I think you rate him too highly.
Franken is a comedian posing as a commentator. He's very good at mocking the mockable, which is just about everything, but taking on someone like Scalia without heavy prep work or perhaps certain and steady sobriety is simply stupid.
One of Harry Blackmun's clerks described Scalia's stature in the war between liberal and conservative Justices:
The glaring contrast between the liberal and conservative Justices was reflected in almost every aspect of Court life and was on public display during every oral argument. I came to dread these session, where, from the cheap seats at the side of the courtroom, the liberal clerks would watch demoralized as the conservatives thoroughly dominated the proceedings. There was Scalia, ever witty, brilliant, and self-satisfied, leaning forward into his microphone to make mincemeat of those advocates with whom he disagreed or coming to the rescue of friendly counsel. . . .
-- Edward Lazarus, Closed Chambers: The Rise, Fall, and Future of the Modern Supreme Court (personal copy)
Poor Al was . . . clueless . . . or maybe puffed up with Dutch courage.
The 76th percentile isn't very high at all. Just high enough to memorize his lines.
BTW, I don't believe that all liberals are necessarily stupid, just borderline psychotic.
Thank you, that's a great reference and a wonderful read. The rare times Scalia's on C-Span, he shines, absolutely outclasses everyone. It's so obvious, a two year-old couldn't miss it. That joust with Stephen Burger last year...I think...was jaw dropping. Extremely nervous, Burger tried not to look at him and talked as fast as he could -- a stream of drivel about the Constitution being old hat and how fabulous the World Court was. Scalia lounged in his chair, lobbing cruise missiles when he couldn't any more. He eviscerated Burger.
Ouch! Nothing stings more then using the wrong word or mispronouncing a word and having it pointed out to you - especially in front of others! If Stuart Smally truly believed he got under Nino's skin, he is extremely dense. What is the most dense element? Stuart would beat that.