August 3, 2020

"The lack of health information about individual justices is a glaring problem. Declining, even incapacitated, justices hold their offices until they die."

"And because justices play politics with their departure decisions, trying to retire under a politically favorable president and Senate if possible, the court’s history has been filled with declining justices who compromised the court’s work because they refused to depart for political or personal reasons."

Said Artemus Ward — "a political scientist at Northern Illinois University who has written about the politics of court retirements" — quoted in "Ginsburg waited 4 months to say her cancer had returned/Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is perhaps the most forthcoming member of the Supreme Court when it comes to telling the public about her many health issues" (ABC News).

That quote appears near the end of an article that begins with the dubious proposition that "Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is perhaps the most forthcoming member of the Supreme Court when it comes to telling the public about her many health issues." What does ABC News know about the other Justices?!
But she waited more than four months to reveal that her cancer had returned and that she was undergoing chemotherapy.
Did ABC News want to make the point that this recent behavior is out of character?  The next point is that because of coronavirus, the Court switched from in-person oral arguments to arguments by telephone — audio only. We couldn't see the Justices, so they had more ability than usual to hide their condition.

ADDED: I don't know how the political scientist Artemus Ward got his name, but if the name sounds familiar, you may be thinking of America's first stand-up comedian, who lived from 1837 to 1867. I blogged about him in 2017, here. And here's a collection of his jokes. Examples:
Did you ever have the measels, and if so, how many?

Why is this thus? What is the reason of this thusness?

He is dreadfully married. "He's the most married man I ever saw in my life."

The fack can't be no longer disgised that a Krysis is onto us.

The female woman is one of the greatest institooshuns of which this land can boste.

25 comments:

tim in vermont said...

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard that they had lied about her condition.

Nicholas said...

I'm appalled that the US Supreme Court thinks telephone hearings are the way to hear what, by definition, are the most important cases before the US courts. Are these people still living in 1976?

Have a look at the website of the United Kingdom Supreme Court; it has a video archive of hearings, which since the WuFlu lockdown are by video, with judges and barristers appearing from their homes or offices. It's not the same atmosphere as the courtroom hearings, but at least they are trying.

rehajm said...

I worry about the lying about her condition after she reaches room temperature...

Josephbleau said...

“Said Artemus Ward”. His parents must have been fans of the old Wild Wild West tv series. Cruel. Our overlords in robes can’t give up the power. Roberts claims of political neutrality are lies in the face of the political maneuvering of retirements. You have the power, but don’t lie to me about it you bastard. Lord Acton was right.

Perhaps Roosevelt was right and we need to pack the court with 30 people to make it a little harder for a clique to control, but initial selection would be the problem. The phantasmagoric theories they come up with to justify rulings disgusts me. You can predict the votes of the leftists 100% of the time, and the right 90%. And you can predict that Roberts will randomly go 50-50. What a country. It does not matter if they are old and suffering from dementia, it doesn’t affect their votes.

rhhardin said...

You get a good read on their mental infirmity from their opinions. The other females on the court seem worse than RBG. Maybe women start with a mental infirmity.

RNB said...

"Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is perhaps the most forthcoming member of the Supreme Court when it comes to telling the public about her many health issues." Maybe she just has so much more to talk about. Or conceal...

Kevin said...

Shorter article: Democrat does something bad, yet must be commended for it.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

And here's a collection of his jokes. Examples:

I guess you had to be there.

Josephbleau said...

Oops I was wrong the guy in the Wild Wild West show was Artemis Gordon.

Big Mike said...

Here I thought Artemus Ward was the character played by Ross Martin in the early steampunk television show “The Wild Wild West,” but no, that character was named Artemus Gordon.

MayBee said...

Journalism today: You really do have to start every article either praising a Democrat or criticizing Trump. Then you can get on to the meat of the story.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Some say that the Supreme Court has an excellent taxidermist on call. That way when RBG finally croaks they can call him in to do his magic.

Who would know the difference???.

Todd said...

That quote appears near the end of an article that begins with the dubious proposition that "Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is perhaps the most forthcoming member of the Supreme Court when it comes to telling the public about her many health issues." What does ABC News know about the other Justices?!

But she waited more than four months to reveal that her cancer had returned and that she was undergoing chemotherapy.


When "a political scientist at Northern Illinois University" is that far off on a basic fact, one should assume the rest of his writing is crap as well. Shame it too that far into it to get to his "tell".

Bruce Hayden said...

No one else, besides RBG, on the Supreme Court, is likely to crack this year. If she does, this is an election year, and the Republicans May lose both the Presidency and/or the Senate this year, so I expect that Trump and the Senate Republicans have a (very likely female) nominee in the wings ready for confirmation.

Speaking of that, Scalia’s death still seems highly suspicious. No autopsy and fairly healthy for his age. And the Democrats could have assumed that they could flip the Court with Garland. This was very possibly their last chance to do that before potentially turning the WH over to the Republicans or at the least the Clintons again. Didn’t work. But I don’t think that the Des expected the Reps to run out the CCP as they did.

Birkel said...

The souls of all those babies keep RBG going.
Cancer has eaten her soul.

Joe Smith said...

What have I said in pervious musings?

These people work for us. They are our employees and should be treated as such.

There should be mandatory drug testing for every public employee with results posted online for all to see.

The results of their annual physicals should be posted online for all to see.

Any sexual harassment improprieties or settlements should be posted for all to see.

How else do we know whether or not we want to give them a promotion or even 'hire' them in the first place?

We should know about every politician, judge, etc., exactly what IBM knows about John Doe in accounting.

Yancey Ward said...

She isn't being treated for cancer, she is pining for the fjords.

Skeptical Voter said...

RBG is not the only example of a senior appellate court judge hanging on past his or her presumed sell by date.

California State Supreme Court justices are appointed by the governor--but then they have to stand for election by the voters every 12 years. Occasionally they get turned out by the voters----Rose Bird is an example of voter dissatisfaction. But that's fairly rare, and unless a justice has done something really egregious appointments are effectively for life.

In the mid 1960s there was a California Supreme Court Justice who had essentially lost his mental ability. He would go to sleep during oral arguments. He did not participate effectively in court discussions. His fading intellectual ability was apparent to all including the California Bar Association poohbahs. It was time for him to go. But he would not go.

The California Judicial Council started proceedings to have him removed; evidence of his declining mental included the fact that he stood at a urinal in trenchcoat and suit and failed to open or unzip either before letting fly. That and other messy details were put into the record. It was sad-the gentleman had been on the California Supreme Court bench for perhaps 25 years at the point.

Howard said...

Medical shit is private. Disclosure is voluntary. That's why no one says anything about Trump's frequent trips to Bethesda for multiple TIAs. He's now dragging his left leg and slurping his words.

mikee said...

The best thing RBG could do for the Democratic party is to retire two weeks before the election. The worst thing RBG could do for the Democratic party is remain a Justice until November 4th, when Trump wins re-election.

Mark said...

Declining, even incapacitated, justices hold their offices until they die.

Thanks, Roe v. Wade!! Appreciate it very much!

James K said...

Medical shit is private. Disclosure is voluntary. That's why no one says anything about Trump's frequent trips to Bethesda for multiple TIAs.

By 1944 Roosevelt was a dead man walking but no one knew. And JFK was a mess both healthwise and mentally, but the faithful press kept it under wraps. When Democrats conceal vital information it's ok. It's also ok for Howard to make up crap about Trump from his own fevered imagination.

n.n said...

Some of the justices may not be viable. Oh, the irony, the cosmic karma.

Joe Smith said...

"Medical shit is private. Disclosure is voluntary."

There is no way in hell she is able to do her job at full capacity.

And your medical information is private up to a point. Your employer (we peons) are paying their bills. Like I said, if Joe Blow at IBM has cancer and is being aggressively treated, the company will know about it.

Big Mike said...

Ginsburg is by no means the first to overstay his or her health. I’m sure Althouse is aware of Bob Woodward’s The Bretheren, published in 1979, and Woodward’s description of how William O. Douglas insisted on remaining on the Court despite being wheelchair bound and incontinent. (The book is available via the Althouse Amazon portal.)