The current sitting Justices of the United States Supreme Court are:
1. William H. Rehnquist, Chief Justice
2. John Paul Stevens
3. Sandra Day O’Connor
4. Antonin Scalia
5. Anthony M. Kennedy
6. David Hackett Souter
7. Clarence Thomas
8. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
9. Stephen G. Breyer
And, you know, I hate to admit this, but just the name Clarence Thomas still kind of makes me want to laugh. It's a punchline all by itself. Though I never knew, (or maybe had forgotten) that he used to be an attorney in the pesticide and agriculture division of the Monsanto Company. That's a little creepy.
They're all interesting people. Take a minute to check 'em out.
Posted by Joshua at May 18, 2004 03:50 PMI never knew Clarence Thomas represented Monsanto, either, but it doesn't surprise me.
Posted by: Jennifer at May 18, 2004 04:06 PMWhy, I just made a Clarence Thomas joke over dinner on Sunday night.
(But I couldn't drum up all twelve names without peeking.)
Posted by: Ida at May 18, 2004 04:20 PMI'd have to peek to come up with 12 names too.
Sorry. Couldn't resist.
Posted by: Joshua at May 18, 2004 04:26 PMClarence Thomas is a hero to some of us from this part of the low country where he's from. It doesn't suprise me that you wouldn't understand him, and that you'd just pick up the spin from leftists. --s
Posted by: J.Scott Barnard at May 19, 2004 10:48 AMJ Scott Barnard-
Tell me something about Clarence Thomas to make me understand him. Just because someone doesn't like him doesn't mean it is because of the leftists.
Please tell me what is to like about Clarence Thomas?
Clarence Thomas is a hero to some of us from this part of the low country where he's from. It doesn't suprise me that you wouldn't understand him, and that you'd just pick up the spin from leftists.
What's more, I wouldn't mind an explanation of this "you'd just pick up the spin from the leftists," crack. The hearings around his appointment were stupid and funny and kind of embarrassing for the country as a whole. So it's funny in kind of the same way, "I didn't inhale," or "what do you mean 'sexual relations'" is funny.
And Monsanto is evil for a shitload of reasons that have nothing to do with "the leftists".
What the hell, Scott?
Joshua: "...but just the name Clarence Thomas still kind of makes me want to laugh. It's a punchline all by itself."
I guess I took that statement to mean alot more than it obviously meant. And then glossed right over "they're all interesting people, check 'em out." I'm particularly sensitive to criticism of Clarence Thomas and this was a knee-jerk reaction on my part.
Amelia: He overcame obstacles in his childhood and early adult life, the kind of challenges that Joshua is all too familiar with, and became successful despite.
Strike my use of "leftists" in this context. I've just heard one too many Powell/Rice/Thomas as Uncle Tom memes(which wasn't the case here), and it makes me jumpy. Sorry.--s
Posted by: J.Scott Barnard at May 19, 2004 01:30 PMI've always had a little bit of a crush on Sandra Day O'Connor -- something about the lovely blond Supreme Court Justice who grew up on a cattle ranch seems marvelously comic book superhero-ish. And I never forget Ruth Bader Ginsberg, either, becuase of the whole second woman ever thing, and she just LOOKS like a judge. (What's up with the silly jabots the women wear, though?)
Rehnquist and Scalia write a lot of Very Important opinions, and Dahlia Lithwick -- I love Dahlia Lithwick -- often mentions Souter and Breyer, so I don't usually forget them. No one forgets Clarence Thomas.
But I can't remember ever hearing much about John Paul Stevens or Anthony Kennedy. I'd supposed they were recent appointees, but Stevens has been on the bench longer than I've been alive. Are they underachievers -- or are their brethren just bigger spotlight-hogs?
Posted by: Molly at May 19, 2004 05:46 PM