January 28th, 2010
12:51 PM ET
13 years ago
Hatch says Alito showed 'judicial restraint'
(CNN) - Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, a member of the Senate Judiciary committee and its former chairman, issued a statement Thursday defending Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's reaction to President Obama's criticism during the State of the Union Address:
"President Obama last night wildly mischaracterized the Supreme Court's decision. As a former constitutional law professor, he should have known better. So I can understand Justice Alito's frustration. Judges are people too and, frankly, I think he showed quite a bit of judicial restraint."
As a former constitutional law professor, Obama DID know what he was talking about. The insane notion that corporations have rights equivalent to individuals came out of another insane (and probably well paid) court decision more than one hundred years ago. Enough is enough.
He should show more than judicial restraint. It's about time the Supreme Court was called out on the most stupid thing they have ever done. Now, foreign countries can decide who is going to be our politicians. This is just great! I applaud our President for having the guts to stand in front of them and tell them they "screwed up".
Baloney. Alito showed that he is a partisan hack, just like you Hatch.
President Obama "wildly mischaracterized" the Supreme Court's decision?
Um, don't think so, Orrin.
Simple test: Can a corporation breathe, you know, like a person?
Answer: No.
Conclusion: A corporation is a not a person and therefore is not protected by the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, the Preamble of which is, "We The People" – not "We The Corporations".
We the people have lost any say we may have had in the elections. Big money has won again.
Alito is an old black crow who has helped sell our democracy to big corporations. Retire, old man.
the only thing obama knows about the us constitution is that he doesnt like it and that it gives people hope that they can achieve their dreams simply by pursuing them. He doesnt like the constitution because it allows people to dream and to pursue said dreams. When this happens, government can not control lives and this is exactly what obama aims for,..it is his dream.
I think at the very least, Obama was insultive and disrespectful to the judicial branch. They were sitting there as guests, they typically do not respond, and he threw an entire branch of the government into what amounts to partisan politics when he said he is against that. It was wrong, inappropriate and disrespectful. It's like shooting someone when they're chained to a wall, it's just not a fair fight.
Regardless of the overall sentiment, it's pretty clear Hatch has some misapprehensions about the meaning of the term "judicial restraint" (especially in the context of the egregious SC decision last week). It's akin to lauding Alito for "judicial activism" because he jogs.
Unless, of course, Hatch is punning. In that case, home run!
Justice Alito, in his confirmation hearings, said that he would uphold laws, not make new ones., and as far as I know there is separation of the three brances of government, and there is still freedom of speech.
I did not hear the Republicans trash Joe Wilson when he embarrassed the President before, so the Republicans are way out of line in criticizing the President when he says what the thinks about the Republican appointed Supreme Court decision.
Obama basically lied, again, to the American people. Justice Alito's display of rejecting that liewas certainly appropriate.
Obama was also way out of line criticizing the Supreme Court publicly for their decision which was based on existing law and Constitutional rights. Just because HE doesn't like the decision and thinks the Constitution is flawed doesn't mean he has the right to chastise the Court. His attack was tantamount to someone saying, "with all due respect – you are a jerk!" Hmmmmm....a wonder how many Americans are thinking that about him.
Orin Hatch has once again decided to gain political favor from the radical right wing by taking a cheap shot at the president. We all read the decision from the Supreme Court which allows Orin and his buddies to be bought and paid for by Major Corporations and foreign countries to include our enemies. Orin wants his share of the booty!
When socialist are in power The Supreme
Court and the law of the land mean nothing
to them.
President Obama didn't 'wildly' mischaracterize anything you pathetic old shell of a stuffed shirt...
The criticism was right on... We need a constitutional amendment to undo the damage the conservative wing of the Supreme court has done to this country..