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Clarence Thomas Suggests Serving on the Court May Be an “Ordeal”, Says It Makes Him “Tired”–Is He Trying to Tell Us Something? |
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This may simply be an exercise in reading tea leaves, but I was caught by some comments Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas made recently. He is quoted in the New York Times as saying that he is “rounding the last turn for [his] 18th term on the Court”, what he called “this endeavor…or, for some, an ordeal.” He added: “that’s one thing about this job. You get a little tired.”
Justice Thomas may have been joking when he suggested serving on the Court could be “an ordeal”, but that would still be an odd joke, somewhat telling. This is a man who doesn’t say all that much–he hasn’t asked a question from the bench in more than three years. The words he chose this weekend were striking. He doesn’t sound like a man who enjoys what he does.
I hope these comments were significant. I wish Justice Thomas no ill will of any sort--I thought it was very unbecoming, to say the least, when Pat Robertson talked about the age and poor health of certain justices in the same breath that he expressed his hopes that God would open a space on the Court. I wish him the best, whether he is on or off the Court. But it sure would be nice if President Obama had the opportunity to nominate a successor to replace the man who took Justice Thurgood Marshall’s seat.
I hope he is trying to tell us something! Maybe Scalia will follow suit.
Chuck
indeed!
That might be too much to wish for - turning Congress, the White House, AND the Supreme Court within a span of a few years. But hey, stranger things have happened.
you may be right…I am sort of in wishful thinking mode, but we will see…
On NPR they were speculating that David Souter is leaving the Court because he misses New Hampshire and is tired of Washington. Maybe Clarence Thomas will decide to spend more time with the family. I don’t wish him harm, I just wish he wasn’t on the Supreme Court.
yep, agreed.