Alito: “This portrayal feeds unprecedented efforts to intimidate the court and to damage it as an independent institution.” Yes. It damages the institution as seemingly “independent” from established law and precedent. And it is self-inflicted.

“Journalists may think that we can just dash off an opinion the way they dash off articles,” he said, but “when we issue an opinion, we are aware that every word that we write can have consequences, sometimes enormous consequences, so we have to be careful about every single thing that we say.”

As though their orders—without opinions—have no consequences? The only “enormous consequences” opinions add to any given ruling are consistency and the creation of a single, reliable standard of law. Also, note the contempt for journalism lurking beneath the surface.

Thank you

Because the deep pocketed benefactors of Alito, Roberts and Thomas want it that way.

Thank you.