Key Senate Democrat doesn't plan to probe Justice Alito over upside-down flag

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

May 20, 2024, 7:26 PM EDT


WASHINGTON — Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., reiterated to reporters Monday that he wants Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to recuse himself after The New York Times reported that an upside-down American flag hung outside his home in mid-January 2021.

But Durbin said he doesn’t plan to hold an inquiry.

“No, we haven’t got anything planned. I think he’s explained his situation. The American public understand what he did,” he said. “But I don’t think there’s much to be gained with a hearing at this point. I think he should recuse himself from cases involving Trump and his administration.”

And if Alito refuses to recuse voluntarily? “There’s no recourse other than impeachment, and we’re not at that point at all,” Durbin said.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/key-senate-democrat-doesnt-plan-probe-justice-alito-upside-flag-rcna153170

[snowybirdie]

1. Durbin has been in office

for many years. He still believes that the Senate is a Gentlemen's Club. This is a different day with different fights needed to be made. Another SC degradation will be swept under the rug. Shame on them!

[cab67]

2. That....

....or he knows a waste of time when he sees one.

Impeachment would go nowhere. Democrats don't hold a large enough majority to convict, and no Republican would go along with them.

As for hearings - to what end? Are there witnesses who could contradict what Alito has said? Do you think Alito will 'fess up? What would we learn that we don't already know?

I want Alito off the SC as much as any of us, but after hearings and impeachment proceedings, we'd end up right where we started.

[2naSalit]

5. I see it as...

A matter of process and documentation for later use.

[former9thward]

9. Impeachment over a flag?

There are no Democratic Senators who would back that.

[ananda]

7. Yep. We need more fight from our Dems!

They go low and dirty, the media props them up
and normalizes it... and what do our Dems do?

Just sit back and expect them to be decent?

Not gonna happen.

[Demsrule86]

17. No, he has been in the Senate long enough to realize that you pick your battles...nothing we can do about Alito.

[Ray Bruns]

3. For what it's worth, I wouldn't want to probe Alito either.

[2naSalit]

4. !!!!!!GONG!!!!!!

Wrong, Dick!

Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong

[Hassin Bin Sober]

6. So basically nothing. Except give Alito and his wife more liberal angst to jack off to.

How about we investigate and prosecute Thomas for his obvious disclosure form crimes and tax evasion? Pretty please?

[Oopsie Daisy]

8. I agree with Durbin. At this juncture, it would be a circus sideshow with nothing to be gained.

And if Alito refuses to recuse voluntarily? “There’s no recourse other than impeachment, and we’re not at that point at all,” Durbin said.

He's correct.

[LeftInTX]

12. Yep. There's nothing "to probe" when it comes to the flag. Everyone knows what it means.

Hauling Alito into the senate is just gonna give the same answer.

But Alito needs to recuse himself!!! I don't think he will

[tableturner]

15. Much to be gained from hearings, please see my post #14.

[Demsrule86]

18. We can refuse to comply with orders that violate the constitution though...they have no standing armies.

And now that they have lost their reputation, a number of red states are refusing to comply with their rulings. It will spread.

[Hotler]

10. Dick, what kind of cookies did you bake for Alito? Please post the recipe. Thanks. nt

[Demsrule86]

19. Stop attacking Democats. There is nothing Durbin can do. There is no way to get rid of Alito without GOP votes...how

likely is that?

[myohmy2]

11. c'mon Dick...

...we all want to see alito probed...

...preferably with a big stick...

...take off the gloves...

[tableturner]

14. There IS something to be gained from hearings!

How about we learn from the GOP? Do what they do so often to make an issue much bigger, which would not only put pressure on the Court, but would also serve to at least some extent to inform low information voters about this, in lieu of their picking it up on their own, which many of them will not do.

We not only should push hearings, but Democratic surrogates should also be flooding the airwaves slamming Alito and the Court. They've done it some, but not to the extent that the Republicans would if the situation were reversed, AND THAT'S WHY REPUBLICANS USUALLY WIN THE INFORMATION WAR.

Yes, we are fighting an information war to get Biden reelected and we need to shape the dialogue of that war, as opposed to letting the Republicans do it, which will end up with the Democrats being on the defensive as usual.

They bring knives, guns, and bazookas to the fight. We also need to do that!

Edited to add: I am not talking about impeachment! Just have widely publicized hearings to raise the temperature to higher levels, JUST LIKE THE GOP DOES.

[Demsrule86]

20. Not in an election year...it is a distraction.

[tableturner]

22. Defeatist attitude...which is why THEY, not us, win arguments they SHOULD lose!

[GoreWon2000]

16. The Ghost of 2000 lives on!

Once again there is clear and irrefutable evidence of the pro Trump bias of SCOTUS judge Alito and the response of Durbin is to do nothing to hold that judge accountable. This follows directly in the footsteps of the Senate dems in 2000 who did nothing to hold SCOTUS judges O'Connor and Scalia accountable for their refusal to recuse themselves from ruling on the Bush vs Gore case despite irrefutable evidence of their blatant bias against Al Gore. Way to go Durbin and dems. The Trump dictatorship will be here in no time because of the epic failure again of dems to act. Americans who believe in democracy and that everyone should be able to fully participate in our society and government couldn't have a weaker more cowardly bunch defending these principles in Congress. We are truly living through a terrifying time for our country.

[Demsrule86]

21. We don't have the votes in the Senate to do anything about it.