Ruth Bader Ginsburg: I have 'at least five more years' on the bench

[Mini Me]

I wish her well but the reality is no one has a crystal ball and no one gets to choose how long or how little time we spend on this earth.

When the big guy pulls your card its your time.

The musics over when they turn out the lights!
Already, I can hear cons weeping all over the US!

[MisterVeritis]

The musics over when they turn out the lights!
Already, I can hear cons weeping all over the US!

If you continue hearing things please see a doctor. And have a friend hold your weapons and ammunition for you.

[stjames1_53]

If you continue hearing things please see a doctor. And have a friend hold your weapons and ammunition for you.

Methinks they already have them, and he's on a watch list

[Adelaide]

I actually sort of like her, she's got gumption. But 90 is up there. I know people in their 90s who couldn't do it physically, memory-wise, etc.


Puts pressure on both parties. As it is now, the economy doing well, etc, and the Dems lack of standing for anything other than anti-Trump, I'd say chances are he'll serve two terms.

She's extremely active mentally. If everyone stayed engaged in mental activities the way Ginsburg has, they would not experience a lot of the decreases you see in older adults for memory and other cognitive functions. It is like if you stop exercising and your muscles become less strong - the brain is the same way.

[Adelaide]

Maybe she does, maybe she doesn't. But all this fuss over the supreme court is based on the false assumption that the supreme court has any actual authority outside its court room. In reality, the supreme court has no real ability to enforce its opinions on the other branches of government or the States. All the supreme court can really do is issue opinions. The only thing that gives them any force or substance is the importance the rest of society places on them. Just look at Obamacare, for example. The individual mandate is clearly unconstitutional, but the court ruled otherwise because they did not want to face the wrath of the executive and legislative branches. FDR basically got his welfare state through by threatening the supreme court's independence. During the civil war, Lincoln just did whatever he wanted regardless of what the courts said. The supreme court is just a paper tiger.

They are not just a "paper tiger". Hamilton wrote in the Federalist papers that the judicial branch was meant to be the "least dangerous" and they were, until judicial review was established. Judicial review is a significant power, which can be corrupted by activist courts. Marbury v. Madison gave them power and it helps to keep the legislative and executive branches in check, so it is essential. The court seems to go through cycles; Civil War era, FDR era, and the Civil Rights era were all defined by activist courts, but then you had courts like the Rehnquist Court that balanced that by going back to respecting state-rights and trying to devolve the federal government. The Civil Rights era, in my opinion, should be given a pass since their activism on cases like Brown v. Board of Education were positive examples of judicial activism. Of like 1300 state laws found unconstitutional since 1803, 1200 of those occurred during the 1870s and 1880s. Only 170-something federal Acts have been found unconstitutional since 1803. That's not very many - they generally do not abuse the power of judicial review.

Of course, this will become a greater and greater problem if the court remains so politically motivated. Somehow, politicians should focus on getting the court back to a position of judicial restraint. Otherwise, I am not sure that there will be a version of the Rehnquist court in the future that will act as a balance for what is currently happening.

[Nicole]

She's extremely active mentally. If everyone stayed engaged in mental activities the way Ginsburg has, they would not experience a lot of the decreases you see in older adults for memory and other cognitive functions. It is like if you stop exercising and your muscles become less strong - the brain is the same way.

Use it or lose it.

She's a badass. We should all be so lucky to be on our game at her current age much less saying she intends to stay there for 5 more years.

The Notorious RBG, rocks.

[Common]

Or how healthy their later years will be.

Shes 85 she already had a good run, shes way above the average lifespan.

[Common]

The musics over when they turn out the lights!
Already, I can hear cons weeping all over the US!

Huh, how did you construe that my post had anything like that in it.

[Captdon]

Five more years??? My goodness she's 85 and a living fossil as it is; I figured she'd want to retire and enjoy what time she has left, but maybe for her this is enjoyment. I'm sure that dashes the hopes of some conservatives in this country of getting another conservative judge on the bench during Trumps term in office.

Only if you believe she can last 5 more years. She can barely stay awake now. She won't make it.

[Captdon]

Maybe she does, maybe she doesn't. But all this fuss over the supreme court is based on the false assumption that the supreme court has any actual authority outside its court room. In reality, the supreme court has no real ability to enforce its opinions on the other branches of government or the States. All the supreme court can really do is issue opinions. The only thing that gives them any force or substance is the importance the rest of society places on them. Just look at Obamacare, for example. The individual mandate is clearly unconstitutional, but the court ruled otherwise because they did not want to face the wrath of the executive and legislative branches. FDR basically got his welfare state through by threatening the supreme court's independence. During the civil war, Lincoln just did whatever he wanted regardless of what the courts said. The supreme court is just a paper tiger.

Stumbling around trying to find an argument. They have no power, they have power...They have all the power they need.

Lincoln never disobeyed a SCOTUS order. They didn't make any rulings that would inhibit the war.