Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was the featured speaker at a closed-door meeting with the House Tea Party caucus on Capitol Hill Monday night. Scalia's participation at the meeting, organized by Tea Party darling Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), has drawn sharp criticism from many quarters.
“By meeting behind closed doors, as is planned, and by presiding over a seminar, implying give and take, the justice would give the impression that he was joining the throng — confirming his new moniker as the ‘Justice from the Tea Party,’ “ the editorial board wrote.
Justice Antonin Scalia's Tea Party Caucus constitutional "teach-in" is grossly inappropriate. Federal judges should refrain from conduct that undermines the appearance of impartiality.
“suggests an alliance between the conservative members of the court and the conservative members of Congress.”
Scalia's infatuation with his own celebrity is deeply troubling. While it is possible that Scalia retains some level of impartiality, the appearance of his impartiality is now irretrievably lost. In meeting with Bachmann's Tea Party Caucus Scalia diminishes the esteem and the integrity of the Supreme Court of the United States.
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