Althouse: Asked to name a Supreme Court Justice he admires, Harry Reid says Antonin Scalia.

October 14, 2010

Asked to name a Supreme Court Justice he admires, Harry Reid says Antonin Scalia.

At the big debate tonight:

"He is a masterful, masterful mind. He does good things."

45 comments:

Sprezzatura said...: Can't say I saw that one coming.; 10/14/10, 11:16 PM
Mark said...: His internal polling must show some really bad news.; 10/14/10, 11:25 PM
Irene said...: Mr. Irene just said, "Oh, good. It's probably the only one he remembers."; 10/14/10, 11:26 PM
Anonymous said...: Scalia is the most intellectually awesome Justice. Nobody ever talks about what Stephen Breyer says.

The fact that the left won't put its own intellectually awesome candidates up for Supreme Court confirmation (Tribe, others whose names I cannot recall at this moment) speaks volumes about the true political climate in this country.

And, by the way, I know the right has put up some real duds. But not Scalia.; 10/14/10, 11:27 PM
chickelit said...: I thought Harriet Miers was Reid's ideal sort of justice. She's the only one I recall him praising as a nominee: link.; 10/14/10, 11:51 PM
Anonymous said...: The Dem message seems to be we're too dumb to understand Obamacare. Nice campaign plan. Let's see how that works out.; 10/15/10, 12:01 AM
Martin L. Shoemaker said...: I'm no fan of Senator Reid, but I have to defend him here. This is not desperation, he's just being consistent.; 10/15/10, 12:07 AM
Anonymous said...: It's unfortunate that Clarence Thomas is (1) an obvious affirmative action hire, (2) hated by many for complicated political reasons involving the color of skin combined with his politics, and (3) forever in the shadow of Scalia.

Thomas is the best writer on the Court today and his dissents are wonderfully eloquent and, unlike Scalia's, sarcasm free.; 10/15/10, 12:13 AM
bgates said...: "But if I had two name the two greatest living Supreme Court Justices," Reid continued, "I would say Earl Warren and Roger Taney".; 10/15/10, 2:57 AM
The Dude said...: Roger Taney was truly impressive, but he is no Oliver Wendall Holmes, Jr. But our best justice has to be Earl Warren. No, wait, I mean Warren Burger. Mmm, burger...

WV: glersad - and so are we that a senile old bastard like Reid is still in power.; 10/15/10, 4:17 AM
Opus One Media said...: he seems to have done rather much better than Ms. O'Donnell - but she had a tougher question.

and then there is Seven Machos who said...

"Scalia is the most intellectually awesome Justice. Nobody ever talks about what Stephen Breyer says."

ahhh pal, Scalia talks about Scalia as do some on the right wing but, frankly, that's about it.; 10/15/10, 5:50 AM
Unknown said...: No idea what HD's talking about, but Dingy Harry's clearly got the playbook upside down. He's supposed to diss guys like Scalia and be grateful we have a wise Latina on the Court.

PS Tell Mr Irene I wish I'd thought of that; 10/15/10, 6:13 AM
KCFleming said...: I love the smell of desperation in the morning.; 10/15/10, 6:30 AM
The Drill SGT said...: I didn't understand the part about "all American" football.

did he dodge the question of which Justice he didn't think should be appointed? with that comment about Slavery decisions by some unnamed dead white guy?

Reid is on record calling Thomas an embarassment as a Justice. The fact that he won't say it now indicates to me that his polling says he is on very thin ice with Nevada blacks.

Slavery decisions bad
Thomas unmentioned; 10/15/10, 6:42 AM
KCFleming said...: I'm sure Reid is all 'I love love lo-o-ove free markets' too.

Meanwhile, In California and Delaware, the citizens are, in the best French tradition, about to elect socialists despite the socialist-engineered destruction of their states.

Utopian insanity is tough to cure.; 10/15/10, 6:50 AM
Scott M said...: He voted NO on a bill he was supposed to vote YES for, was yelled at by his Democrat buddies, chuckled, and then voted NO again on a bill he was supposed to vote YES for.

Why would anyone take anything this man says seriously? His son apparently doesn't.; 10/15/10, 6:51 AM
Jim said...: Why would anyone take anything this man says seriously? His son apparently doesn't.

When your own son refuses to use his last name for fear of being confused with you, you know you have a serious problem that extends well beyond politics.; 10/15/10, 7:49 AM
Scott M said...: The real brow-furrower, though, is how this goob made it to one of the most powerful positions in our government.; 10/15/10, 7:57 AM
Jim said...: The real brow-furrower, though, is how this goob made it to one of the most powerful positions in our government.

Once Al Gore made it to the Vice Presidency and nearly became President, all bets were off on goobs in powerful positions.; 10/15/10, 8:00 AM
Big Mike said...: Were you expecting that, Professor Althouse?

Moreover, do you believe it?; 10/15/10, 8:05 AM
Bob said...: I guess Reid figures that since the Dem base isn't turning out this cycle, he'd better pander to the Tea Party favorite and siphon a few votes away from Angle.; 10/15/10, 8:19 AM
Fred4Pres said...: Scalia?

You almost want him to stick around to remind him of that comment.

Well, no. Not really.; 10/15/10, 8:27 AM
Hagar said...: Harry Reid does not admire - or not admire - any justices. They just are, or are not, problems to be overcome.
There's been several articles in this vein about Scalia. Reid must have seen one or more of them and was quoting from what he could remember. His aides must have told him to stay positive. Note that he did not answer the second part of the question, but switched to the medical insurance bill.; 10/15/10, 8:28 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Reid is 70 years old I think. Should there be an age limit for Congress critters?

Go Phils!; 10/15/10, 8:32 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: When your own son refuses to use his last name for fear of being confused with you, you know you have a serious problem that extends well beyond politics.

I'd be pissed for being named Rory.; 10/15/10, 8:39 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Harry "This war is lost" Reid is just doing what all democrats do to get elected: Lie; Pretend to be someone he is not.

I wonder if Harry suddenly likes Justice Thomas, too?
I'm thinking he does. Suddenly.; 10/15/10, 8:58 AM
Wince said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/15/10, 9:06 AM
ricpic said...: I'll bet Reid actually believes whatever line he's spewing...at the moment he's spewing it. Then he drops it and it's on to the next line. Like Obama. And I'll bet he thinks of himself as a good person. Like Obama. And of course his mother loves him, or loved him. Like Obama. They're both good people. And innocent. In their own eyes. The damage they do is just something that happens and has nothing to do with them. Not the real them.; 10/15/10, 9:07 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: One of my favorite Harry Reidisms was when he was on the Tavis Smiley show talking about how he learned how to swim in a whorehouse swimming pool.

We had 13 houses of ill repute in Searchlight when I was growing up. One teacher taught all eight grades. It was kind of an interesting situation, as I look back. I learned -- it's interesting, one of the bordello owners, nice man, Willie Martello, he was good to the kids, in Searchlight, it was a town of 200, 250 people.

And he built in that town at back of his little casino-bordello, a beautiful swimming pool for the girls. The prostitutes were referred to as girls. And one afternoon a week he cleared that out, the girls weren't there, and the little waifs of Searchlight swam there, would play around the water. That's where I learned to swim, is in a whorehouse swimming pool. (Laughter.)

Hehehe...that Willie Martello, a nice man who exploited young women in the sex industry but he was good to the kids! It all comes down to the childrens!

Linky; 10/15/10, 9:17 AM
Wince said...: Scalia!

The most beautiful sound I ever heard
All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single word
Scalia
I just met a justice named Scalia
And suddenly that name
Will never be the same
To me
Scalia
I just ass kissed a justice named Scalia
And suddenly I found
How wonderful a sound
Can be
Scalia
Say it loud and there's music playing
Say it soft and it's almost like praying; 10/15/10, 9:21 AM
ndspinelli said...: He's just going for the dago vote in Las Vegas...pretty transparent to me. He's got the Jewish vote...dago's are independents.; 10/15/10, 9:42 AM
ricpic said...: Dago, Wop, they're all Eyeties to Reid; 10/15/10, 9:45 AM
Trooper York said...: Harry is such a politician.; 10/15/10, 11:07 AM
Trooper York said...: In other words a lying sack of shit who will do anything to get elected.; 10/15/10, 11:08 AM
Trooper York said...: And how did he get so rich on a government salary?

He must have the same financial advisors as Charley Rangel.; 10/15/10, 11:14 AM
Pastafarian said...: Did anyone see him answer that question, about how he became so rich on a senator's pay?

The video that I saw only showed the question, not the answer.; 10/15/10, 11:34 AM
Trooper York said...: Yes you see had this little tin box and whenever he needed money he would just open it and it would be there.; 10/15/10, 11:46 AM
Trooper York said...: At least that's the classical explanation.; 10/15/10, 11:47 AM
Scott M said...: Yes you see had this little tin box and whenever he needed money he would just open it and it would be there.

I was going to say, yes, I can see the "please sir, I want some more" from Harry Ried, but truth be told, I'd bet he's way more Artful Dodger.; 10/15/10, 11:51 AM
J said...: Sen. Reid showing his DINOcrat colors.

The Founding Fathers roll in their proverbial graves pondering the Scalia court--in the current manifestation 6 catholics, and 3 jews. The recent Citizens United case may be one of the most rightist decisions of the Supreme Court in decades

Let's not forget Scalia was approved unanimously back in the Reagan era. No problem for those so-called liberals. Even Ted Kennedy, who detested Rehnquist, approved of Don Scalia .

Those who still care about democracy might peruse Jefferson's thoughts on Marshall's Supreme Court, especially that curious doctrine of judicial review; 10/15/10, 2:50 PM
Beldar said...: I can't imagine that there exist many voters who (1) know who Reid is and what kind of Senate Majority Leader he's been; (2) know who Scalia is and what kind of Justice he's been; and yet (3) can accept that Harry Reid is nevertheless knowledgeable and sincere in professing his admiration for Scalia.; 10/15/10, 4:29 PM
Beldar said...: Put another way, and more to the point: Anyone who might otherwise be favorably influenced by a candidate who professes to admire Scalia is already certainly against Harry Reid.; 10/15/10, 4:31 PM
Dustin said...: Beldar makes a damn good case that this was a stupid answer.

Nevertheless, what if he named Kennedy or one of the anti-liberty jurists?

then he has a liability when someone points to his admiration for someone whose record is terrible.

BTW, Clarence Thomas is probably the smartest guy ever to wear the robes. He's an amazing justice whose writings are excellent. He doesn't semi-campaign during oral examination, which is also awesome.

I know Reid famously bashed Thomas as stupid, citing Scalia's superior ruling in a particular case that Scalia hadn't even written a decision over. Dems are weird that way. They have to pretend Thomas is much less than he is because Thomas is perhaps the most extraordinary mind in our capitol. I couldn't care less that Thomas is black, though I'm sure some lefties sure mind.; 10/15/10, 6:20 PM
Mr. Irene said...: edutcher said:

PS Tell Mr Irene I wish I'd thought of that

Thanks! Nice to meet you.; 10/15/10, 8:25 PM
James Patrick said...: I hear he has three lobbyist sons. Lots of money.; 10/16/10, 2:50 PM