Quote:
Originally posted by Gattigap
I'll let you and the Captain sort that out, but his original comment did remind me of a separate point.
I have not followed Thomas very closely during his time on the court, but vaguely recall reading reports that (a) he somewhat inexplicably remains completely silent during oral arguments, and (b) votes reliably in Scalia's shadow, but OTOH (c) has on occasion written opinions/dissents that are thoughtful in nature -- though I've not read them myself.
Are these impressions accurate?
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I think those impressions are the racist impressions that have become conventional wisdom (I'm not attributing them to you). In other words, most people that criticize him have not read his opinions.
Remaining silent means during orals means nothing to me. Really, is anyone's mind changed during oral arguments? Or is it just an opportunity for the judges to (a) show how smart they are or (b) get their kicks?
As for voting in Scalia's shadow, don't the conservative on the court typically vote together? And the liberals as well? Didn't Renquist and Scalia vote together in most cases? Why wasn't Scalia characterized as voting in Bill's shadow or vice versa?
