POLITICO’s Kasie Hunt, who’s in the House chamber, reports that Justice Samuel Alito mouthed the words “not true” when President Barack Obama criticized the Supreme Court’s campaign finance decision.
“Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections,” Obama said. “Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.”
The shot of the black-robed Supreme Court justices, stone-faced, was priceless.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stood up behind the justices and clapped vigorously while Alito shook his head and quietly mouthed his discontent.
Schumer and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md) are trying to find a way to legislate around the Supreme Court decision.
“All you have to do is read the dissent, the four justices who said this will defintely open the floodgates to big corporate special interests. Anybody who thinks that’s not true is out of touch with the American political process.” Van Hollen said.
Van Hollen told POLITICO he expects to unveil the package in the next 10 days to two weeks.
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) was glad the president called out the Supreme Court.
“He [Alito] deserved to be criticized, if he didn’t like it he can mouth whatever they want,” Weiner said. “These Supreme Court justices sometimes forget that we live in the real world. They got a real world reminder tonight, if you make a boneheaded decision, someone’s going to call you out on it.”
But one conservative legal expert took sides with Alito — at least on the substance of Obama’s comments.
“The President’s swipe at the Supreme Court was a breach of decorum, and represents the worst of Washington politics — scapegoating ‘special interest’ bogeymen for all that ails Washington in attempt to silence the diverse range of speakers in our democracy,” said Bradley A. Smith, chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics, in The Corner blog on Nationalreview.com.
Tell tale signs of a bully…a man of control, how humiliating…This man wants to rule…He should apologize..His display to the Judges was totally embarrassing…I would be on his desk….
Spencer great write up…. Just does not get it…Or he is cold and ignorant…A smart leader would never do as he did….
Paulee,
This was one of the most pathetic and petty things we may have ever seen a President do during any speech, most certainly the State of The Union address. It should be called the “State of the ‘I didn’t do it…Bush did’ address.” I don’t think this will go away too easily for him. However, I don’t think he cares.
I think it’s funny that Obama mentions it, yet HIS campaign was riddled with questions on where HIS campaign donations were really from, and how much money HIS campaign received from unions. Unions = good and corporations = bad to Obama. he’s got enough special interest groups in his back pocket he has no room to talk. What a tool.