Scalia Angrily Defends His Duck Hunt With Cheney

NY Times ^ | 3-18-04 | STEVE TWOMEY

[Indy Pendance]

Justice Antonin Scalia of the United States Supreme Court bluntly rejected demands today that he step aside in a case involving Vice President Dick Cheney, mocking criticism that a duck hunting trip that the two were on together in January indicated possible favoritism for his longtime friend.

"If it is reasonable to think that a Supreme Court justice can be bought so cheap, the nation is in deeper trouble than I had imagined," Justice Scalia wrote in a 21-page memorandum bristling with defiance and offering lessons in the ways of Washington.

The Sierra Club, which had formally demanded Justice Scalia's recusal in a case it is pursuing against the vice president, responded to the justice's remarks by saying that it still believed that he should step down from the case but that it would not pursue the issue further.

"It would have been terrific if Justice Scalia had released this information back in January, when the American public first began raising questions about the trip," said David Bookbinder, Washington legal director of the Sierra Club.

Arguing that the hunting trip raised doubts about Justice Scalia's impartiality, the Sierra Club had asked him not to participate in the Cheney case, which involves the club's effort to obtain data about private meetings of the vice president's energy task force in 2001. The court agreed to hear an appeal in the case shortly before the hunting trip, which prompted editorial pages across the country to echo the Sierra Club's concern that Justice Scalia should not help render a ruling.

But Justice Scalia said that throughout American history justices have had high-ranking government friends and that as recently as Christmas, other justices were socializing with Mr. Cheney at the vice president's home.

"A rule that required members of this court to remove themselves from cases in which official actions of friends were at issue would be utterly disabling," Justice Scalia wrote.

During the hunting trip to Louisiana, which the memorandum said had involved 13 hunters in addition to Mr. Cheney's security detail, "I never hunted in the same blind with the vice president," Justice Scalia wrote.

"Nor was I alone with him at any time during the trip, except, perhaps, for instances so brief and unintentional that I would not recall them — walking to or from a boat, perhaps, or going to or from dinner," he continued. "Of course, we said not a word about the present case."

[Solamente]

Hey Dems: "HARDY-HAR-HAR!"

[el_texicano]

Hehehehee...Smoke 'em Scalia...Smoke 'em...

[ArrogantBustard]

the American public first began raising questions about the trip,

Speak for yourself, butthead!

[RonF]

Tell you what; I don't think it's particularly an imposing barrier for the top officials in the three branches of our government to not socialize together. Especially when matters concerning one may come before another. Even the appearance of a conflict of interest should be avoided at this level. The three branches of goverment, while interlocking, are supposed to be independent.

[danneskjold]

The Sierra Club, which had formally demanded Justice Scalia's recusal in a case it is pursuing against the vice president, responded to the justice's remarks by saying that it still believed that he should step down from the case but that it would not pursue the issue further.

So long...Thanks for playing...

[camas]

why is it that honest people think all other people are honest too. and why do all dishonest people think all other people are crooks.

[Fiddlstix]

[jackbill]

This Cheney/Energy Task Force crap is a waste of time and money.

Regardless of who was on the task force, it provided a detailed Energy Plan, which the Congress - so far - has chosen not to pass.

The items in the Energy Plan are out there for the world to see. Why does it matter who suggested what on the task force? The items should be debated on their merits, not on the basis of who proposed them.

This is so much BS.

I'm happy that Scalia told them to stuff it.

[leprechaun9]

When was the Environmental Whacko Sierra Club elected to represent the AMERICAN PEOPLE?

This may have been a topic of discussion in a little coccoon filled with Whackos, but I am hard pressed to remember ANY outcry from the media that usually genuflects to the Sierra Club!

[sticker]

Where is the concern about ginsburg hanging out with the NOW freaks. Oh, that's right there are two sets of rules: (1) The left can do whatever they please (2) Anyone not on the left must have the approval of the left for any action

[Enterprise]

"The Sierra Club, which had formally demanded Justice Scalia's recusal in a case it is pursuing against the vice president, responded to the justice's remarks by saying that it still believed that he should step down from the case but that it would not pursue the issue further."

Plus their legal counsel probably told them to cool it. No lawyer wants to argue a case before a P/O'd SC Judge.

[RetiredArmy]

when the American public first began raising questions about the trip

I don't recall any American Public raising questions except for the socialist leftist democommie.

[NordP]

The moral of the story:

Dick, only do ducks with Dems!

or...

Darn It, Dick Not "Dating" While Ducking!

You'd think, they would be more upset about Dick ducking a question.

Just one of those days, I guess ;-)

NordP

[Dilbert56]

In Scalia's opinion he lays out why there will always be justices with friends in the other branches of government. For one thing, Presidents usually nominate judges they know & trust.

"It would have been terrific if Justice Scalia had released this information back in January, when the American public first began raising questions about the trip," said David Bookbinder, Washington legal director of the Sierra Club.

This is bogus crap from a sore loser. It's not SCOTUS's job to do your legal research, David. You filed a frivolous lawsuit with nothing but newspaper opinion columns to back it up. You cited no legal precedents. Justice Scalia found some that cut the other way.

His opinion isn't angry the way the Slimes portrays it. It's more bemused - like Indiana Jones taking out his gun while his opponent brandishes a whip.

[cvq3842]

Absolutely! no one is talking about Ginsburg.

[Cboldt]

Absolutely! no one is talking about Ginsburg.

Or O'Connor, or Kennedy, or Souter, or Stevens. Have they even been to a party attended by a liberal?

No need to answer. Today was the first I learnd that the Scalia/Cheny hunting party had so many members, and that Scalia nd Cheny spent negligible, i.e., zero) intimate time together. My contempt for the media just went up by a factor of ten.

[lelio]

It's not SCOTUS's job to do your legal research, David.

Its "legal research" to find out if the judge you're appearing before just went on a duck hunt with a person involved in a case before the court?

[Cboldt]

... if the judge you're appearing before just went on a duck hunt with a person ...

The judge was with a hunting party (sort of like being on a bus, but the intimate opportunities are more tangible on a bus) that included a party in the case. Calling for recusal in that circumstance is ... hmm, seeking a word here .... stretching, at best.

[You Dirty Rats]

So I guess that means Bubba and his WINO couldn't sleep together for the seventeen days she was a Senator and he was President?

Not that they did anyway.

Seriesly, though, your suggestion is impractical. That would mean the President can't socialize with any member of Congress. That's just ridiculous.