IMHO Scalia was the worst Supreme Court justice of all time. .

[Stargleamer]

some of you here, might think Roger Taney was the worst and there's merit to that position. But by not recusing himself in Bush vs. Gore (his son was working for Bush or something like that) he did such irreversible harm to this planet, to this country, to everyone. And the SOB was intent on hurting animals when he died. Plus, he always (except once in a flag-burning case) drifted to the wrong and harmful position like a moth to a flame. If you didn't know anything about a case at all, all you would need to know is Scalia's position on it, you could pretty much assure yourself that the opposite position to the one Scalia was holding would be the one to take. Some here might think Clarence Thomas or Alito are worse, but they're just following in Scalia's footsteps.

We need an anti-Scalia on the Court now and I have my doubts that Sri Srinivasan (defended Enron exec) or Jeh Johnson (said that MLK would have supported the war in Iraq) are it.

[oberliner]

1. Justice James Clark McReynolds

Roger Taney a close second.

[Stargleamer]

3. a good case can be made for him too

such a virulent anti-Semite! But the country did recover from him.

[oberliner]

5. Yes indeed

Scalia, at least, was well-liked by his colleagues on a personal level from what I understand.

His decisions, obviously, are another story. You are right in your assessment of the severity of their impact on our country.

[malthaussen]

7. Well, the country may recover from Mr Justice Scalia.

It remains to be seen. One needs historical context to properly rank the candidates.

-- Mal

[backscatter712]

9. McReynolds was worse than Scalia, but I think Taney beats him out.

The Dred Scott decision IMHO is the worst SCOTUS decision of all time, and on top of ruling that black people were not human beings, it set the stage for the Civil War.

Taney wrote that decision, which makes him the absolute worst justice of all time, IMHO. Of course, opinions differ.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. perhaps someone else with a 3 letter first name?

I agree that this choice will be monumental. I disagree we need an anti-Scalia. Scalia, for all his faults, was brilliant, and that is what made him so dangerous.

We need someone at the same IQ scale as Scalia, but with a totally different perspective about the constitution and the role of government.

[Hortensis]

4. I think if you read about Scalia further,

you will find far more powerful examples of how bad a justice he really was, and plenty of them. They have nothing to do with whether he liked to hunt and everything to do with deliberately attempting to turn an entire nation in a direction it would never have chosen to go on its own.

I pretty much agree with, "If you didn't know anything about a case at all, all you would need to know is Scalia's position on it, you could pretty much assure yourself that the opposite position to the one Scalia was holding would be the one to take."

But I disagree with the rest, Stargleamer. IMO, both underestimating enemies and casting essentially good, honorable allies off foolishly are fatal flaws in a citizen warrior.

I have a strong belief myself: That your own behavior would not stand the kind of scrutiny you inflict on others. I know mine wouldn't. I'm not perfect and never have been. I even once worked for Peterson Publishing as an editorial assistant. The guilt will never be assuaged. Do you have any idea how many animal deaths the Hunting and Skin Diver people encouraged? How many girls copied Teen's bimboism? I sure don't. Oh, the shame!

[vinny9698]

6. But you do not have the power Scalia had

The GOP were 100% on Scalia's side. But none have the power Scalia had. That's why it is important that Obama appoint a young person. So that they also have the longevity that Scalia had.

[Hortensis]

15. Yes, I'm definitely too old to make a

desirable nominee. Apparently even late 50s is considered a wasted opportunity these days.

[Stargleamer]

10. well I respectfully disagree

I think, Hortensis, that his hunting of animals reflected just a Power-over orientation that that he adopted throughout his life, whether it was Power over animals, Power over women, the Power of the wealthy over the poor, the Power of whites over People of Color, power of Straights over LGBT, etc. that ultimately hurt many. And I admit quite readily that i am seriously flawed, but my flaws don't have a negative impact on millions of people.

[Hortensis]

17. I sort of agree with you that hunting can be an

indicator of flawed character and should draw careful evaluation for a position like SC justice. Many otherwise fine people do hunt, though. We are all persons of parts, and I would only turn down a hunter of great intellect and probity if I were a quail myself.

[backscatter712]

8. He was bad, but not THE worst.

I'd say that the absolute worst SCOTUS justice was Roger Taney, who authored the Dred Scott decision. Not only did he rule that black people were effectively animals that were not entitled to civil rights, but his decision pretty much set the stage for the Civil War.

It's hard to top that one.

[Gabi Hayes]

11. the civil war would still have happened, and if it didn't,

maybe we'd have the south as some backwater banana republic with no resources (except Texas), whose citizens would be much like the wetbacks scurrying across the Rio Grande, trying to suck off the teat of the productive states in the north, bleeding us dry.

Wait a minute! that's pretty much the state of things today.

[Gabi Hayes]

13. Oh, yeah; forgot this part:

The Bush theft was the watershed moment in the decline (irreversible?) of the US. How many horrible things have happened because of that single decision?

Raise your hand if you think we'll ever recover.

[white_wolf]

14. As someone unlucky enough to be born in the South...

don't blame the decent people who were unlucky enough to be born here. I HATE "southern culture" and I firmly believe that Lincoln was far too merciful after the Civil War and allowed a culture of racism and treason to continue to find fertile ground.

[StevieM]

12. I agree he was horrible but he did vote the right way in the Veronica Brown adoption case.

And he opposed the gutting of the Indian Child Welfare Act.

Here is my post on the subject from the other day.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027609858

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

16. In modern times he is easily the worst

I'm not enough of a SCOTUS historian to comment on the others, but Fat Tony was the worst of my lifetime.

[StevieM]

18. Scalia was horrible but let's not overlook just how awful Clarence Thomas is too. (eom)

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

22. Sure, because he's just a clone of Scalia

Did whatever Fat Tony told him. Now Alito probably will do that.

[Dont call me Shirley]

19. Lewis Powell is close to worst.

[LeftishBrit]

20. I would say he was bad but not the worst...

That would be Taney, followed perhaps by Melville Fuller who laid down the 'Separate but Equal' judgement.

And I won't even begin on some of Britain's 'hanging judges' of the past.

ETA: I hadn't heard of McReynolds, but having now looked him up - all I can say is eeeuuuuurrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhh!!!

[Bucky]

21. The Tanney Court confirmed slavery's legality, even in states that'd outlawed slavery

I don't think you can be more evil than that, even as bad as Scalia was.