SOTU: Obama vs. Alito

After Justice Alito's shocking 'You lie!' moment, pundits are debating whether Alito—or Obama—crossed a line

Obama vs. Alito: Who won?
(Image credit: Creative Commons)

It's rare—almost unprecedented—for the president to critique the Supreme Court during a State of the Union address. But Obama did just that last night, pointedly observing that the court's recent campaign finance decision had "reversed a century of law" and "open[ed] the floodgates" for special interest money in elections. Justice Samuel Alito's response was likewise remarkable: Alito, a conservative who voted for the decision, furrowed his brow and (with apparent annoyance) mouthed the words "Not true, not true." Pundits immediately equated his response with Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" outburst during Obama's last congressional speech. Who, if anyone, should apologize—Obama, for openly critiquing the Court, or Justice Alito, for seemingly abandoning propriety? (See video below.)

Obama was foolish and rude: The president is well within his rights to criticize the court, says Georgetown law professor Randy Barnett at Politico. But "egg[ing] on" Congress to "jeer" at the justices while they are "seated politely before him"? The president only succeeded in "alienat[ing]" Justice Kennedy, who authored the opinion in question and is a crucial moderate swing vote on the court. Obama owes the court an apology for his "shocking lack of decorum."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us