Justice Scalia Speaks at Tea Party Event

Is Antonin Scalia the latest Tea Party believer? The Supreme Court justice spoke Monday at a closed-door Tea Party event, sparking a debate about whether it’s ethical for him to attend any partisan event. Event organizer Michele Bachmann (R-MN) countered the criticisms, saying that while the event is closed to the media, it was open to all members of Congress—regardless of party. Bipartisan caucuses such as Monday’s event occasionally host judicial representatives; Justice Sonia Sotomayor spoke to the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on the Judicial Branch. In announcing Scalia’s speech, Bachmann said she looked forward to hearing about Scalia’s “originalist” interpretation of the Constitution. Scalia was expected to talk about the separation of powers among the branches of government.