"Embarrassment to the Supreme Court": Alito gloats and taunts critics of his anti-abortion ruling | Salon.com
By: Igor Derysh
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito mocked world leaders who criticized his anti-abortion ruling last month and decried what he called a "hostility to religion" in his first public comments since the decision.
Alito, who authored the court's majority opinion in the Dobbs case that overturned Roe v. Wade, bragged during a surprise appearance at a religious conference hosted by the Notre Dame Law School's Religious Liberty Initiative in Rome last week that he wrote the opinion in what he described as the case "whose name may not be spoken."
"I had the honor this term of writing I think the only Supreme Court decision in the history of that institution that has been lambasted by a whole string of foreign leaders who felt perfectly fine commenting on American law," he said.
"One of these was former [British] Prime Minister Boris Johnson. But he paid the price," Alito said, referring to Johnson's unrelated decision to resign, drawing laughs and cheers from the crowd.
"Others are still in office," he added, calling out French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for their remarks before lobbing an attack on Prince Harry.
"But what really wounded me was when the Duke of Sussex addressed the United Nations and seemed to compare the decision whose name may not be spoken with the Russian attack on Ukraine," he quipped.
Prince Harry during a speech at the U.N. said that the court's decision, along with the invasion of Ukraine, are both evidence that "we are witnessing a global assault on democracy and freedom."
"Despite this temptation, I'm not going to talk about cases from other countries," Alito continued. "All I'm going to say is that, ultimately, if we are going to win the battle to protect religious freedom in an increasingly secular society, we will need more than positive law."
Alito during his remarks alleged that "religious liberty is under attack" even though the impenetrable conservative majority on the Supreme Court gave religious rights groups their biggest wins in generations this term: striking down abortion rights, siding with a public high school football coach who prayed on the field after games, and banning Maine from excluding religious schools from tuition assistance programs.
"It is hard to convince people that religious liberty is worth defending if they don't think that religion is a good thing that deserves protection," Alito said.
Alito's speech came on the same day that liberal Justice Elena Kagan warned that the court's hard-right majority risks losing legitimacy in the eyes of Americans.
"I'm not talking about any particular decision or even any particular series of decisions, but if over time the court loses all connection with the public and with public sentiment, that's a dangerous thing for a democracy," she said during a conference in Montana last week. "People are rightly suspicious if one justice leaves the court or dies and another justice takes his or her place and all of sudden the law changes on you."
Confidence in the Supreme Court hit a record low after the Dobbs decision, according to a Gallup poll, falling to just 25%.
Alito's appearance at the conference was not announced in advance and the video was published by the law school on Thursday. The event was sponsored by the school's Religious Liberty Initiative, which aims to promote "religious freedom for people of all faiths through scholarship, events, and the Law School's Religious Liberty Clinic," and files briefs to the Supreme Court, according to The Washington Post.
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., called out Alito's remarks at the conference, calling him an "embarrassment to the Supreme Court."
"He doesn't understand there are different religions in America," Lieu tweeted. "What makes America great is that we let you practice your faith, change your faith or have no faith at all. Some religions support abortion, some don't."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said that Alito's leaked opinion ahead of the ruling "paired with his politicized remarks" should be "alarming to anyone."
"The Supreme Court is in a legitimacy crisis," she tweeted, calling on Chief Justice John Roberts to get to the bottom of who leaked the draft opinion.
Roberts sought to save Roe and lobbied fellow conservatives to change their vote until the leak upended his attempts just as anti-abortion activists were growing concerned about his efforts, according to CNN.
Other critics also cited Alito's remarks as further evidence of the politicization of the Supreme Court.
"Alito is not just a partisan hack. He is the leader of this partisan and reckless court, and he is a clear and present danger to our basic system of governance and of justice," wrote Norm Ornstein, an Emeritus scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.
"Alito is so extremist far right," quipped former Obama adviser Ben Rhodes, "that his idea of owning the libs is taking shots at Boris Johnson."
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He is nuts...
And a pox on anyone who contends the court is not a politically constructed body.
Those words and sentiment are not unlike those of the Ayatollah Khomeini who came back to Iran in 1979 to stop the Shah's move towards secularism and embracing western ideas like equal rights for women.
Ayatollah Alito knows no Christians are being forced to have abortions, no one is infringing on any other Americans rights by allowing safe and legal access to abortion, yet he frames it as a 'battle to protect religious freedom' when it's really just a battle to protect religious conservatives imagined right to force their religious beliefs and morals on everyone around them.
Don't want an abortion, don't get one. The prior long time precedent set with Roe wasn't hurting a single one of these slimy religious fucks yet they just couldn't keep themselves from opening the way for States run by religious extremists to force their religious beliefs on others essentially 'establishing' their religious morals as the law of the land in their States in contradiction to the establishment clause.
What Khomeini quotes are you looking at?
Lol. No he didn't. You are literally making shit up to support your batshit crazy comparison.
It's like progressives have an imaginary internet that just feeds them nonsense and they accept it no matter how disconnected from reality it is.
”What Khomeini quotes are you looking at?”
What Khomeini actions are you looking to excuse?
And what do you think he means here?
Discussing religious liberty. He's making the point laws alone can't make the argument for it.
But again, context matters. He did not frame Dobbs as a 'battle to protect religious freedom'. That was the claim. That's insanely dishonest.
There's a reason there's no link to the actual speech.
He said it's not the job of federal judges to convince people religious liberty is worth protecting. Do you disagree?
" In 1963, the shah launched his “White Revolution,” a broad government program that included land reform, infrastructure development, voting rights for women , and the reduction of illiteracy. Although these programs were applauded by many in Iran, Islamic leaders were critical of what they saw as the westernization of Iran. Ruhollah Khomeini, a Shiite cleric, was particularly vocal in his criticism and called for the overthrow of the shah and the establishment of an Islamic state."
" Khomeini, now known by the high Shiite title “ayatollah,” was the first religious leader to openly condemn the shah’s program of westernization. In fiery dispatches from his Faziye Seminary in Qom, Khomeini called for the overthrow of the shah and the establishment of an Islamic state ."
" February 1, 1979, the Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran in triumph after 15 years of exile. The shah and his family had fled the country two weeks before, and jubilant Iranian revolutionaries were eager to establish a fundamentalist Islamic government under Khomeini’s leadership ."
Shah flees Iran - HISTORY
Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran - HISTORY
So he was discussing his opinion and religious freedom yet we are suppose to separate the two?
Uh, no.
So no quotes to compare to Alito's.
iscussing his opinion and religious freedom yet we are suppose to separate the two?
Lol. That's your argument? [deleted]
His opinion was was religious liberty is a good thing. If you think it's not, take it up with the founders or campaign to get rid of that pesky first amendment.
What's next, attacking him for supporting freedom of speech?
So calling him out on his speech and what he said is totalitarian? I want some of what you are smoking...
Religious liberty does not or should not take precedent over what or how others believe.
You all need to stop with the persecution complex and realize religious views do not or should not dictate to others.
There is simply no other plausible explanation for right wing religious conservatives attempts to ban abortion than to enforce their religious morality on their fellow Americans who don't believe the same way they do. I don't believe there is a tiny invisible soul that is created when an egg is fertilized, I don't believe a fertilized egg or zygote or fetus are a 'person' until it has the ability live outside the womb without the woman, until then it is a parasite in a woman's body and she should have a right to privacy and bodily autonomy.
I would love to see some laws passed that would make any State, organization, political party or person who prevents/bans a woman from availing herself of her right to privacy and bodily autonomy by forcing her to give birth to accept any and all financial costs of giving birth and taking care of the child.
The woman's total cost for the woman should be the same as if she'd paid for a pregnancy termination, those who prevented her from making her own life decisions should pay the hospital costs, insurance cost, pain and suffering, adoption costs or the cost of care and raising the child to adulthood and if the woman dies in childbirth they should be held legally and financially responsible for her death. If these fucking nosy self-righteous religious conservatives want to take away a woman's right over her body they should be ready to pay for any of the consequences.
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" The will of almighty God, may He be praised, decreed the release of this oppressed nation from the yoke of the tyranny and crimes of the satanical regime and from the yoke of the domination of oppressive powers , especially the government of the world-devouring America, and to unfurl the banner of Islamic justice over our beloved country. It is our duty to stand up to the superpowers and we have the ability to stand up against them, provided that our intellectuals give up their fascination with Westernization or Easternization and follow the straight path of Islam and nationalism ." - speech written by Ayatollah Khomeini June 1980
Khomeini: "We Shall Confront the World with Our Ideology" - MERIP
Khomeini supported Islamic nationalism, it's clear from his words and actions Alito supports Christian nationalism and is suggesting even more should be done by the SCOTUS to force Christianity into our laws, courts, schools and public spaces.
Thanks, do you see the Alito plagiarism?
I didn't lie at all, I stated my opinion of his statements and what I believe was behind them which is obvious to anyone who doesn't have their head shoved up their own ass.
Clearly the only ones with a limited mind are the whiny religious conservatives who believe it's somehow their right to tell women what they can and can't do with their own bodies. Don't like abortion? Don't get one. It should be pretty simple, but clearly religious conservatives believe their own moral judgements superior to others which is why they have worked so hard at stripping women of their right to privacy and bodily autonomy.
Where did I claim plagiarism? I said Alito's comment about "win the battle to protect religious freedom in an increasingly secular society" was not unlike that of the Ayatollah who also railed against secularism and pushed for Islamic laws that stripped women of their rights. Why is that so hard to comprehend? Just because one is an Islamic extremist and the other is a Christian extremist is it really that hard for you to see the similarities in their ideology?
I didn't, I asked if you saw it.
Almost a word for word copy.
And it does not. You are still able to believe or not believe as you wish. That was not taken from you nor should it be. All the recent SCOTUS decision did is place the abortion question back in the hands of the state legislatures where it belongs.
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That ignores the fact that the term 'positive law' has a specific meaning, Sean. Do some research to compare it with the term 'natural law' and then you may be able to opine on what Allito's 'point' is.
I didn't lie at all,
Lol. Of course you did. You claimed Alito framed abortion as a 'battle to protect religious freedom'". Words matter. And no honest person can torture Alito's words enough to support your projection
arly the only ones with a limited min
Considering your inability to comprehend a pretty straightforward speech, you should be very hesitant to claim anyone has a limited mind.
You should get out of your bubble and read sources written by adults. You sound like you are using an 18 year old in a dorm as your source
Why don't you? You obviously don't understand the terms or Alito's point.
No. Being against religious liberty is totalitarian. I don't think is too hard to follow. Why are you having trouble?
gious liberty does not or should not take precedent over what or how others believe
I have no idea what that is supposed to mean.
What religious liberty has been taken away?
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It would be more honest to admit you are wrong.
Wrong about what? You and Alito seem to think religious liberty is under attack yet cannot state how so...
Wrong about what?
Your opposition to Alito's point that religious liberty is a good thing.
ou and Alito seem to think religious liberty is under attack yet cannot state how so..
Did you actually listen to his speech? Or are you trying to argue that placing a million Uighurs in concentration camps is not, in fact, an attack on religious liberty?
I can't argue argue against the imaginary speech liberals claim to have heard. It changes from post to post.
How in the world in this country are people having to defend religious liberty. Once again you skirt around the fact that it is not actually under attack and go to something else....
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Typical leftist reply when someone else's opinion is voiced.
Insult and cry that they do not fall in line with the loon left hive.
You've done well, Dulay..
I'm trying to teach the willfully ignorant. So I am here to help
Project much?
ople that religious liberty is worth defending if they don't think that religion is a good thing that deserves protection,
Lol. Do you not understand his point?
I understand his agenda which you want to brush aside.
Sean didn't voice HIS opinion, he claimed to understand Alito's point, he doesn't.
Typical RW extremist hyperbolic bullshit.
Thanks.
You're failing.
It would help if you had a desire to educate yourself. Alas...
Give yourself a chance. Someday you may come around and see things as they rightly are.
I've taken advantage of every chance I've received.
If by 'rightly' you mean acquiescing to the bullshit posted from by the RW extremists here, that would require a lobotomy.
[deleted,] but in the real world, it is an opinion. You not liking it is no one but your problem.
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Some people are unable to separate religion from "what everyone else should be doing" and, as a consequence, see no harm in forcing their views upon as many others as possible. Dictate is the name of the game for them.
You know, kind of like the Taliban. "Do as I say," is a commandment for them to turn their own personal code into a moral code that all must follow.
These regressionary people see only that the CotUS frees them to do unto others instead of the true meaning which Implied that religions were and are supposed to be separate from the methods of governance, precisely for these reasons: The practice of specific religions had been mandatory under law in the early colonies and was the reason that many colonists came from wherever they came from, i.e., the colonists moved from one area where the practice of their particular religion was illegal to another area where they then made all religions except the flavor that they were practicing, illegal. By making the establishment and practice of religion off limits to the Federal Government, the 1st Amendment was codifying the "freedom of religion."
I envision spittle coming with that raving comment.
It has nothing to do with like or dislike. It's fact or fiction. Sean's assessment is WRONG.
You haven't made a point to prove bugsy.
That's some delusional shit right there.
Carry on.
Nope....every bit of my post stands exactly as is.
Sean posted an opinion. Opinions can be right or wrong, but it is not up to anonymous, narcissist posters to make that distinction.,
We all know you thrive on getting the last word...
So get at it.
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That would be true if Sean hadn't insisted that only HIS opinion of Alito's speech is worthy.
Fine, you've disqualified yourself to make those distinctions. Do you have someone else in mind?
Why do all of your and yours seem to always want to pretend to speak for anyone else but yourselves?
Word.
I know. Your insipid posts remind me every day.
I can lead the jackass to water. Whether it drinks or not is beyond my control.
would help if you had a desire to educate yourself. Alas...
Now that's projection. At least you figured how to do that correctly.
Now if you could just learn to make a substantive argument instead of ignorant, unsupported declarations, we'd be getting somewhere.
Well sure. That's the last refuge of the person who's lost an argument. You ignore the actual evidence and just declare you can read minds, so what he actually said or did doesn't matter because you know the "real truth".
Its the same non falsifiable crap every conspiracy theorist falls back on when the actual evidence doesn't support their claim.
I know you will fight tooth and nail just to protect anyone on 'your side' yet the extreme you have become...
meh, that's what happens when you spend sunday mornings on and off your knees while drinking grape juice, eating crackers, and confessing last week's sexual exploits to celibates.
What happens when you haven't any sexual exploits to confess?
“What happens when you haven't any sexual exploits to confess?”
You get to lead catechism class.
they make you become a youth counselor until you do....
Alito is a hard-core reactionary judicial activist who has absolutely no business being on the Supreme Court.
Alito's behavior degrades the dignity of the court...
what a world. Liberals whine about this speech and give a pass to Kagan claiming the Constitution contains a public opinion clause.
She wants to get rid of Judges and replace them with opinion polling and liberals act offended by a joke about Boris Johnson.
Of course, this is Salon, so whining and insanity are assumed.
Read the whole article, not just a snippet...
I listened to the whole speech. To bad the bot who thew together this article didn't.
No he didn't, just wrote an article without it....s/
Dont blame liberals for everything that happens. Why the hell is a Supreme Court justice trying to mock world figures? Is that part of his job description?
The man is an embarrassment.
He told a joke at a dinner.
She is simply acknowledging the danger of the court becoming so out of touch with the large majority of the country that the majority of the country decides they no longer need the court.
Prince Harry is a Bridge Too Far, My god, doesn't Alito know that he talks to Oprah!
Too bad Alito doesn't talk to Oprah.
That would be an interesting conversation.
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Alito is an asshole, his definition of religious freedom is letting Christian extremists impose their religious views on everyone else. Fuck Samuel Alito.
Agreed. And it looks like in his larger than life ego that he is looking to take over as head of the Supreme Court. He is a total disgrace to the dignity of the SCOTUS, and has the world laughing at us. He even assumes he has the right to bad mouth and sling insults at Prince William and those of other countries. He is taking advantage of his position to embarrass the US. I'd be willing bet he has some secret ties to fascist groups and Trump allies that gives him the sudden confidence to screw the American people.