SC justices on the take now, too?

Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia did not attend the swearing in of new Chief Justice John Roberts because, he says, he had a prior commitment he "could not break." What was this all-important commitment? According to ABC News:

"Justice Scalia spent two nights at the luxury resort lecturing at the legal seminar where ABC News also found him on the tennis court, heading out for a fly-fishing expedition, and socializing with members of the Federalist Society, the conservative activist group that paid for the expenses of his trip." And..."One night at the resort, Justice Scalia attended a cocktail reception, sponsored in part by the same lobbying and law firm where convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff once worked."

Is there no end to the corruption of this government?

ABC also reports that many judges take such gifts. "Justice Clarence Thomas has received tens of thousands of dollars in valuable gifts, including an $800 leather jacket from NASCAR, a $1200 set of tires, a vacation trip by private jet, and a rare Bible valued at $19,000."

I don't care what the law technically says about giving gifts to judges. There is only ONE reason to give gifts to judges! And that's to curry favor, to get judicial rulings they wouldn't otherwise get.

The perception of impropriety is just as damaging as impropriety itself. Democracy only works because people believe it works.

If the Supreme Court can be bought with baubles, our whole system is bankrupt.