Posted on 05/04/2019 1:59:16 PM PDT by upsdriver
Clarence Thomas has been a Supreme Court justice for nearly three decades. It may finally be his moment.
Many Americans know Thomas largely from his bruising 1991 confirmation hearing, when he was accused of sexual harassment charges by former employee Anita Hill charges he denied. People may know hes a conservative and has gone years without speaking during arguments at the court. But scholars say it would be wise to pay closer attention to Thomas.
Thomas is now the longest-serving member of a court that has recently gotten more conservative, putting him in a unique and potentially powerful position, and hes said he doesnt plan on retiring anytime soon. With President Donald Trumps nominees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh now on the court, conservatives are firmly in control as the justices take on divisive issues such as abortion, gun control and LGBT rights.
Thomas, for the first time, is on a court where there are at least four votes for some pretty radical decisions, said political science professor Corey Robin, the author of a Thomas book due out in September. Robin says the question will be whether the courts more conservative justices Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito can get Chief Justice John Roberts, a more moderate conservative, to go along.
Thomas, 70, became the high courts longest-serving justice, the senior associate justice, when Justice Anthony Kennedy retired last summer . But unlike Kennedy, who sat at the courts ideological center and was most often the deciding vote when the court split 5-4, Thomas is consistently on the courts far right.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
I hope Kavanaugh does not turn out to be a David Souter. I would have gone with the pro second amendment candidate from Pennsylvania, a much better choice.
Yeah, hard to trust anyone coming out of DC.
“Thomas is now the longest-serving member of a court that has recently gotten more conservative, putting him in a unique and potentially powerful position, and hes said he doesnt plan on retiring anytime soon. With President Donald Trumps nominees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh now on the court, conservatives are firmly in control...”
Thank Goodness for Justice Thomas, and Thank Goodness for PDJT. If nothing else, we can thwart the INSANE Socialists via SCOTUS, if not at the Ballot Box.
I consider Justice Thomas, normal. I consider Ginsburg and Kagan far left.
_____________________
That’s because you look at issues somewhat logically.
I do, too. Your consideration is far more popular than people think. As a group, we need to be more confident in the face of media bias. We're winning.
Amen! I've been a Thomas fan/supporter ever since his senate confirmation. He's never made me doubt my support. Justice Thomas is as consistent as any man can be.
If I were Justice Thomas, for the sake of the country and conservative rule-of-law sensibilities, I’d consider retiring while DJT is president, thereby guaranteeing a younger conservative replacement. If he rolls the dice and “moves on” under a Dem, the court will change once again back to liberal.
Yes, radical as in going to the roots: the Constitution as written. At least one Thomas decision (in dissent) has called into question the FDR-era Wickard v Filburn ruling's "substantial effect" test on which much of the leftist federal Leviathan is based. (Right-statist pseudo-conservatives should note that the federal War on Drugs is also so based.)
“Far right” implies someone who is willing to ignore the law in implementing rightist ideology. Justice Thomas is more correctly called a moderate who supports the rule of law.
Thomas is now the longest-serving member of a court that has recently gotten more conservative,
No it has not. Roberts is to the left of Kennedy now and Kavanaugh is his wing man.
I’m not one who makes bucket lists, but meeting Justice Thomas in an RV Park is a dream of mine! No one else I really care about.
Roberts is like a lot of Republican legislators. They vote conservative when their vote doesn’t make a big difference. But when big money and big issues are on the line, they go all wobbly.
I expect Roberts to wobble even more now that he doesn’t have Kennedy to do the wobbling for him.
“Chief Justice Roberts. We were promised a strict constructionist by 43. We got a lackey instead.”
And to think he was the one Bush was forced to nominate when the base went nuts over Harriet Miers.
Have you read his book? It’s very good. I was somewhat upset that my library stuck it in the African American section
“I was somewhat upset that my library stuck it in the African American section.”
Actually, that might be the best place for it. Someone using that section might be curious, pick it up, and read it — and learn something.
At my library, that demographic seems to walk out with stacks of DVD and not too many books.
I remember an interview of Thomas back sometime in the nineties. He had by then gained his reputation for asking few if any questions. When asked about this he replied that he asked fresh questions and did not ask the same question again if it had asked already. He also said that some of the other justices were in love with the sound of their own voices so a fresh question was rarely needed. That explained the question and showed he has a sense of humor.
Holdem
My Grandfather's Son? Yeah, I bought and read it a long time ago. He has a good story to tell. It was interesting reading about where he came from and how he ended up becoming the conservative icon he is now. Recommended read!
I concur. As much as I love Justice Thomas, I’d like to see him retire and be replaced by somebody with impeccable Strict Constructionist credentials who is 25 years younger.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.