Scalia in bed with Cheney and Big Oil

Looks like the Repugs need to sign a "Code of Ethics"...

PATTERSON, La. — Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia traveled as an official guest of Vice President Dick Cheney on a small government jet that served as Air Force Two when the pair came here last month to hunt ducks.

For more on their "hunt", see this article.

The revelation cast further doubts about whether Scalia can be an impartial judge in Cheney's upcoming case before the Supreme Court, legal ethics experts said. The hunting trip took place just weeks after the high court agreed to take up Cheney's bid to keep secret the details of his energy policy task force. According to those who met them at the small airstrip here, the justice and the vice president flew from Washington on Jan. 5 and were accompanied by a second, backup Air Force jet that carried staff and security aides to the vice president.

Two military Black Hawk helicopters were brought in and hovered nearby as Cheney and Scalia were whisked away in a heavily guarded motorcade to a secluded, private hunting camp owned by an oil industry businessman.

Judas Priest! The picture couldn't be any clearer if Cheney, Scalia, and their oil industry business friend were caught together in bed at a cheap motel!

When asked about the trip last month, Scalia confirmed that he had gone duck hunting with Cheney, but said he did not see a need to withdraw from the case.

Scalia was also quoted as saying he "couldn't see the forest for the trees, couldn't tell shit from shinola, and couldn't find his ass with both hands".

Two years ago, the Sierra Club and Judicial Watch sued Cheney, seeking to learn whether the vice president and his staff had met behind closed doors with lobbyists and corporate officials from the oil, gas, coal and electric power industries.

A judge ordered Cheney to turn over documents detailing who met with his energy task force. Cheney appealed, and in September, Bush administration lawyers asked the Supreme Court to hear the case and reverse the judge's order.

And now, not only is Cheney courting Scalia, but so is big oil. Is it a coincidence that the duck hunting property is owned by an oil industry businessman? Yeah, right.

"This is certainly a level of hospitality that most litigants are not able to extend to Supreme Court justices," he said. "It also reinforces the perception this was an exceptional event, not a run-of-the-mill social event or a White House dinner."

Can you imagine if Michael Newdow had taken a Supreme Court Justice on an all-expense paid trip aboard a private jet? The Right would have a lynch mob organized.