As expected, today brings a new crop of Justice Thomas commentary. This one, by Edward Lazarus, argues that liberals shouldn’t dismiss Thomas as a lightweight or as a Scalia clone, but that Thomas’s radical views and unwillingness to compromise on them would likely render him ineffective as Chief Justice. (Hat tip: How Appealing.) We’ve already posted similar views here and here.
Regarding Thomas’s famed silence during oral argument, Lazarus notes that liberal "heroes" including "very conscientious justices such as Harry Blackmun" also rarely spoke at oral argument. It’s nice that Lazarus holds Blackmun in such high esteem — a "hero," no less! Gosh, you’d almost think he knew the guy, or that he even worked for him. How else would he know how "conscientious" Blackmun was? Oh wait — I just read Lazarus’s bio — he was a Blackmun law clerk. It might have been a good idea for Lazarus to disclose that fact to his readers in his commentary.
Let it soar on a full stomach.