Justice Clarence Thomas has stated his reason why he did not attend Obama’s first State of the Union address.
From The Weekly Standard:
"I don't go because it has become so partisan," he said, "and it's very uncomfortable for a judge to sit there. There's a lot that you don't hear on TV: The catcalls, the whooping and hollering and under-the-breath comments. One of the consequences is now the court becomes part of the conversation, if you want to call it that, in the speeches. It's just an example of why I don't go."
Well bravo, Justice Thomas! I will go one further. The State of the Union address has become a childish circus. This did not happen under Obama, this has been in the making for quite some time.
For me, the biggest annoyance about the SOTU is all those silly standing ovations. Congress looks like trained seals springing to their feet over every little utterance from the president. When the president says something his party likes they all spring to their feet and the opposing party sits on their hands. Republicans like what a Republican president proposes and Democrats like what a Democratic president proposes, we get it, their partisan. It would be far more dignified and useful if all of Congress followed the Supreme Court's lead and sat quietly until the end of the address. Let the viewers decide for themselves what is or isn’t praise worthy.
In addition, the SOTU has become a forum for a president to showcase his initiatives rather than report to the American people what the true state of the nation is and what is being done to improve it. This is why these address drone on for what seems like days and the most memorable things to come out of them are the outburst from the audience.
Hopefully whoever the next president is, he or she will set some new ground rules for the SOTU and bring it back to a more informative tool for the American people.
Via: Memeorandum
Via: The Weekly Standard
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7 comments:
Justice Thomas is my hero. He is a man with principles and convictions. A true American patriot. M
How much do you want to bet that Alito has attended his last?
Clifton, thanks for this post. I'm all for bringing back when they threatened to cane each other and sometimes did. Now, for those ladies who oppose this, carry a bigger cane and know how to use it.
Even worse were the hearings on Judge Janice Brown.
M Conservative Operative:
I too admire Thomas. Have you read his biography? It is excellent!
JACG:
I hope it becomes very contagious with the Justices, perhaps then some maturity will come to Congress.
Janelle:
What I am expecting soon is that these SOTU break out into those fist fights we see in the Asian governments.
I only wish the other four (OK three) reliably sensible Justices (Scalia, Roberts and Alito) did the same.
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