For the first time in her tenure on the Supreme Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will miss oral arguments due to her surgery for lung cancer.
Ginsburg’s deteriorating health
Last month, we learned that Justice Ginsburg underwent treatment for lung cancer. Doctors were reportedly successful at removing two cancerous growths in her lungs. She was released from the hospital just before Christmas.
Before that, Ginsburg was hospitalized after falling and breaking a couple of ribs. (RELATED: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospitalized for Broken Ribs After Fall.)
Ginsburg, who is 85 years old, is clearly not in the best of health. Many of her left-wing supporters are openly worrying about her condition, and are even offering their own body parts to help the Justice recover faster.
Missing oral arguments for the first time
Ginsburg will still be able to fulfill her courtly duties despite being confined to working from home. The Associated Press reports: “Ginsburg was not on the bench as the court met Monday to hear arguments. It was not clear when she would return to the court, which will hear more cases on Tuesday and Wednesday, and again next week.”
An indefinite absence from the Court will probably not put many Democrats’ minds at ease, however.
It’s true – Justice Ginsburg missing oral arguments today while she recovers from lung surgery. It’s the first time since she joined the Supreme Court in 1993.
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) January 7, 2019
Liberals still sore at Ginsburg for not retiring
We all wish Justice Ginsburg well in her recovery. But, some liberals see the writing on the wall, and are openly criticizing the female justice for not retiring under President Obama. Last November, the left-wing magazine Mother Jones wrote a excoriating piece on Ginsburg, chastising her for not retiring earlier, thus making it possible for President Trump to replace her. While crediting her many liberal legal decisions, author Stephanie Mencimer wrote, “her legacy may be sorely tarnished by one truly terrible one: refusing to retire when President Barack Obama could have named her replacement.”
As Ginsburg’s health continues to be an issue, the chances of her forced retirement from the Court increase. And President Trump would like nothing more than to bask in the ironic light of replacing a liberal idol on the highest court in the land.
