S11.E01: US Supreme Court

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Main topic: TBD

Also: TBD

Original air date 2024.02.18

[buttersister]

OMG, John just offered Clarence Thomas a million dollars a year for life and a $2.4M* pimped-out luxury condo on wheels to get his ass off the Supreme Court and keep it off! 30-day offer and the clock is ticking! 
Marry  me, John! I could not liove you more. And welcome back, Show! 😂😂😂❤️

Edited February 20 by buttersister
To correct the price of CT’s bribe, er, reward. Thanks to ottoDbusdriver.

[Annber03]

...okay, but for real, I would live in that condo on wheels if I were able. 

Good to have John back, as always. I would definitely take that entire offer if I were Clareence. Even if it's not exactly "legal", per se, I mean, certainly not like he gives a sht, so... 

It still galls me to this day that so many people who have connections to the attacks on January 6th are still running around our government. They should've been immediately escorted out and officially barred from ever being allowed to set foot on the property ever again. That's one of those situations where this isn't up for debate or a vote - you pull shit like that, you're immediately gone, no ifs, ands, or buts. 

The Hitler memorabilia stuff. That's just beyond creepy. WHY? Why in God's name would anyone have or want to have that? I don't understand. 

Even Putin's not impressed by Tucker Carlson. That's hilarious and sad all at th same time. Speaking of people who need to just go away already...

And the Chuck Grassley clips. Thanks, as always, for your stunning insights, Grassley. 

The rat hole story was hilarious, though, so at least there was that :D. 

[Starchild]

Wow. 

I'm sure Thomas won't take him up on it, but still...

Wow.

[ebk57]

Wow indeed.  Did not see that coming at all.  It would be epic if he actually accepted the deal.  

 

Epic.

[Lantern7]

A million dollars a year to leave the Supreme Court? Thomas might yearn to live in the lap of luxury (or at least a kick-ass mobile home), but $1 million is utility infielder money. Of course, John offering to pay took some balls. I guess HBO money would've been illegal. Eh, probably not. John knows Thomas would never abandon the Supreme Court to tour the country with his best friend-slash-wife.

39 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

It still galls me to this day that so many people who have connections to the attacks on January 6th are still running around our government. They should've been immediately escorted out and officially barred from ever being allowed to set foot on the property ever again. That's one of those situations where this isn't up for debate or a vote - you pull shit like that, you're immediately gone, no ifs, ands, or buts.

No kidding. I'm amazed people from the insurrection are running around, let alone those that are or would be in government positions.

Of course John would turn the Rat Hole into a brief tangent about the rat erotica.

I'm really hoping this coming year doesn't end John once and for all. The last two Presidential elections took a toll on him. If anyone needs to live in a souped-up mobile home, it's him.I would hope he knows which side of the road he's supposed to drive on.

[meira.hand]

Thomas does not need to accept it. Just show the offer to his "friends" is incentive enough to get more "gifts" from them to stay. Almost like a bidding war. I am sure Oliver is aware of this and may even mention it after the 30 days are over.

[ottoDbusdriver]

9 hours ago, buttersister said:

OMG, John just offered Clarence Thomas a million dollars a year for life and a $250,000 pimped-out luxury condo on wheels to get his ass off the Supreme Court and keep it off! 30-day offer and the clock is ticking! 
Marry  me, John! I could not liove you more. And welcome back, Show! 😂😂😂❤️

Correction -- $2.4 million pimped-out luxury condo on wheels.

[DoctorAtomic]

I could listen to the groundhog day like it was groundhog day.

I'm not surprised this show actually address chevron deference given their eye for details. It's a wonky wonky case with massive ramifications. 

I'm not a fan of the current court, but I don't really care about the trips, plane rides, etc., scotus takes; the lack of transparency is my issue. I'd even say they should be paid more. Even if nothing is wrong, if you're not being transparent, people are going to naturally going to think something fishy is going on. However, I'd agree that Thomas' actions make it clear there need to be some guardrails, whether that means there need to be a more rigorous process for recusals or just a bar you have to set. The lack of even the smallest effort to self-regulate is self-inflicted. 

John should have offered to let Thomas guest host once each season too. 

[peeayebee]

21 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

John should have offered to let Thomas guest host once each season too. 

What? WHAT? Why? That's not even funny.

An epic takedown. Loved it. I don't think there was really anything new that I didn't read about, but it was good to have my memory refreshed and to see video that I hadn't seen. 

The SC Justices (or at least some of them) seem to think that they are impervious to influence. Even if they're given $1 million a month from the billionaires, their impartiality is a given. Yes, it's also the appearance of impropriety that's at issue, but I think some of the justices believe their minds are so great, their souls so pure, that they cannot be influenced by any nefarious means. But as John said, "... 15 years of marinating in right-wing money and vacationing with businessmen who could massively profit from [court decisions]" can affect one's opinion and actions. There's no way that these exclusive trips Thomas and Alito take never include discussions about business or culture or laws. What, they only talk about the food, how the fishing was, and woodworking? 

Policing yourself doesn't work. Checks and balances. Who checks the SC?

Harlan Crow's collection of Nazi memorabilia is abhorrent. Loved John saying, "That is a bit of a red flag. Specifically, THIS red flag!"

An easy joke, but one I liked, was about the painting signature, that it was "A Hitler, and not THE Hitler."

No way will Thomas accept John's offer, but I bet it will be tempting. 

 

[DoctorAtomic]

2 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Policing yourself doesn't work.

I actually think it can, in general. That's the whole genesis of professional societies. In light of the Hyatt accident in the 81 (I think), these societies evolved codes of ethics to be self-regulating. Similarly, universities operate on a principle of self-governance. 

SCOTUS could have done that a while ago, and no one would have complained. Even if it was just some nominal guidance on when a justice should recuse himself. While I wouldn't say they're completely impervious to influence, I think by and large in the modern era, they've been fine. Thomas is an egregious example of this getting out of hand, and we're at the point where enough is enough, which was John's perspective in this episode. 

I think the other problem, and I don't think this is political, is that the court is mostly to the right of where the country is as a whole on most social issues. For example, on the show John pointed out Thomas thinks we should revisit marriage equality. No one really is against that anymore. 

[iMonrey]

Every now and then, John puts out an episode that should be required viewing for all Americans. This was one of those.

[kittykat]

On 2/18/2024 at 8:45 PM, Annber03 said:

...okay, but for real, I would live in that condo on wheels if I were able. 

I want to live in it but I don't want to be the one that has to drive it.  Selfish, party of me.

John is back and not a moment too soon. It's pretty telling that both the Jo(h)ns are already exasperated with the election year but it's so important to remain engaged.

Good episode about the Supreme Court. It's a shame what Clarence Thomas represents.  When he speaks in public he actually comes off very charismatic. The fact that potential plaintiffs can wine and done justices and then don't have the audacity to refuse is just so wrong.

 

[andromeda331]

I wish Clarence Thomas would accept the offer and get off the bench. I know he won't. Why would give up all of his expensive vacations and give up the chance to pass judgement on cases he should recuse himself.  

Sure, there's no conflict of interest. Like @peeayebee says we're suppose to believe they never talked about the law or cases? There's no way anyone would spend that much on a "friend" if their not getting something from it. If it was innocent then why didn't he disclose it and recuse himself from their cases? 

Clarence is an asshole. But he's not the only problem on the court. Checks and balances no longer exists. We have members of Congress who were part of the insurrection. They weren't driven out of Congress nor were they arrest for their part. They got off scot free. We have a Supreme Court Judge, who's wife was part of it. He's still on the bench. She's still free. He clearly tried to prevent papers from being released because his wife's name was most likely in them. 

And no one really cares. Nothing will ever happen or be done about it. To think there was a time when outrage, protests, and Supreme Court were all over Nixon for Watergate causing him to resign. Because nothing was going to save him. People even went to jail. As they should. Hell, Ford parting Nixon cost him in the next election. 

 

[shapeshifter]

I will never stop loving the Covid-lockdown-era Lawyer Cat Zoom Meeting:
https://youtu.be/GE-VJrdHMug

And I f'love that John F'in' Oliver shares my opinion of wine.