Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been seated a long time.  Since 1991 – thirty-five years and counting.  That entire time?  He has been almost inarguably its most stringently Constitutional and conservative member.

I remember a lawyer friend about two decades ago comparing-and-contrasting Thomas and then-Court-mate and conservative icon – the late Antonin Scalia.

My friend pointed out that when Thomas and Scalia disagreed on a case?  Thomas was correct – and Scalia incorrect.

Of course, their disagreeing didn’t happen a whole lot.  But when it did?  My friend called it: Thomas was right – Scalia was wrong.  By that I mean: Thomas’ were the more Constitutional and conservative opinions.

These last 35 years, the real sardonic fun is when Thomas is outvoted on a case X-to-1.  (X is usually 8, but there are occasional vacancies and recusals.)

As someone who wants DC to be drastically smaller and less offensive?  I feel like an X-to-1 all the time.  So I admire Thomas’ perpetual adherence to principle – the popularity of his opinion amongst his colleagues be darned.

Elon Musk’s Grok tells me there have been 52 cases where Thomas was just such a party of one.  But I’m not sure if Grok caught last Thursday’s ruling.  If not?  This is #53….. (more…)