“The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider a dispute involving Liz Taylor over ownership of a Vincent van Gogh painting,” the AP reports, which is sort of refreshing when you think about it because the Supreme Court should probably be doing more important things. Of course, sometimes when the court does important things, other things turn out not so good, so maybe it’s not such a good development after all?

Earlier: Barack Obama to Supreme Court?

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Big Head DC has received word from credible sources close to Hillary Clinton that the presidential candidate has already considered what role she’d like Barack Obama to play in her White House, if she were to win. And, as of this moment, she doesn’t want him in the Executive Branch at all. Read more…

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UPDATE, 6:52 p.m.: Roberts reportedly had a seizure. 

Original report, 3:20 p.m.: About an hour ago he fell at his summer home in Maine. He’s been rushed to hospital.

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“The United States Supreme Court denied my motion (Case #06A1110) to stay the criminal proceeding and return my case to the civil courts, this morning,” Deborah Jeane Palfrey explains via e-mail. “The motion before the Supreme Court involved a time sensitive Congressional mandate, which clearly states that individuals who have had their property seized via the civil asset forfeiture process – as I have - are to receive a hearing within 30 days, once such a motion is made. In my situation, the motion was submitted twice to the lower District Court and ignored twice by the presiding judge, Judge Gladys Kessler. I now have gone well over 200 days, since last fall without any due process in the matter.”

Justice Clarence Thomas had agreed to hear the motion over the objections of Chief Justice John Roberts.

Palfrey says that her civil lawyer, Montgomery Blair Sibley, will now be contacting Sen. Patrick Lehey, Chairperson of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Big Head DC has learned that Justice Clarence Thomas has referred to the full Supreme Court Deborah Jeane Palfrey’s emergency application to stay the criminal proceedings against her, so that the propriety of the seizure of her property last October may be determined. This action, in effect, has overruled a previous decision by Chief Justice John Roberts regarding the case.

The date for the full Court review of the emergency application is June 21.

According to Montgomery Blair Sibley, Palfrey’s civil lawyer, the underlying policy question for the Court to consider is whether the government can force indigency upon a citizen by seizing all the assets without even identifying the source of the allegations and thus force the accused to rely upon the beneficence of the government for the resources to mount a vigorous defense of criminal charges.

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“Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me,” an apparently humorous radio program on NPR, has scored a rare get: one of the notoriously humorous members of the Supreme Court.

Justice Stephen Breyer has agreed to answer three silly questions about his job on the program, which is set to air on St. Patty’s Day.

USA Today reports that he’s been a fan of the show since his youth. Considering that he’s pushing 70, we’re quite sure this is a relevant venue for his hilarity.

Next week, Ruth Bader Ginsburg will star on Circus of the Stars.

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Barack may not be, but is Hillary black enough?

Dick don’t matter. But never forget the power of the Dick.

John McCain calls Donald Rumsfeld “one of the worst.”

New House Clerk promises that no pages will be molested on her watch.

Young voters, Facebook, blah, blah.

I knew George Washington, and you, sir, are no George Washington.

The one to watch: Antonin Scalia.

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Last week Ruthy was complaining about missing Sandy:

Now, Sandy says she never wanted to leave:

C’mon, gals, you both live here, why not get together for tea, or somethin’?

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• There’s a Pirate Party. And it’s not Halloween-related. “I am the only drunken Pirate seeking office in this great nation,” says James Hill, a candidate for Congress in Iowa. Why not? 
• Chantilly school teacher said to be torturing students.
• Nerds play Fantasy Congress: “As in other fantasy sports, you – the Citizen – draft a team of real-life legislators from the U.S. Congress and score points for your team’s successes. Join a league and compete against other Citizens, or form a league of your own!” Um, no.
• “The Capital Club has no mission except to show its members and their many dates a good time,” Jayne Sandman, associate publisher of Capitol File, told the NY Times re: the club’s annual Swine on the Vine party. “It’s hedonistic relief from a city of suits and ties.” So, does that mean pages are invited, too?
• Tigers on top, again. Roar. But was there soil involved?
• John Edwards’ wife is bitchy. Happy, but bitchy.
• Google Earth. Politically useful? Or still just lame?
• Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel A. Alito Jr., gave Italians some love on Saturday. (Note the vowel-ending last names.) Agreed that the press sucks sausage.  
• We can thank that crazy Jane Pauly for Doonesbury’s continued poignancy.
• Andy Rooney is old and late. “Someone – and I guess it’s President Bush – has to tell us what in the world we’re doing in Iraq now,” he said on a new 60 Minutes last night. ”I don’t think any of us know.”
• We saw The Departed and Infamous this weekend, and recommend both films. Juliet Stevenson’s impression of former Vogue editor Diana Vreeland in the latter was especially saucy, and, God, we just know that we’re going to end up just like her one day.

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In a Supreme Court opinion released today, all of the justices said that Anna Nicole Smith (aka Vickie Lynn Marshall) could continue to go after her dead husband’s millions.

“This Court rejects the Ninth Circuit’s alternate rationale that the Texas Probate Court’s jurisdictional ruling bound the Federal District Court,” Ruth Bader Ginsberg wrote in the opinion. “Texas courts have recognized a state-law tort action for interference with an expected gift or inheritance. It is clear, under Erie R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U. S. 64, that Texas law governs the substantive elements of Vickie’s tortious interference claim. But it is also clear that Texas may not reserve to its probate courts the exclu-sive right to adjudicate a transitory tort.”

Like, duh.

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