it for a long time. McConnell packed the court with younger, hard right wing nuts who will put their stamp of idiocy on the federal judiciary for a couple of decades.If the democrats win enough majorities in the congress, they will attack the magat justices and Thomas is top of the list for an impeachment inquiry. Garland should indict Thomas he is a government employee in the end and failed to report income and there are other issues as well and more could be uncovered by the FBI.
You say, but it will only end up in court, and I say great, because a jury will convict Thomas and if it gets to the SCOTUS, the other justices get to pass judgement on him, or he and they are above the law. At the same time there would be an impeachment investigation and congressional subpoenas issued. If the republican justices refuse, then summon them for an impeachment trial in the senate after a vote in the house for defying their subpoena, play hard ball and use the bat on them too.
What was once the greatest judicial system in the world is now led by a partisan circle jerk of religious fanaticism. Clarence Thomas was the beginning of the Supremes' downfall. He was never qualified for that position. He was never even a Judge. He was a legislative assistant for John Danforth and worked in the US Dept. of Education before his nomination to the Supremes. At least he knew his limitations and kept his mouth shut for decades. But he now has the chance to repay his benefactors and he will - carefully packaged to pass whatever ethics rules Roberts tries to impose.
This is not what James Madison intended but it is what we have. So long as the GOP appoints partisans and politicians to the Federal Judiciary, they will control public policy without having to win elections. The claw back will likely take decades.