Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia appeared on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight” for a rare interview alongside Professor Bryan A. Garner, co-author of “Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts.”
ok. Anyone think @piersmorgan manages to complete a respectful and unbiased interview of #scotus justice Scalia? I bet against it. #DVR
— Jeff Schroeffel (@capdc) July 19, 2012
It doesn’t take long for Morgan to designate originalism as a “problem” and suggest that the Constitution needs updating for modern times.
. @piersmorgan begins interview with the great Antonin Scalia w/reflexive, hackneyed, Democrat taking points. Tragic lost opportunity.
— Jasen Boyens (@BoyensJC) July 19, 2012
"Originalism", "textualism", "hyper-literalism" – words used in @PiersTonight interview with Supreme Ct Justice #scalia #smaht
— Erica Pitzi (@erica_pitzi) July 19, 2012
Scalia: US law "should be based on the constitution, reasonably interpreted"
— Joel Gehrke (@Joelmentum) July 19, 2012
https://twitter.com/eScarry/status/225757928207028225
"I sleep very well at night knowing that I'm doing what I'm supposed to do, which is to apply the Constitution." Justice Antonin #Scalia
— Piers Morgan Live (@PiersMorganLive) July 19, 2012
Burning the flag? Is that really the legal decision we’re concerned with right now?
Burning flag question is softball question. Scalia values speech more than he hates flag burning:period-it's all values.Stevens disagreed.
— Eric Segall (@espinsegall) July 19, 2012
"If I were King..I would not allow people to go about burning the American flag..however, we have a 1st Amendment..right" Justice #Scalia
— Piers Morgan Live (@PiersMorganLive) July 19, 2012
The flag burning discussion soon turns to campaign fundraising. Morgan describes the “problem as I see it” as “these Super PACs funded by billionaires effectively trying to buy elections.” “You can’t separate speech from the money that facilitates the speech,” Scalia tells Morgan.
Scalia on campaign finance: Money is speech but "you are entitled to know where the speech is coming from."
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) July 19, 2012
On Roe v. Wade, Morgan asks, “Why were you so violently opposed to it?”
SCALIA: "Whether u think abortion is good or bad, the Const says nothing about it. So it should be left to democratic process." YES,YES,YES
— A.J. Delgado (@AJDelgado13) July 19, 2012
"The Constitution does not say anything about it…it leaves it up to democratic choice" Justice #Scalia on abortion issue
— Piers Morgan Live (@PiersMorganLive) July 19, 2012
Scalia calls Bush v. Gore the most contentious decision with which he’s been involved and tells people to “get over it.” “Get over the possible corrupting of the American presidential system?” Morgan responds. Scalia reminds Morgan that Vice President Gore is the one who chose to bring the case to the courts to decide: “That was the only question.”
https://twitter.com/ReaganCtyGalPal/status/225764841162407936
SCALIA: "Al Gore is the one who wanted the courts to decide this issue. Meanwhile, Nixon didnt ask for that." YES!
— A.J. Delgado (@AJDelgado13) July 19, 2012
"The only question in Bush v. Gore was whether the presidency would be decided by the AL Supreme Court or by the U.S. Supreme Court."-Scalia
— James Taranto (@jamestaranto) July 19, 2012
How’s this for a tease before the break?
https://twitter.com/LachlanMarkay/status/225765546317185026
Did Piers Morgan really just say to Scalia: "I want to get into you…as a man." AS: (Horror face) #scalia #piersmorgan
— Jefferson Mok (@jeffersonmok) July 19, 2012
Morgan says he read in the newspaper that Scalia and Justice John Roberts have gone from “best buddies to roaring enemies.” Scalia confirms that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is his “best buddy.”
https://twitter.com/francesmartel/status/225766636815253506
Scalia "The press likes to paint us as nine scorpions in a bottle.” Can't imagine why
— Joanne Kenen (@JoanneKenen) July 19, 2012
"My best buddy on the court is Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Always has been." -Antonin Scalia with some interesting revelations on #CNN
— Sarah Valerio (@Sarah_SV) July 19, 2012
Scalia says he’s offended by suggestions that Roberts’ Obamacare decision was politically motivated.
https://twitter.com/eScarry/status/225767218833657857
Confession time: Ever broken the law? Scalia admits to speeding occasionally.
RT @AntDeRosa: "I have exceeded the speed limit on occasion" – Justice Anthony Scalia, law breaker
— The Smithian (@theSmithian) July 19, 2012
Piers Morgan fails to get Scalia to admit that he has killed a homeless man. settles for an admission that he got speeding tickets
— Sam Stein (@samstein) July 19, 2012
Let’s skip the ridiculous “have many times have you been properly in love” question and get straight to Scalia’s love of 18th century political science. Morgan asks, “Why are you so convinced these guys over 200 years ago [the founders] were so right?”
https://twitter.com/BPittman88/status/225770566194434048
Scalia says no one in Congress now could write even one of the Federalist Papers. #fightfightfight
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) July 19, 2012
He'll get right on that, if he can sound the words out RT @philipaklein: Scalia to Piers Morgan: "You need to read the Federalist Papers."
— John Tabin (@johntabin) July 19, 2012
Scalia may have just shamed me into finally reading the Federalist Papers. #Piers
— Mike O'Connor (@mmoaks14) July 19, 2012
So, what were the impressions overall?
Scalia may be the most intellectually confident person I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot of them.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) July 19, 2012
Romney/Scalia 2012
— Mike (@ThePantau) July 19, 2012
.@piersmorgan interviewing Scalia reminds me of the famous one-on-one basketball game between Gary Coleman and Michael Jordan.
— James Taranto (@jamestaranto) July 19, 2012
https://twitter.com/ellencarmichael/status/225777406475108352