The Word: Stevens and Stephen

Posted: 8:55 am Fri, January 27, 2012
By Barbara L. Jones

John Paul Stevens

Recently retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens wrote a book (“Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir”), and he hit the talk show circuit to promote it.

Earlier this month Stevens appeared on “The Colbert Report,” the fake news show hosted by Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central. For those who have not seen the show, it is satire. Colbert plays a helplessly uninformed but ridiculously patriotic pundit.

Stevens, more accustomed to questioning than being questioned, handled himself well in the interview. The two discussed Bush v. Gore (Colbert called the decision the greatest in Supreme Court history, and Stevens, well, dissented) and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (Colbert argued that corporations were people, and Stevens pointed out that they couldn’t drink a glass of water). They also discussed why Stevens never put stripes on his robe like former Chief Justice William Rehnquist and who was the best basketball playing justice? (Answer: Byron White.) Stevens also told Colbert he could not help him get out of a speeding ticket.

Colbert ended by asking Stevens if there was ever a decision he made that he later regretted.

“Other than doing this interview? No.” Stevens replied.