ICYMI - 6 Stories From Last Week… And Three Cheers For Justice Alito!
Below are 6 highlights of columns from the week that was - we disclose how and when AI is used on this page — and do you know what happened on this day in 1974 that rocked the nation?
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Sunday Mini-Column:
Alito Makes It Official - He’s Not Retiring - Great!
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was rumored to be headed for the exit, retiring from the nation’s highest court. The speculation became so intense that one media outlet actually reported that Alito had announced his retirement — only to retract the story after learning that no such announcement had been made.
Well, Alito has now cleared up any remaining confusion.
“Obviously, I’m here for another term,” the 76-year-old justice said this week.
That is great news for America. In my opinion, Samuel Alito is one of the best jurists on the Supreme Court.
Alito is an originalist. He sees the Constitution as a legal document with a fixed meaning, not something judges get to continually update to match changing political or cultural preferences. His view is pretty simple: Judges are not legislators. They do not get to turn their own political or moral views into constitutional law.
We saw that clearly in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Alito wrote the majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, concluding that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion and returning the issue to the political process.
Dobbs also rejected the idea that a precedent becomes untouchable simply because it has been around for decades. Alito went back to the Constitution’s text and history and concluded that Roe simply did not have a constitutional foundation.
And Alito has been willing to take the heat that comes with decisions like that. He has also been a strong voice for religious liberty, free speech and limits on government power.
There has been an argument among some conservatives that Alito should retire now, while a Republican president and Republican Senate could replace him with a younger originalist. It is not a crazy argument. Supreme Court seats can shape American law for decades, and conservatives have learned the hard way that political circumstances matter.
Still, I do not like the idea of Supreme Court justices becoming partisan assets whose retirement dates are managed around election calendars.
Alito is doing the job, and doing it well. His opinions are rigorous, his view of the judicial role is grounded in the Constitution, and he has shown little interest in changing course because of political pressure.
For nearly two decades, Alito has been reminding the Court of something basic: Its authority comes from the Constitution, not from the preferences of nine unelected judges.
If he believes he still has work to do, I’m glad he intends to keep doing it.
BELOW ARE SIX STORIES THAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED!
Gavin Newsom Crosses A Line For Abdul El-Sayed, Who Does Not Believe There Should Be A Jewish State
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The More America Sees Of Gavin Newsom, The Worse He Looks
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The Half Of The Healthcare Spending Debate That The Media Ignores
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Breaking News: Assembly Republicans Dump Health Flora, Elect Ali Macedo as New Leader
After meeting behind closed doors earlier this afternoon, the caucus announced that Assemblywoman Alexandra “Ali” Macedo of Tulare had been elected minority leader. She replaces Heath Flora, who held the job for less than eleven months.
California Patriot Profile: Edwin Meese III, 75th Attorney General of the United States
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Who Had The Worst Week In California Politics For The Week Ending 8/7?
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One Great Video…
I was on two panels on CNN’s The Story Is last week… They are both together here — runs for about 15 minutes…
On This Date in 1974…
RICHARD NIXON RESIGNS THE PRESIDENCY
On August 8, 1974, Richard Nixon addressed the nation and announced that he would resign the presidency at noon the following day - on this day in 1974. The decision came as the Watergate scandal had gravely weakened his administration and made continued leadership untenable. Acknowledging that he no longer had the political support needed to govern effectively, Nixon chose to step aside, becoming the first American president to resign.
It was a painful conclusion to a long career in public service. Nixon had risen from modest beginnings in California to serve as congressman, senator, vice president, and president. His administration achieved accomplishments, including opening relations with the People’s Republic of China, pursuing détente with the Soviet Union, establishing the Environmental Protection Agency, and advancing the desegregation of Southern schools.
Watergate remains inseparable from Nixon’s legacy, and his actions properly faced intense scrutiny. Yet his resignation also spared the country a prolonged constitutional struggle at a moment of deep division. In his farewell remarks, Nixon spoke of his disappointments without abandoning gratitude for the privilege of serving. His departure was somber, human, and consequential—a reminder that public lives can contain both failures and enduring contributions, and that history is best approached with honesty, proportion, and compassion.
Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Jon