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Rachel Maddow Calls Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, ‘A Troll’
On The Daily Show, Rachel Maddow had a classic line when she labeled Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, “a troll.”
Video:
Maddow discussed the irony of the Supreme Court hearing the challenge to the Voting Rights Act on the same day that the Rosa Parks statue was unveiled. She talked about Scalia, and his idea that voting is a racial entitlement. She said, Do you know how that sounds? I think he actually knows how that sounds.” She said that was the neat thing about being there. You realize that he is just a troll. In her view, Scalia trolls the Supreme Court looking for a gasp and a reaction. She said that Sotomayor goes after Scalia, and says things that would embarrass him if he wasn’t a troll.
Maddow and Stewart discussed the Violence Against Women Act, before moving on to the sequester. Stewart ran out of time, so the sequester talk will be included in the extended interview on The Daily Show website.
Rachel Maddow painting Antonin Scalia as a man who trolls the Supreme Court with his questions, because he is looking for attention feels like a fitting description. Maddow’s take on Scalia is what makes her fun and unique. Who else could watch a Supreme Court argument in person, and come away with the observation that Justice Scalia might be the world’s most famous Internet troll?
The scary idea behind Maddow’s observation is that this Koch fueled troll is one of nine justices sitting on the Supreme Court. It would be easy to dismiss Scalia if he was just trolling for attention, but he legislates from the bench and is driven by an extreme right wing ideology. Scalia’s opinions are more known for their extremely conservative ideological tilt than their solid legal reasoning.
Justice Scalia is a definitely a troll, but he is a very powerful troll who is living the conservative dream of getting reshape policy without having to be accountable to either the people or the constitution.
Rachel Maddow has given the world the perfect description of Antonin Scalia: The World’s Most Dangerous Troll.
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36 Responses to Rachel Maddow Calls Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, ‘A Troll’
Ben Forrester
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 12:22 am
Rachel is a very smart and unique lady. I agree with Her about Scalia. I’ll add, He’s one sorry son-of-a-bitch as well.
AJAY JAIN
Mar. 8th, 2013 at 7:19 pm
The Voting Rights Act (VRA) must be upheld by the supreme court: Discrimination is alive today unfortunately; Liberty and justice for all is openly sabotaged and the Supreme Court is inviting trouble of great magnitudnal proportions if it dares to fail its ultimate mandate: to uphold everyone’s constitutional rights.
We not only need to keep the protections in the current Voting Rights Act (VRA), it should be expanded. The numerous despicable attempts to restrict voting made during the last election cycle are proof of that. Anyone who truly believes the VRA is obsolete needs to recognize, given last year’s voter suppression efforts, the Jim Crowe era is biding its time, lurking in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to rear its head once again.
If properly educated and aroused to stand up against Supreme Court activism from the bench the entire nation will speak against it because the Voting Rights Act (VRA) is not about political parties; the Voting Rights Act (VRA) is about individual rights protection. Bank on it! it is time to review; the Supreme Court’s Justice Scalia’s attack on VRA as ” racial entitlements” will not stand the test of time. If the Supreme Court does not uphold the Voting Rights ACT it is no longer acting as an unbiased institution and that, its Justices, can be challenged in public. Supreme Court Justices, get up and do your job or we will make it happen! Count on it!
Now Even if you are dumb enough to believe that all is OK with the world and there are no reasons to have the voting rights act on the books. Then why are the the parties at opposite end’s on this ? Why are the Republicans in America trying to keep people from the poles ? Well I will tell you what I think. I think there may be a dozen or two, man and women (Billionaires) in America that have the means to buy the power it wants to call all shots in this Country. The only way they can obtain this right now is get the people they want in office. To buy them so to say. But they know they can be stopped at the voting polls as proven in the 2012 election. They know the more that get out and vote there chances are reduced substantially.
Commentator George Will knows this and should be ashamed of his views on VRA. He says VRA is 47 years old. Is that old ? I don’t think so. Look at the constitution, at that II Amendment a lot older right. SS, Medicare, still very new in the big picture. But look at who wants to change them. Not working men and women, no the big bosses. They do not like to match payments that is what this is all about. They did not like it back in the 1930s and they do not like it now. So Americans do not be fooled by the right wing opposition and all of you older people that now have this little benefit fight like h— to keep it just as it is. It just might be all there is between eating and striving !!
The argument is that VRA is discriminatory against Southern states so lets expand it to all 50 states!
majii
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 12:26 am
I agree. No disrespect meant to real trolls, but to me, he even resembles one. IMO, he comes across as a very angry and hateful man who has no idea, and no interest, in what life is like for most Americans and no real sense of the nation’s history and many diverse groups. It seems that the founders were more forward looking in the 18th Century than SCJ Scalia is in the 21st because they seemed to have understood that the nation would change and become more diverse as time passed. He has a chance to do some real good for the nation, its’ citizens, and the world, if only he would use the existing laws and precedents as tools to guide his decisions. He also comes across as not being in his right mind, with his many angry, RW, ideological rants. IMO, this is conduct one wouldn’t expect to see in a member of the highest judicial court in the country. SCJ Roberts disagrees with his colleagues, but he never comes across as unhinged as Scalia. I can imagine that there are quite a few conservatives who are as embarrassed by Scalia’s conduct as I am.
Shiva(Moderator)
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 12:55 am
And unlike the pres and congressmen, we have no recourse with the court. We cant fire hire or punish people like Scalia. Roberts wont do it becuase he is a con as well.
Kenfolk
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 5:23 pm
We do have recourse. Scalia’s rascism and Thomas’s refusing to recuse himself despite obvious conflictS of interest calls out for the recourse stated in the US Constituion: IMPEACHMENT!
Michael Cruise
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 5:33 pm
Until recently, history has never had a Pope resign. Nothing is impossible. It’s time to end lifetime SCOTUS appointments.
djchefron(Moderator)
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 5:40 pm
In the 15th century a Pope resign
Pope Gregory XII, the last pope to resign, left the church to end schism
www.examiner.com/article/...
rhonda winter
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 1:08 am
Justice Antonin “The Troll” Scalia is actually one of nine members of the Supreme Court, not seven.
Michael Cruise
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 5:34 pm
The article reads nine justices, not seven. Not sure who it is you are attempting to correct.
ed
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 4:28 am
WHAT GETS ME ABOUT ANTONIO ESCALIA IS HE IS ITALIAN AND THINKS AMERICA WAS CREATED BY WHITES ONLY, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR WAS THE FIRST WORLD WAR FOUGHT BETWEEN EUROPEAN ALLIES AND THE 13 COLONIES HAVANA CUBA WAS SPAINS MAJOR NORTH AMERICAN PORT OF CALL BACK IN 1776 AND THE SPANISH ARMY WAS THE MAJOR REAson the united states exists now it loaned the colonies 5,3million dollars to the us colonists to fight englandand also supplied weapons supplies and cattle and fought along side with the colonists at the battle of york town with 10,000 spanish troops composed of blacks mexicans lipan apaches,volunteers from south america and carribbean pius three french troops who fought with 13 colonies
ed
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 4:39 am
when you claim voting in us elections is a racial entitle ment ? so fighting and dying in ww2 and korea and vietnam by blacks and browns was also aracial entitlements you being italian antonio escalia should apoloGize to our hispanic americaN and Black veterans which one of my squad members of c co cOmpany 2.60 was italiaN AMERICAN IN VIETNAM ,YOU SIR ARE AN EMBARASSMENT TO ITALIAN AMERICANS,BESIDES BEING ARASCIST AND BIGOT WHITE SUPREMACIST
Michael Russell
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 4:53 am
I like to play devils advocate, as any good lawyer should, but there is a difference between arguing both sides of an issue and embracing an unjust cause. Even if it is a tactic intended to spur emotional motivations and crystalize the arguments, to make clear the righteous decision that must be made, the embrace of evil leaves a stain upon your soul and poisons the spirit of the debate. Never let the end justify the means.
Linda
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 6:05 am
“The scary idea behind Maddow’s observation is that this Koch fueled troll is one of seven justices sitting on the Supreme Court.” What? It is really early for me, but could have sworn there have always been 9 justices! What did I miss?
I’m amazed too at Scalia’s comments. A jaw dropper for any justice to say ensuring voting rights under the constitution is a racial entitlement. Absurd and preposterous plus concerning that he sits on the highest court in the land. How old? (how many more years?:)
AFM
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 7:36 am
My Italian mother would be very ashamed of this bigot.
William Ricketts
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 8:02 am
He can take Thomas with him
Anne
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 8:41 am
I totally agree with you. Justice Thomas is just as bad if not worse than Justice Scalia, because he apparently has forgotten where he came from. If not for the Civil Rights Movement, which fought for the right to vote among other things, he wouldn’t have had a ghost of a chance to sit on the US Supreme Court. As for Justice Scalia, he is disgustingly transparent in his support of the wacky hard right. He needs to remember that Italian-Americans also once faced blatant bigotry.
jklowrey
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 8:11 am
It seems we have RACIST people in every branch of government now also our justices nothing surprises me anymore. We have come so far and yet we have so far to go.
Anne
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 8:35 am
It’s bad enough that there is a significant number of Americans who are ignorant about American history in its entirety. Originally, the only people who could vote were wealthy, white male landowners, and various struggles like the women’s right movement and the Civil Rights Movement were successful efforts to address that problem. It’s worse that one such ignoramus, namely Scalia, is a US Supreme Court justice. He must have forgotten how Italians were once discriminated against, and his refusal to acknowledge the importance of the Voting Rights Act in countering voter suppression efforts is appalling. His calling it a racial entitlement is especially insulting, and he needs to understand that the threat to voting rights for one segment of the population eventually threatens everyone’s voting rights.
John Martinez
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 9:28 am
There is nothing worse than having a racist troll on the supreme court. This man should recuse himself in this case because his racial entitlement comment shows that his little mind was already made up beforehand. Clarence Thomas is just as bad. It has clearly been shown that he does not believe in democracy, he believes in fascist corporatism. It’s time for the people to decide who sits on the supreme court!
djchefron(Moderator)
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 9:44 am
Recuse?Surely you’re joking
Did uncle thomas recuse himself from the ACA case even though his wife ms.jinny was lobbying and took bribes to defeat it?
Did the scaly one recuse himself from the lawsuit to shed some light on dick cheneys secret energy cabal even after though beavis and butthead went duck hunting together?
jcinco
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 9:41 am
“troll” what a perfect description in so many ways…
thg
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 11:02 am
“he is a very powerful troll who is living the conservative dream of getting reshape policy without having to be accountable to either the people or the constitution”
You lost a lot of credibility there. Scalia is definitely on the far right, and it comes through in his opinions, but let’s not pretend there aren’t corresponding judges on the far left doing the exact same thing. Or are you one of those people who thinks “When they agree with me, they’re just doing their jobs, and when they disagree with me they’re legislating from the bench”?
You’d have more credibility if you’d said “living the political partisan’s dream” because that’s the real truth here. Both sides are running to the supreme court to push through agendas that wouldn’t make it on a popular vote, and pretending that only Republicans or only Democrats do it is at best disingenuous and at worst completely deceptive.
Shiva(Moderator)
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 11:05 am
However, the subject is Scalia who is on the supreme court.
His statements should disqualify him from being there
SinghX
Mar. 2nd, 2013 at 7:26 am
… but let’s not pretend there aren’t corresponding judges on the far left doing the exact same thing.”
Bets are on you can’t name any “far left judges” and/or provide factual evidence of their behavior equal to that of Scalia’s.
You can’t because all you’re really interested in is playing the old grade school game of defending the guilty party based upon stupid excuses for their bad behavior…it’s the old, “Well, the other guy did it, so that makes it OK for me to do it, too”. Pathetic.
Reynardine
Mar. 2nd, 2013 at 9:00 am
There are no remotely far-left justices left on the Supreme Court, and any who are called so are centrists who are merely left of right. Nor were the great liberal justices of the past remotely as venal in their associations or as specious in their overreaching as Scalia and Thomas.
Kimbutgar
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 12:54 pm
Let’s hope the rage he feels being a troll will cause him to have a massive heart attack and he dies. I have never wished a person more dead than him. And if that offends I’m sorry.
John Imsenik
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 1:59 pm
His ignorance speaks for itself !
Doris~
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 2:07 pm
The Koch sponsored tro//s are rampant and we must save the USA…bottomline! Oust the TGOP!
robyn ryan
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 2:43 pm
Impeach.
William
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 4:19 pm
Scumlia is also a felon who has absolutely no use for democracy, cares nothing about the U.S. laws and has disdain for the U.S. Constitution. He has no problem accepting gifts from those who will present or defend a case before him and he routinely takes cases involving friends and family and then rules in their favor. Let’s not forget that he led the coup de tate where he stopped the required Florida recount, threw out the election and awarded Bush the presidency. He has no use for justice and is dishonest as they come. Read what David Brock learned about him in “Blinded by the Right”. Why Scumlia and Uncle Thomas haven’t been impeached is beyond understanding.
Shiva(Moderator)
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 5:15 pm
Because justice Roberts goes right along with them in their little conservative pony cart. That’s why they’re not impeached
Reynardine
Mar. 2nd, 2013 at 9:07 am
Justice Roberts has no say in whether a fellow justice is impeached or not. Only the House can indict, and only the Senate remove, a justice of the U. S Supreme Court; given the composition of the House, removal of either Scalia or Thomas is unlikely even if they were convicted of public corruption.
Eddie Powell
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 6:29 pm
“THE AUTONOMOUS REPUBLIC” !!!!
Slappy
Mar. 1st, 2013 at 11:33 pm
Hello Pot?! This is the kettle calling!
labman57
Mar. 2nd, 2013 at 11:08 pm
Whenever someone uses the term “troll”, the ears of all of the commentators on FOX News begin to burn.
Inez
Mar. 3rd, 2013 at 10:58 pm
Judges in local jurisdictions havebeen removed ffrom the bench for improper behavior for a sitting judge. Are ther ANY ? ETHICAL RULES GOVERNING THE CONDUCT OF THE SUPREME COURT?ONE ROTTEN APPLE SPOILS THE BARREL. lETS HEAR FROM THE ACLU, JESSIEJACKSON, AL SHARFTON AND THOSE WHO WERE INCLUDED IN HIS COMMENT, not by namebut insinuation>. Public pressure can work wonders!; HOW ABOUT A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING? DO we actually know his decisions wll be unbiased?