Justice Decries ‘War of Words’ in U.S.

Americans should not get into a “major food fight” over issues such as affirmative action but should be thoughtful, as the Constitution’s framers were, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said.

“Now it’s a war of words, it’s a war of politics, and I don’t see where it does any good,” he said in a speech at James Madison University in Harrisonburg.

But Thomas said it would be a “huge mistake” to view the court as basing its rulings on politics when it actually handled the divisive presidential election case in a professional manner. “I still say after almost 10 terms, I have yet to hear the first unkind word.”

The court issued a sharply divided 5-4 decision that ended the Florida ballot recount and prompted Democratic candidate Al Gore to concede to Republican George W. Bush.