? in Newsweek than to see Sandra Day O?Connor and John Paul Stevens deciding Supreme Court cases.
Among the more interesting comments that flow out of their mutual admiration society is the following exchange:
O’Connor: I suppose the court has had occasion to change its view on certain issues over a period of years. Do you see any on the horizon that you think the court might well reexamine as things go on?
Stevens: Well, you know, Sandra, I dissented in a lot of cases, and I’d like [the court] to reexamine them all [laughs]. I don’t expect them to, but I think they made a serious mistake in the [Citizens United] campaign-finance case, in which they overruled the portion of an opinion you and I jointly authored [on the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law]. And I think you might share my view.
O’Connor: I notice that myself, and when I am asked about it, I often say, “Well, the court overruled part of what I wrote.” And leave it there. It is a source of concern today, the extent of campaign contributions and whether corporations and unions must be held to the [same] standard as an individual. These are tough issues for the nation and the court.
For an assessment of the Citizens United case that?s based on the Constitution ? rather than the ?concerns? of the retired justices ? click here.
