Whoa! Speaker Hastert stiff-arms the Supremes

U.S. News- Washington Whispers ^ | 01/12/04 | Paul Bedard

[Pokey78]

Despite a guaranteed job for life, free parking, and cool uniforms, federal judges are still whining about making less than, say, your average Michael Jackson superlawyer. The Supreme Court's chief justice, William Rehnquist, thought he had a deal late last year when Senate leaders and the White House warmed to a plan to "delink" judicial pay from the minimal annual congressional pay raise and get guaranteed yearly increases on top of their base $142,300-$198,600 salaries. He even thought he'd locked down an immediate hike of an average $25,000. But that was before his pay-plea team met with House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Just before Thanksgiving, we learn, four Supreme Court judges, including Sandra Day O'Connor and Antonin Scalia, had a private sit-down with Hastert to boohoo that lawyers want more money to become judges. His response? "It's not going to happen," says a leadership aide. In fact, when Hastert told fellow GOP-ers of the begging session, several grumbled that judges shouldn't get paid better than lawmakers until they start working as hard.

[hchutch]

Look, you want asinine jerks, keep the pay so low that you need the best and brightest to get a sudden surge of patriotism to deal with that stuff. On the other hand, I would rather up the pay so the most talented people might be willing to run for office.

[MissAmericanPie]

If I were them I'd quit.=o)

[mabelkitty]

Only in the private sector.
When has government ever attracted talent?

[TrueBeliever9]

Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens is 84

The New York Times is Stevens bible - you never see him without it! Need I say more?

[Rebelbase]

"Maybe the Supremes can follow the example of the California Banana Scanners and go on strike."

BTW, Whats the word on the strike? I haven't heard anything lately.

[Rebelbase]

"Up Congressional salaries to $600K a year, same for Cabinet members"

You're nuts. We have enough lawyers up there already.

[Tall_Texan]

Dear Justices:

We're glad you decided correctly in Gore v Bush but, frankly, you've been on a losing streak ever since. What the hell have you been smoking?

The job is really pretty simple. Read a short document we call the "Constitution". With each case, ask yourself 'Is there anything in this that violates that document?' If the answer is "no", then let the states decide through their duly elected legislatures. If the answer is "yes", such as infringing on political free speech within 30 days of an election, then you rule the law unconstitutional.

All the other bloviating is totally unnecessary.

Want a job where you have to spend hours interpreting minutiae of the written word? Try translating any Microsoft software documentation.

Interpreting the U.S. Constitution? It's so easy, even an octogenarian can do it. Or should.

[patriot_wes]

federal judges are still whining about making less than, say, your average Michael Jackson superlawyer

and they don't even have to pay taxes on their pay, They shouldn't complain to much.

[freedumb2003]

Strike is still on. It may go the route of the Detroit newspapers unions.

To date, more and more people are returning to the stores -- the strikers are off the Ralphs stores completely and the Teamsters are delivering again.

There is some recent rumbling about the stores "advising" people to come back and be re-hired using their kids' SSNs but I suspect it will go the way of every other legal action in this work action (down the crapper).

This is pretty much it -- the beginning of the end of Unions. Thank God for those who want to WORK for a living!

[avenir]

"For the real talent, current salary is a serious pay cut."

I guess I'm at a loss to understand why you think "talent" is needed here. It takes "talent" to honor the Constitution? (IMO "fidelity" will do.)

[paul51]

Agreed. Talent follows the money

Well then don't be such a piker. Let's pay them all $10 - 12 million each so we really get quality.

[34512a]

Divide those 'hour worked' amongst their staffs.

[jagrmeister]

Interesting anecdote. He has overstayed his welcome- Stevens just wants to hang around as long as possible to cast liberal votes though his mind can no longer handle the rigor of these important cases.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

The staffers' hours are even worse. Far worse. And they don't earn bupkes. A lawyer writing tax legislation for the Ways and Means Committee may, if he's lucky, earn $30,000 a year.

[Ima Lurker]

Hey, good thinking. But I don't think the GOP is smart enough to come up with that idea.

[GladesGuru]

"might run for office."

Last I heard, one was appointed to SCOTUS.

I, for one, would prefer a Court composed of those perhaps not the "brightest and the best" as the Bog Trotters Circus was fond of saying, but of those more interested in the original intent - ala Scalia's concept of "originalist".

I know few lawyers who would turn down an appointment to SCOTUS, regardless of the pay.

Where else can a mere lawyer play God on such a scale?