Crazy How Anti-Affirmative Action Justice Scalia Was an Affirmative Action Hire

Politics

During a Supreme Court argument regarding the constitutionality of affirmative action on Wednesday, Justice Antonin Scalia suggested that minority students might consider going to a “slower-track school where they do well.” By that logic, Scalia should probably be on a slower-track court where he doesn’t feel so confused because he was an affirmative action pick too, BITCH.

The American Prospect uncovered former White House counsel Peter Wallison’s recollections of how Ronald Reagan decided to nominate Scalia for the bench. Scalia’s ethnicity played a major role.

“Reagan had asked me whether Scalia was of Italian extraction. I think he used the word ‘extraction,’ and I said, ‘Yes, he’s of Italian extraction.’ Reagan said, ‘That’s the man I want to nominate, so I want to meet him…’ The president met Scalia, and he offered Scalia the job right on the spot, in about 15 minutes, very little ceremony here. Scalia accepted on the spot.” Wallison recounted.

“I think [Reagan] felt that it would be great to put an Italian American on the Supreme Court. He had all the usual American instincts: ‘We don’t have an Italian American on the court, so we ought to have one.’ He really felt good about doing that. It wasn’t principle so much as that kind of emotional commitment.”

Wow, so crazy that Republicans are still obsessed with Reagan, who also nominated the first female justice, even though he was clearly racist against white people??? And so crazy how Scalia had no problem accepting a seat on the bench that he was offered partly for his unique set of experiences, yet he thinks others who want the same opportunity should settle for slower-track schools???

Good, reasonable consistency from a man with the most job security possible.


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Image via Getty.

 
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