Antonin Scalia's time to sizzle: Immigration rhetoric in high gear at the high court

[pampango]

As the Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday about an Arizona immigration law, supporters of the crackdown set up an amp on the sidewalk in front of the court and belted out a tune:

We’ve got illegals in the backyard
It’s time we claimed our borders once again
I think Arizona’s great
Protecting citizens of that state
And I believe that all across this land
With Arizona we should take a stand.

The melody was weak and the lyrics weaker. But the protest anthem was noteworthy in one respect: In tone and substance, it was nearly identical to the argument Justice Antonin Scalia made inside the court.

While other justices at least attempted a veneer of fair and impartial questioning in the highly charged case, Scalia left no doubt from the start that he is a champion of the Arizona crackdown and that he would verbally lacerate anybody who felt otherwise.

When John Roberts became chief justice, he spoke about forging consensus and moving beyond 5-4 decisions, but the tone instead is being set by Scalia, the justice who crossed First Street Northeast last year to address a gathering of the congressional Tea Party Caucus.

During the immigration argument Wednesday, several justices were scrupulous about challenging both sides. ... Scalia wasn’t the only ill-tempered justice in the chamber. Samuel Alito rolled his eyes to the ceiling and shook his head in objection when two liberal justices spoke. And Sotomayor took a shot at the conservative justices when she referred to “those of us for whom legislative history has some importance.”

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/04/antonin_scalias_time_to_sizzle.html

Sounds like Scalia and Alito have a hard time acting like Supreme Court justices. Glad Sotomayor at least took a verbal shot at them.

[bongbong]

1. One small blessing

Uncle Clarence is too busy sleeping, and sending his law clerks down to Scalia's office to find out what "his" decision should be, to make much of a disturbance.