Scalia Angrily Defends His Duck Hunt With Cheney

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

[cwb]

Exactly. Last week, someone brought up her relations with many of these left wing groups, including her relationship with the ACLU. Should she excuse herself from every ACLU case before the court?

[Dilbert56]

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?

No, the whole motion for recusal was based on the fact they had gone duck-hunting together.

The (Bravo) Sierra Club assertions were garbage. It contended that the VP's integrity was at stake. Scalia pointed out that Cheney's political ramifications were not a SCOTUS concern. Also that he was going to rule on Dick Cheney's role as Vice President, not as an individual. He cited 83 cases before the courts presently where officials are named in their official capacity. SCOTUS will be asked to decide if the oil company participants were members of the task force, in which case FACA applies and the meeting need to be open, or if they were contributors.

He also demonstrated why public opinion, especially as expressed through newspaper colums based on false information, is no reason to consider recusal.

[Cboldt]

To be more precise, they flew together on a government jet. It was after the flight and subsequent car ride that they met the nine others.

Can you precisely describe the circumstances that provide an opportunity for collabaration? When I heard they wer duck hunting together, I pictured two or three guys in one blind, Scalia and Cheney together with no other observers. THe same question of personal proximity exisits with a ride in a government jet, and in cars ... are you saying Cheny and Scalia rode in the same 6-passenger car, from the plane to the duck-hunting location?

[sticker]

If the idiots on the left, with funding assistance from a certain candidate's wife, think(if it is possible for them to think) Scalia should because he went duck hunting with Cheney then that old bitty should excuse herself from every case involving the aclu or now.

[Dilbert56]

You may want to read Justice Scalia's decision. It lays out all that detail.

[RonF]

I actually don't think it's ridiculous. They certainly need to work together. But I see no particular need, requirement, or desirability that they socialize together outside of state dinners and other official functions.

[jackbill]

In an ideal world, I'd agree with you. But these bills tend to be laden with pork, so knowing who the interested parties are would help weed some of that stuff out.

I wasn't talking about the "bill". I was referring to the President's Energy Plan, which was the output of the Task Force. It is still available at the White House web site.

Obviously, the Congress tried to add "pork", but anything that would/could be considered pork in the energy plan should still be debated on the merits.

If, for instance, it called for a subsidy for wind farms, it wouldn't matter to me whether it was Enron or the Sierra Club who suggested it. It should be weighed on a cost/benefit basis.

[4CJ]

"The Sierra Club, which had formally demanded Justice Scalia's recusal

4CJ formally demands the dismemberment of the Bravo Sierra Club. Kudos to Justice Scalia.

[SuziQ]

when the American public first began raising questions about the trip," said David Bookbinder, Washington legal director of the Sierra Club.

NOT the American public, Mr. Bookbinder, just twits like you and folks in the Sierra Club.

[cvq3842]

But no one seems to be pointing out in the media what you did. It's frustrating!