NEIL GORSUCH ON THE ROLE OF A JUSTICE | How RBG Welcomed Gorsuch To SCOTUS | Clarence Thomas And His “Radical Vision Of Race”

September 10, 2019

Ariane de Vogue with CNN reports that as the Supreme Court readies itself for another term, JUSTICE NEIL GORSUCH “has a message for anyone who might believe that it’s a judge’s job to fix politics: ‘Do you really want me to rule the country?'” During an interview with CNN the justice said that what the Founding Fathers didn’t have in mind “was nine old people in Washington sitting in robes telling everybody else how to live.”

JUSTICE GORSUCH also shared with CNN how JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG welcomed him to the high court: with the clerk manual he had organized some 25 years earlier with a note that read, “You may recognize some of this. I hope I’ve improved it a little bit since you’ve last seen it.” Ariane de Vogue writes, “Gorsuch’s tale reflects that the Supreme Court justices who wrestle with some of the most difficult issues of the day — and sometimes spar ferociously in their dueling opinions — are a collegial bunch off the bench.”

For USA Today, Ilya Shapiro explains that over the past several Supreme Court sessions, justices appointed by Democratic presidents have voted in unison more than their Republican counterparts. He explains the court’s history of conservative justices splitting off from each other and writes, “Such intramural fractures often reveal lively intellectual debates that one rarely sees on the left.”

“On the court, Thomas continues to believe—and to argue, in opinion after opinion—that race matters; that racism is a constant, ineradicable feature of American life; and that the only hope for black people lies within themselves, not as individuals but as a separate community with separate institutions, apart from white people.” That’s Corey Robin writing for The New Yorker about JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS and his “radical vision of race.”

Yesterday, a federal judge issued a nationwide order barring a Trump administration policy that denies asylum to migrants crossing the border unless they have already tried and failed to obtain asylum in another country first. The injunction will prevent this policy from going into place for the time being. Sarah Mervosh with The New York Times reports.

“Comedian and media mogul BYRON ALLEN wants TV viewers to watch the channels his company produces — from one that runs ‘Judge Judy’-like shows all day to those dedicated to comedy, cars, food and pets. But while many distributors carry Allen’s channels, two cable giants have refused. Allen says the reason is that he’s black, and so he’s sued for racial discrimination.” AP’s Jessica Gresko reports on the case that will soon get a look from the Supreme Court. Justices will hear arguments in November on the $20 billion lawsuit that Allen filed against Comcast, which would also affect a separate $10 billion case he filed against Charter Communications. Gresko notes, “If Allen prevails, black-owned businesses will have an easier time winning suits that allege discrimination in contracting. If Comcast wins, the bar will be high to bring and succeed with similar suits.”