Scalia, Thomas have attended Koch bros. 'very private', 'secretive' meetings

[babylonsister]

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=10&year=2010&base_name=yes_virginia_there_is_a_vast_r

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy.


Today's New York Times has an interesting story about a periodic meeting conservative uber-donor David Koch organizes, where he and other masters of the universe plan how to advance the cause of "freedom," i.e. remove themselves from the burden of paying taxes and obeying regulations on things like the environment and worker safety:

snip//

Getting this kind of "rare peek" is always interesting, but there isn't anything particularly sinister about the fact that these people get together to plot strategy. People on the left do it too; for instance, there's a group called the Democracy Alliance, which is a collection of progressive donors. They too occasionally gather in one place, to determine how to best spend their money to advance the causes they believe in. George Soros, the right's bete noir, is even one of the Alliance's members.

But imagine if it were discovered that among the participants at the Democracy Alliance meetings were Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer -- that two sitting Supreme Court justices were getting together with top liberal donors to plot political strategy. To say there would be outrage would be an understatement. Forget about all the fulminating about "activist judges" on Fox News and conservative talk radio that would ensue. Republicans would almost certainly propose impeaching the two justices, arguing, with some justification, that it is grossly improper for members of the Supreme Court to be participating in such plainly political activities.

Keep that in mind as you read this, from lower down in the Times article:

To encourage new participants, Mr. Koch offers to waive the $1,500 registration fee. And he notes that previous guests have included Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court, Gov. Haley Barbour and Gov. Bobby Jindal, Senators Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn, and Representatives Mike Pence, Tom Price and Paul D. Ryan.

Yes, that's right: Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas have attended strategy meetings with the billionaires who fund pretty much every major conservative interest group in the country. I wonder what they talked about?

-- Paul Waldman

[bluerum]

1. my outrage grows daily

[The Hitman]

56. indeed

the judiciary becomes the 3d political branch...

[Rosa Luxemburg]

63. Corporate scum

[Cosmocat]

77. Sotamayor meets with Soros ...

How would THAT be treated by the "liberal" media ...

[molly77]

83. Progressives are not represented on the SC

Catholics and neo cons dominate. We should rethink our SC policy. After 2000 when gbush was selected, they said this was not precedence. Their job is to set precedence. So all the judges who voted for a president to be allowed office without counting votes should be fired.

[fascisthunter]

87. it would not be applauded, or defended

the way right wingos defend this piece of shit.

[Cosmocat]

93. They would have the judge hung by their toes ...

and the media would be all up in arms over it, too ...

[Spazito]

2. Geez...

I have to admit, as cynical as I am, this made me go :wow: .

[Hepburn]

5. Same thoughts....same reaction.

As corrupt as I think these bastards are...still shocking to me.

[PinkFloyd]

59. You know something just as disgusting is...

That somewhere out there are millions of teabagger idiots who see no problem with it and think somehow things like this are going to help their middle-classed asses.

[Enthusiast]

72. Exactly.

Disgusting, disturbing and I am losing my faith in my fellow citizen. But I attribute this to years of the RW effort to dumb down the American people. Their efforts have been generously rewarded.

[PinkFloyd]

94. Damn skippy and you notice something else about the teabaggers...

Among all the other wacko ideas, from forcing rape victims to carry their rapist's babies to repealing the 17th amendment they also want to kill the Dept. of Education. I understand where teabaggers would be against education but WTF.

[disillusioned73]

3. This is incredible, and yet we will not

get a peep from the corporate MSM... ughh

[young but wise]

4. This is so wrong on so many levels.

[struggle4progress]

6. Sure would be nice to impeach Tony

[crazylikafox]

25. Can someone explain to me why this is not an impeachable offense?

Really, this is a serious question.

[Dr Fate]

30. Because investigating corruption would make DEMS look "far left."

Other than that, I cant come up with any good excuses either.

I'm sure someone will come along soon enough with plenty of them.

I'm with you- ELECTED DEMS should at least be out there, on TV, talking this up, using pharses like "illegal", "Conflict of interest" and "..if they have nothing to hide, they should be willing to come to the captital and answer some questions, under oath..."

Etc, etc.

I know, I Know, too far left.

[Chulanowa]

76. No, because impeachment would go nowhere

Because the Republicans and blue dogs would line up behind Thomas and Scalia and the Oligarchs.

"Because it would look far left"? Please, check your ego at the door - it's because some Democrats have sold out.

'Course, we can't afford to be picky when choosing which Democrats to hate and revile on Democratic Underground, now can we? It's all or fucking nothing!

[mzmolly]

60. Indeed.

:puke:

[Bitwit1234]

7. I blame the DOJ and Holder because he does nothing

to investigate any of the charges. what does he do sit in his office and knit all day long.

[babylonsister]

9. This appeared in the NYT TODAY. nt

[dflprincess]

62. And you think it was news to the insiders in Washington? n/t

[polichick]

19. He may not be able to avoid doing something now. nt

[vssmith]

26. He is not the only Obama appointee that is AWOL

[bc3000]

42. I concur

[Retrograde]

44. Too busy upholding DADT and getting ready to fight CA's Prop 19?

Yeah, yeah, he's supposed to uphold the law of the land, but IMHO Scalia and Thomas's actions are a conflict of interest. At the very least I'd expect the relevant lawyers in any cases involving corporations that come up before the Supreme Court to demand they recuse themselves.

And where is Congress, who were so quick to investigate Clinton? Even if the Dems lose bigtime next month, they've still got 2 months to do hearings!

[progressoid]

8. Gee, and who voted to strike down campaign finance reform as violating corporate free speech?

:grr:

[babylonsister]

10. The men and women in black are...deciding their second national election in just the first decade...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x565703

What is the most powerful political operation in the country in this 21st century? It's the United States Supreme Court. The men and women in black are on their way to deciding their second national election in just the first decade of the century.

[progressoid]

11. We need another deep throat and someone in the M$M with the guts to tell the truth.

[Parker CA]

17. I imagine this will show up on Maddow and Lawrence's show soon. Not sure if either will be enough

to break this into the mainstream news though. This is some serious f-ed up stuff that's going on.

[polichick]

20. Corruption at the very top - thank goodness for Rachel & Lawrence...

Few others will touch it.

[Parker CA]

21. Definitely thank goodness for the two of them. Hoping to see this in the next few days, as it may

take each of them awhile to dig deep into the tentacles with their staffs.

[polichick]

22. I'll be sure to watch this week! nt

[Enthusiast]

73. Who would listen?

Obama even called out the Supreme Court for the horrible Citizens United decision during the State of the Union Address. Still, we have millions of Tea Party supporters of corporate government.

[Pirate Smile]

36. Exactly. They have sure gotten their money's worth from Roberts, Alito, Scalia & Thomas in Citizens

United ... Kennedy too.

[thereismore]

12. If God cared, he would remove those two from office a long time ago. nt

[Democat]

13. They do this because Democrats are such cowards

If the Democrats, when they had a majority of both houses, had threatened to impeach Scalia and Thomas, you can bet that they would be a lot more careful with their bribes and rulings. But, instead, Democrats cower in the corner and show them undue respect. Republicans would never allow moderate judges to get away with this type of activity.

[Blue Owl]

14. The best justice money can buy

Your Honor(s) -- go fuck yourself, you sold-out sack of shit.

[Yavin4]

15. Face Time with the Bosses

Is how one advances their careers.

[beac]

16. I have to say it's no shock to find out Scalia and Thomas are Teabagging Nutjobs.

Thomas' own wife is one of the top Teabagging Princesses and as far as Scalia, I just assume that if there's anything evil and destructive going on, "Nino" is in it up to his vile armpits.

[Phx_Dem]

18. That's nice.

Why am I surprised? :mad:

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[Vinnie From Indy]

23. K&R

n/t

[ProSense]

24. Think Progress

has a detailed piece on the Koch brothers' election plotting, posted here

[Supersedeas]

27. Money and Power behind the scenes to influence the Federal Bench...surely the ABA would protest.

[femrap]

28. Screwing animals and children...

I bet that's what they talk about. They're all sick cookies. clarence is now in Opus Dei...

[elehhhhna]

29. Impeach them. It can be done.

[Dr Fate]

33. Cant be done. Too far left.

Turn on your TV and wait for an elected DEM to even say the word "impeachment."

You are in for a long wait, BTW.

The best you will get is a laundry list of EXCUSES for why that wont happen. Mark my words.

[NewJeffCT]

49. However, if Sotomayor or Kagan even got within a whiff

of MoveOn.org, the Republics would immediately talk impeachment and would never take it off the table.

[fascisthunter]

31. so now it is acceptable for Supreme COurt Judges to Collude with Business Interests

They must be removed.... not on our tax dollars... fuckers

[pleah]

32. K&R

[Historic NY]

34. I'm open to impeaching them. Its apparent that their political leanings..

are influencing their decisions. Judges are supposed to be apolitical not political or supporting political groups. There is a line and they crossed it. Even if its doomed to failure it will further expose the activities and leanings of certain court members.

[Dr Fate]

38. I'm open to just having a house hold name, elected DEM simply uttering the word....

...in the context of this issue.

That would just be a start in my book, but I'll take what I can get.

[timefortherevolution]

35. This is disturbing on so many levels.

I am ready for a revolution of sorts.

[BREMPRO]

37. their extracurricular activity is grounds for impeachment in my view

simply unacceptable for those two corporate whore judges to be involved, mingling, seen at, involved in any way at the Koch's conservative activist strategy meetings. Conflict of interest abounding. judicial impartiality totally undermined. Not that i thought much of them in the first place, but this is really beyond the constitutional limits of their office. I wonder what kind of nasty is dangling from the "Koch" can? Much worse I'm sure than the Thomas's "Coke" can slime. Apologize? No. Stand down, RESIGN, or the people will pursue impeachment you fascist tards.

[Waiting For Everyman]

39. Add to this, Thomas' wife's tea party activism.

Conservative social issues are just a trojan horse for the RW corporatist agenda, that's the real agenda. The social stuff is only a disguise to get the votes for it. And btw, I seriously wonder how much of this influx of foreign money goes to funding these brainwashing RW churches too? And of course, the think-tanks. Our American taliban has a lot in common with the foreign ones. And until our electorate is deprogrammed of all this propagenda hatched in the churches every week (and on talk radio every day), we'll continue to have this battle with the RW takeover.


Anita Hill should've been listened to in the first place. Thomas was in no way SCOTUS caliber, not even in the ballpark.

But then, neither was Rehnquist (Nixon's stooge in the DoJ Saturday Night Massacre). His claim to fame was major participation in a presidential crime coverup (Watergate) - how's that for great credentials for the SC.

It's insulting, the obvious idiots (all of them) that get proposed for top office in this country. But that's just another way of corrupting the system, which the RW is bent on doing.

[beforeyoureyes]

40. If the democrats truly want to stop this - they need to go after them balls out

If they just look the other way, it just enables them.

[Dr Fate]

41. You forgot to put a sarcasm icon or a rolly laughy guy in your post. n/t

n/t

[OnyxCollie]

43. K&R. nt

[JohnWxy]

45. recommended!

[bpositive]

46. Omfg

:mad: :WTF:

[MadMaddie]

47. These judges have been coopted. If they respected the positions

they would not have attended these functions. They are bought and paid for and investigations need to start.

[McCamy Taylor]

48. I knew that the SCOTUS verdict in Citizens United was coordinated with the right wing.

And this proves it.

[Scruffy1]

50. Secretive so the cash can change hands

[Blue_Tires]

51. well, at least i get a confirmation of what i already knew...

[KansDem]

52. I certainly would like to know what they discussed.

This doesn't look good...at all.

Perahps it's time for DU to bring back the :finger: similie...

[harun]

53. The Iraqi constitution (that the U.S. help draft) outlaws Judges from being members

of political parties. Sounds like we might need something like that.

[muntrv]

54. Scalia went duck hunting with Dickie, while Dick's case was pending

before the SCOTUS. This is hardly surprising.

[KoKo]

84. +1!

[Mimosa]

55. OMG! SCOTUS justices are supposed to remain unconnected to partisan polics. n/t

[Doctor_J]

57. Impeach, indict, execute

the sooner the better.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

58. IMPEACH THE FUCKERS !

[ProudDad]

61. DEFINITELY grounds for impeachment (n/t)

[ElsewheresDaughter]

64. Forget Koch events, these freakin' worth-lezz magots appointed GW Bush to become prez

- the most inept, incompetent prez ever. He destroyed our economy, our country our lives.

All because the SCOTUS rigged an election..... We truly have become a banana republic.

[guitar man]

65. Hmm

So I wonder if this is why Ol Ginny made that outrageous call to Anita, give the media a shiny ball to play with because they knew this story was coming out ?:shrug:

[Jakes Progress]

66. And nothing will happen.

No mainstream media will show this for what it is. The public might hear it, but they won't care. The administration is afraid that beck will cry. Too many Democrats in congress just want to get in on the same gravy train.

It has taken them a few decades, but the neocons have won. Their only opposition are a few bloggers and sites like this. Tell me my cynicism isn't justified.

[sam sarrha]

67. this is shameless Fascism...

[myrna minx]

68. K&R n.t

[defendandprotect]

69. Re Cheney/Energy Meetings: Scalia should have been hung up by his toes until the ducks

came flying out of his mouth and we got the truth about those Cheney WH meetings!!

[Enthusiast]

70. Of course there is a

Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy. We have known this for years. It is powerful, far reaching and the greatest threat to our democracy since the Soviet Union and the fascists of WWII.

[Enthusiast]

71. K&R

When Harry Reid suggested that Scalia was a great justice I thought maybe we should be supporting Angle. Srsly.

[tavalon]

74. I could support impeachment

[Hubert Flottz]

75. Those Kotch suckers can't get enough of that funky stuff...

Filth lucre/blood money, it all spends the same to those shameless Kotch sucking parasites of the rabid radical Reich. They'll suck anybody's ass if the lucre is right.

[TwentyFive]

78. IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS!!!!!

Justice is not for sale!

Actually, it's been for sale for many years. And corporate America has been buying it up everyplace. No better time than the present to end this corruption and IMPEACH Scalia and Thomas.

[ProSense]

79. Think Progress:

What Role Have Scalia And Thomas Played In The Koch Money Machine?

Media Matters: Examiner writers attended secret Koch meeting

[Roland99]

80. Two words: CITIZENS UNITED

fucking repuke thugs

[TomClash]

81. Plotting the Coup . . . Again nt

[southern_belle]

82. Disgusting! eom

[BlueJac]

85. Don't look now the Democrats are scattering..........

looking for cover and talking about other things. They would NEVER bring this kind of bullshit up, they like reaching across the aisle to get their hand bitten.


People wonder what happened to this country, start giving credit where credit is due.....60% Republican and 40% Democrats equal a Right Wing American agenda for the last 40+ years, that keeps turning farther and farther to the Right.

Don't forget blaming the far left for wanting their country back!

[cyclezealot]

86. Ginsburg& Breyer would be facing impeachment IF.

As the arGticle pointed out.. Faux news would be hounding Breyer,Ginsburg if they attended some kind of leftist event. Such as say a Soros function. ? So why aren't we demanding impeachment for their excesses..

[cyclezealot]

88. ps.

Just called a US Senator. ( Levin.) he says what Scalia/Thomas did is legal.. Even though the Koch Brothers certainly financed and benefited from Citizens United as authored by the Supreme Courts, Republican majority.

[jbeing]

89. Just wondering

Thomas's wife makes call to Anita Hill. 

News cycle jumps on it, wondering "Why would she do this
after 19 years?"

Also, isn't she or her organization under investigation?

Is she covering up her husband's Koch?

Anyone smell a smokescreen? 

[felix_numinous]

90. We are deluded to believe government will investigate itself

based on facts. History has shown that it takes massive continuous public pressure to force them to do so. Enough public pressure can put these groups on the run, once this happens it makes it much easier for politicians to get on the bandwagon and take action. It does not happen the other way around, IMHO.

It is important to pressure all honest Democrats, including President Obama and his administration to work with us to confront this corruption. I think that it is within their best interest to separate themselves from it, not only for legal reasons, but to give them a platform for the 2012 election.

[budkin]

91. These guys need to be thrown off the bench

[rocktivity]

92. If the atended these meetings PRIOR to their Citizens United ruling

shouldn't Thomas and Scalia have recused themselves?

IMPEACH!!!!

:patriot:
rocktivity

[Odin2005]

95. IMPEACH! IMPEACH!!!

[Odin2005]

96. HOLY FUCK!!!

:grr: