A moment of drama for the evening was the set-to between President Obama and Justice Alito. Jeff Zeleny at the Times thinks it was Obama’s reference to the opening the new decision gives to foreign spending into US campaigns that Alito said wasn’t true. But he then seems to misstate or perhaps misunderstand what Obama was referencing, claiming that the majority didn’t find a constitutional right for foreign companies to spend on US elections. For more on how the new decision does open the floodgates to foreign financing of US elections see this Monday post by our Zack Roth.
Meanwhile, Linda Greenhouse of the Times thinks it was Obama’s reference to a “century of law” which Alito was quibbling with.
Who would have thought that the kinder, gentler “You Lie!” moment would come from the folks in the robes?
That’s not judicial restraint I can believe in.
