Chuck Grassley attacks Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on the Senate floor

Joan McCarter

Daily Kos Staff

Tuesday April 05, 2016 · 3:04 PM PDT

2016/04/05 · 15:04

US Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) questions New York Federal Reserve Bank President Timothy Geithner, US President Barack Obama's nominee for Treasury Secretary, during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washi

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This is getting really, really bizarre. In an angry speech on the Senate floor Tuesday, Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) ranted about the Supreme Court. Specifically about the politicization of the Supreme Court. Specifically about the politicization of Chief Justice John Roberts. It was profoundly weird.

"With all due respect to the Chief Justice," Grassley intoned, "tens of millions of Americans believe correctly the Supreme Court has transgressed the limits of its role." He continued:

The confirmation process has gotten political precisely because the Court itself has drifted from the Constitutional text and rendered decisions based instead on policy preferences. In fact, many of my constituents believe with all due respect that the chief justice is part of this problem. […]

The chief justice regrets that the American people believe that the court is no different from the political branches of government. But again, and with respect, I think he is concerned with the wrong problem. He would be well served to address the reality, not the perception, that too often there is little difference between the actions of the court and the actions of the political branches.

So, physician heal thyself.

What all this has precisely to do with why we should have an 8-member Supreme Court for the next year while Republicans blockade is all a little fuzzy, but I'm sure Grassley has his reasons. Maybe it's just to punish the chief justice, because it sure seems like Grassley has a major hate on for him. You can watch part of the tirade below the fold.

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Chuck Grassley attacks Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on the Senate floor

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