Sunday, March 21, 2010

Chief justice unsettled by Obama's criticism of Supreme Court

See also Justice Roberts rules that $3 million campaign contribution is no reason to require a judge to recuse himself.

Chief justice unsettled by Obama's criticism of Supreme Court
LA Times
By David G. Savage
March 10, 2010

...Obama's speech in January came a week after the high court ruled 5 to 4 that corporations had a free-speech right to spend unlimited sums to elect or defeat candidates for office.

The president, looking down at the six justices in attendance, sharply criticized the Supreme Court for having "opened the floodgates for special interests" to sway elections.

Senate Democrats rose to their feet, applauding and cheering the president's comments...

When Obama voiced his criticism, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. shook his head slightly and appeared to say, "Not true."

Responding to Roberts' comments Tuesday night, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement, "What is troubling is that this decision opened the floodgates for corporations and special interests to pour money into elections, drowning out the voices of average Americans."

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