During a C-SPAN Q&A interview, Justice Antonin Scalia discusses Supreme Court Oral arguments and the health care case. Watch the complete interview on Sunday, July 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET on C-SPAN.
Excerpts include:
On Oral Arguments...
SCALIA: When I first came on the court very few questions were asked. I argued before the Court once before I became a judge and I got only two questions. I think it was two, maybe three. All of them from Byron White, in the whole time I argued. Nowadays, wow, the whole process consists of responding to questions from the Court...I think that latter is better.
C-SPAN: "Did you start it?"
SCALIA: "I was the first one who started asking a lot of questions, I guess. And that was probably my law school background, my law professor background and then when other former law professors came on the Court they continued the same, Ruth Bader Ginsburg of course another former law professor, Stephen Breyer another former law professor."
On personal relationships...
C-SPAN: Has there ever been in your past when you make some strong statement, personal fallout from that?
SCALIA: I've criticized the opinions of some of my colleagues and we have remained friends just as they have criticized my opinions and we have remained friends. Look, this is the kind of a job if you can't disagree, even disagree vehemently, on the law without taking it personally and without hating the person who's on the other side you ought to find another job. That's it.