Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Tuesday that critics of the court's decisions suffer from “a disease of illiteracy or laziness” that could weaken the law. The story was reported by Politico.com, crediting the Augusta, Ga., Chronicle. Speaking in Augusta, near his hometown of Pin Point, the conservative justice was far from the silent presence he has become know for in oral arguments as he rebuked the “cynics” who are “drunk on their own opinions.”
“You don't go to a Georgia fan to get commentary on the University of Florida, because it's not objective commentary,” Thomas told the Augusta Bar Association. “Unfortunately, much of the commentary about the court is from the standpoint of people who have vested interests in particular outcomes, particular policies or particular results. Do you think you are getting an honest assessment?” Thomas said the court's internal deliberations have not “disintegrated into the unfathomable conduct that we see in public discourse.” He said he has maintained good relationships with the liberal justices, even though they often disagree.