This is a real blow, perhaps worse than Election Night 2016.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg did her best. Beat cancer twice, a blocked artery once.
Amy Howe at Scotusblog looks back at the career of “a reserved and relatively unknown court of appeals judge [who] became an improbable pop-culture icon, inspiring everything from an Oscar-nominated documentary film to her own action figure.”
She hung on as long as she could. It wasn’t long enough, but that’s not her fault. Peace to her, and to those who knew and loved her.
Tags: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Mad Blog Media 
September 18, 2020 at 7:24 pm |
It has become a very depressing day! I fear for America.
September 18, 2020 at 7:26 pm |
Worst. Friday. News dump. Ever.
September 18, 2020 at 7:49 pm |
We should be able to peacefully mourn a great woman who moved mountains and made a tremendous difference for so many people. Instead, NYT reports Mitch McConnell Is saying he will work very quickly to seat a Trump nominee. So much for respect.
September 18, 2020 at 7:51 pm |
Oh, there was never any doubt about that. The Turtle is a vile old bag of sins who knows which side of his bread is buttered.
Herself and I are trying to take comfort from her simply having been here at all, never mind hanging on as long as she did. Can you imagine how much more damage could have been done to what remains of the Republic without a Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the court?
September 18, 2020 at 10:17 pm |
From the Grey Lady: “…A small number of Republican senators — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Charles E. Grassley of Iowa — have indicated they would not want to fill a Supreme Court vacancy so close to a presidential election. But it was not certain whether they would hold to that stance….”
And I wonder about Mitt Romney. He showed some spine during the impeachment vote.
September 19, 2020 at 6:59 am |
At moments of crisis there is always a Weighty and Profound Chin-Stroking, accompanied by Expressions of Concern.
And then they do what they’re told.
Elections have consequences. This should be printed at the top of every ballot and spelled out in flashing neon at every polling place. For especially thickheaded voters I would recommend tattoos on some area they examine frequently … their weenies, or the booger-fishing finger.
September 19, 2020 at 7:09 am |
Yeah, really. I suppose we will have to see if The Turtle tries to schedule hearings after the Fart of Orange nominates a Wilma Dikfitt or a Yamaring McFuckface. And I suppose Heywood Jablowme is still in the pack.
Where the hell is the next 10 km asteroid when you need it?
September 19, 2020 at 9:28 am
Ted Cruz? Dog save us all.
September 19, 2020 at 9:52 am
I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
September 19, 2020 at 11:46 am
He is on dumpster’s new list for the Supreme Court. So is Tom Cotton. You know, the guys that want to send active army divisions into cities to deal with protesters. There is no bottom here.
September 19, 2020 at 1:35 pm
Actual frontrunners according to the NYT.
September 18, 2020 at 7:55 pm |
And fuck Mitch McConnell.
Chris
>
September 18, 2020 at 7:59 pm |
Well, yeah, that too.
September 18, 2020 at 8:16 pm |
Yea, what Chris said. The turtle is one two faced asshole, and that is why he gets along so well with his wife’s boss.
September 18, 2020 at 8:43 pm |
I believe that I heard that Lisa Murkowski indicated that she will not support installing a new justice into the Supreme Court until next year. There is some hope for a bi-partisan nomination.
Mitch? Mitch who? Was he the guy that got that bad virus back in 2020 and had to retire from the senate? That was too bad. At least he had his goat farm to go back to.
September 20, 2020 at 11:30 am |
Last I saw there were three or four vacillating republican senators who had problems bum-rushing this appointment. Never worry, they will be coralled and brought under control.
September 18, 2020 at 9:52 pm |
Just watched Seven Days in May. Now this.
September 19, 2020 at 1:11 am |
A Mighty Totara Has Fallen.
This is a wonderful Maori Whakatauki (proverb) that is used to express grief & respect to the passing of a great person.
A Totara is a large tree that lives for hundreds of years, and when one of them falls in the forest, it is a great tragedy.
(Also, she talked about moving to NZ, she would have been welcomed with open arms)
September 19, 2020 at 7:07 am |
A great tragedy indeed. Her biography is a testament to what can be done. From public school in Brooklyn past the indifference of her male teachers and colleagues to a seat on The Big Bench.
There wasn’t any quit in her. She had to be knocked down.
Here’s Charles Pierce with a brief and poignant remembrance.
September 19, 2020 at 9:52 am |
We don’t want to lose the big picture, especially for us retired folks enjoying our later years, that Justice Ginsburg worked until the day of her death. She sacrificed her best years, I think, to try and ensure the court remained impartial and non-partisan. We can’t know if the other justices learned from her example or are continuing down the road to a partisan justice system. A partisan justice system allows corrupt and totally partisan executive and legislative branches to exist, and is one symptom of a failed state.
September 19, 2020 at 7:53 am |
We met Justice Ginsburg in Hawaii shortly after she was put on the court (1998). A good friend of ours, law professor Ginny Hench, got us invites to a reception after a talk she gave at the law school. 1998 was a big year for constitutional law in Paradise as we were in a gruesome marriage equality fight and we lost badly at the ballot box. Ginny and I spent numerous hours together getting sworn at by passing motorists as we demonstrated for marriage equality.
Justice Ginsburg as one could guess, was as gracious as one could be answering a few questions and chatting with a couple of goofballs who were not law faculty or students. She will be missed. The Totara metaphor fits.
September 19, 2020 at 4:13 pm |
Very sad news. It’s especially heartbreaking that in her last months she knew should wouldn’t be able to live until 2021 and potentially see a new Congress installed and Biden as president and a worthy successor put forward.
September 19, 2020 at 4:32 pm |
The Universe has been cruel lately, taking RBG, John Lewis, and Carl Reiner, while leaving us Adolf Twitler, Dickless Cheney, and Tucker Carlson.
September 19, 2020 at 7:44 pm |
You said it!
September 20, 2020 at 7:45 am |
They have clear intentions.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ted-cruz-ruth-bader-ginsburg-death-supreme-court-justice