The old adage that “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape” may never have been communicated to Barack Obama. Likewise, “You don’t mess around with Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” (with apologies to Jim Croce), but in the past two months, Barack Obama did both of those things.
Justice Ginsburg seems to have been in Obama’s corner, but he has decided he needs to fortify the Supreme court with a long-term liberal justice, effectively playing overt politics with the court.
With several Obamacare cases in the pipeline, he is much more interested in stacking the court than being rational or showing trust or loyalty. One question, of course, is, did he come to this position on his own or is Valerie Jarrett keen to put her stamp on the court as well as the Executive Branch.
Whichever it is, Obama may have created an enemy in the past two months. It has been said that the 81 year old Supreme Court Justice was approached by the White House to resign before the lame duck session of Congress ends.
According to Newsmax sources, that pressure was unwanted, and Justice Ginsburg was furious. The Los Angeles Times reported that Ginsburg was “under strong pressure to retire” and she has been “questioning why some liberals want her to leave.”
Apparently Ginsburg suspects the pressure comes right from the top, and her comments were aimed squarely at the White House, Newsmax said.
Back in October, as the midterm elections were taking a sharp turn to the right, whispers about Justice Ginsburg’s age, coupled with the prospect of losing the Senate to republicans made The White House realize time was running out for them to stack the court. Unfortunately for them, Justice Ginsburg has good hearing.
Liberals may have created an angry pro-Obama justice and the Republican-controlled Senate will come steaming into town in January. Decisions on Obamacare cases coming up soon might become far more interesting with Ginsburg with a bee in her bonnet.
In a recent New Republic article, Ginsburg is quoted saying, “I asked some people, particularly the academics who said I should have stepped down last year: ‘Who do you think the president could nominate and get through the current Senate that you would rather see on the court than me? No one has given me an answer to that question. As long as I can do the job, I will stay here.”
Justice Ginsburg may be old, but her brain is obviously in better working condition than the numbskulls who want to see her step down. Obama’s signature legislation may be in deep trouble, but Ginsburg is still the most influential voice amongst the four liberal justices, and you only need grade school math to see how precarious Obama’s Affordable Care Act is.
The Supreme Court recently decided to hear a case that challenges some provisions of Obamacare, and more cases that are winding their way towards the court may knock on the court’s door next year.
Some conservatives foresee a complete collapse of the law. One thing is for sure: any liberal who wants Ruth Bader Ginsburg to step down now, is an idiot.
