RevengeIsIceCream
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https://www.thedailybeast.com/john-oliver-offers-clarence-thomas-millions-to-resign-immediately
#john_oliver #johnoliver #lastweektonight #politics #supreme_court
Edit: MV? Aw shucks, you shouldn't have... also, thanks for the accolade, which I apparently can't see on the iphone app, but still appreciate!
erikleorga
Term. Limits. On. ALL. Government. Appointed. Positions.
OliverOtter
So, when he proves that he's not in it for the money, does John acknowledge that too, or claim he's just getting more? A hypothesis can be valid only if it is a falsifiable hypothesis.
brambleheart
The difference between Johnny Knoxville and John Oliver is that John Oliver isn't trying to crush someone's testicles.
drduffer
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Clarence won’t take it. He revels in the perception of his power. Note I didn’t say he actually has power. That power is in the hands of those that are bribing him.
lildude52ca
no idea who either of these two people are or what they do ?
RevengeIsIceCream
John Oliver is a comedian, now hosting a show on HBO where he discusses a problematic social topic every episode. Thomas is a justice of the US Supreme Court
GCRust
Thomas isn't going anywhere. This kind of political scenario is exactly why he was put on the bench to begin with.
Raecracy123abc
yes thats what Oliver is mocking
fandsor
He's not going to take it. Right now, he not only has money but power. And he's using his own influence to shield both himself and his wife from prosecution. You'd have to throw in a pardon for him and Ginny Thomas to make that deal particularly attractive.
elten
Hm why are they not uploading this episode to yt ? Was surprised this morning to find it missing
RevengeIsIceCream
Apparently they're now delaying upload hoping for people to want to watch it on HBO /gallery/rANGNTK
elten
yeay apparently it is now supposed to hit on thursdays
higginh7
Now that’s a go fund me campaign I might actually donate to…
RevengeIsIceCream
John Oliver is personally putting up the money for this.
Firestar002
With all due respect, the guy didn’t stutter.
WhiskyBravo
Dr Google thinks John makes 15 mil a year from HBO not counting any other deals like sponsor work etc. So I think he can swing a mil a year.
CaramelCougar
I think Clarence is aware that if he takes that offer, he'll be the target of every right wing nut job, both politician and civilian, until the day he dies. You don't go that deep and expect to just crawl back out of it unscathed.
Raecracy123abc
I think the point is that he's now aware we're aware
Kommadore
He can live on a yacht like the NRA's Wayne Lapierre.
HighrockTendales
Why isn't Clarence Thomas in prison? Why isn't Trump in prison? What's going on?
wambu
"There but for the grace of God go I." -- politicians who do the same shit, which is most of them
The701
Watch, Republicans in Congress will try to go after Oliver for making this offer, but will pony up infinite excuses for Nazi-fanboy Harlan Crow.
RevengeIsIceCream
It's funny, John ended the episode with this offer, and then screaming "How is this legal!?"
jursamaj
I mean, it *is* legal. He's just making a job offer.
RevengeIsIceCream
His lawyers claim it is, but I mean, it is still influencing the SC.
jursamaj
So is everybody who writes an amicus brief. So?
Youhavinagiraffe
Criticising other talk show hosts for being "all talk, no action" is a bit weird
iRegretThisUsernameAlready
Yeah I’m not clear on what Emmy awards have to do with activism.
zFUBARz
He's said before the Emmy's give him a bit of a shield. He keeps winning and HBO keeps him on the books despite his antics that are distinctly not profitable.
Idonotbelievewehavecompany
Why would thomas take that paltry offer? He gets way more in bribes and kickbacks and he gets to re-write laws for his backers.
fformulaa
Not to mention the power and control buzz his nips get from being a judge in the highest court, the supreme, in the US
MakeItBackAlright
You are REALLY overestimating the cost of corruption
HighSorcerer
We could literally open a gofundme and buy senators for only a few thousand dollars.
latinomartino
You think the mob would let a bought and paid for judge just walk away? Clarence can't leave without fear.
arthurvanhoudt
THIS !!!
x505
That's the point of this stunt, to show that even a 1mil/year offer is nowhere near what he gets in bribes
RevengeIsIceCream
I think this is more than that actually. I'm guessing he would get a pretty good pension from the court as well, so this mainly need to cover kickbacks?
IhopeyougetstageIIIcoloncancer
That's kind of the point. Oliver is implicitly illustrating that if the man who complained how much he hates his job but wants the lifestyle can have the lifestyle without the job, then clearly he has ulterior motives he's lied about.
lljkstonefish
Oh.
Didn't know he'd complained about the job. Yeah, that changes everything.
IhopeyougetstageIIIcoloncancer
In the episode of Last Week Tonight, Oliver presents multiple footage clips over the years of Thomas publicly remarking variations on the sentiment "this job doesn't pay enough for the trouble of doing it, and is barely worth it", and "you need to pay us more or nobody will ever want to take this job". It paints a clear picture of a man who would rather not do the job, but enjoys the finer things in life and how the job helps afford them.
TheOneTrueZippy8
Never open with your highest offer.
GermanSausagesAreTheWurst
It would be funny though if the GOP got in a bidding was with Oliver, and it actually caused the media to finally take Thomas' corruption seriously. I can dream.
ArtSparkle
SlutAtNight
Unless it’s your final offer?
Merky600
Plus his wife wouldn’t let him.
darthsatoris
Ginny Thomas can go suck a lemon. Through a straw.
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FuckTammy
Pretty great at my age too.
Cabreza
It’s not like he has to do much. He rarely asks questions during hearings and doesn’t write many opinions. His clerks handle most of the paperwork and tedium so it’s somewhat unclear if he does anything at all other than vote how he’s paid to.
AnonOmis1000
Iirc in the show Boston Legal he was portrayed as always reading a magazine during hearings.
darkslyde
Looking at porn*
AnonOmis1000
Which was in a magazine
madjo
As if the republicans would ever let Joe Biden choose another justice this year… They prevented fucking Obama from doing the same in his last year.
Stumpkiller
Biden is not term limited like Obama was.
INeverWaitForIt
R's wouldn't be able to stop it from coming down to a vote. The real issue would be Mansinema fucking it up.
jesterfoole
Actually, the senate, which is currently under democratic control, is responsible for confirming a new justice. They need a simple majority and the house isn't involved. So I doubt the republicans can stop it if it happens.
delecti
You're absolutely correct, but I'd still be nervous about Manchin or Sinema throwing a wrench in things for their "sposors" though.
mardukkur
Manchin would not do this. Sinema, hell yes.
CoBr2
Sinema would be a maybe, but I agree I'd trust Manchin not to do this.
delecti
Gotta say, I'm not thrilled with so much riding on that level of confidence in Manchin.
mardukkur
If Manchin was actually a Republican ratfucker like Sinema rather than the 2nd furthest right Democrat in the senate he never would have signed on to any of the bills Biden passed. He had every opportunity (and probably would have benefitted electorally) to switch parties and he did not. I thought the guy was infuriating but he is absolutely not on the Republican's side. Would he have opinions he'd want respected on the nominee? Probably yes. Would he torpedo the nominee? No way.
NoBeefMuch
And they had to rush to get a new judge when RGB died while trump was president. Right before the election.
GCRust
I know RGB did a lot of good in her time, but damn that bitch for not retiring when Obama was in office. She held on too long and it very likely could cost us our country.
LuminoZero
One person's mistake doesn't damn a country. PEOPLE cost us our country.
BrdCdn
Sure but it was an entirely foreseeable and avoidable happening that only happened because of her immense ego and self centeredness.
Slickdoodle
Would-A, Should-A, Could-A. Are you prepared to say that without the context of a reversed Roe that we wouldn't be facing a much stronger Trump 2.0? Isn't the loss of Roe what finally tipped the scale enough to make some actual changes?
madjo
"Rules for thee, none for me" is the "Republican" playbook. It's the downside of the Democrats continuously choosing to take the high road. Republicans aren't ashamed to go limbo-dancing with rules.
Navrodel
And since Mitch isn't the majority leader in the Senate any more, his inevitable hypocritical protests about it being "too soon" mean exactly jack-all since he's not the one deciding what gets the vote. The Democrats can make the exact same play to get their pick in through the self-same gate that Republicans kicked wide open.
madjo
But they won’t
Navrodel
I understand where the pessimism is coming from. I get it. I'm also a leftist that's disappointed with how much Democrats didn't do, and know that it can't all be blamed on Republican interference. However, this is one of those places where I believe your negativity is misplaced. I'd bet good money that Biden's team already has a person in mind, and the only thing stopping the Democrat majority in the Senate from voting in a new justice is that none of the current ones have kicked it yet.
Slickdoodle
The real reason the Supreme Court would never let Trump claim Presidential immunity. Can you see Clarence Thomas trying to outrun SEAL Team 6?
madjo
The Democrats looooove the Process too much to want to do things as bipartisan as possible. Like with the border bill. And they keep falling for the same damned trap that the repubs set for them. “Oh sure, this time we’ll cooperate” and then they torpedo the bill they wrote, just to frustrate The Process as much as inhumanly possible. Excuse me for not sharing your optimism.
I’m usually the positive one, but when it comes to recent politics I have zero faith.