Perhaps Clarence Thomas’ wealthy donors should pay for all the travel of frightened and desperate women and their families due to the Dobbs decision. I have very little sympathy for Clarence Thomas being concerned about his safety when he willfully disregards an entire genders safety, security, and body autonomy.
Perhaps Clarence Thomas’ wealthy donors should pay for all the travel of frightened and desperate women and their families due to the Dobbs decision. I have very little sympathy for Clarence Thomas being concerned about his safety when he willfully disregards an entire genders safety, security, and body autonomy.
LH, Thomas brought the danger directly to all women in society with the overturning of Roe. He must be held accountable for his corruption and deceit to line his pockets and bank accounts will ill-begotten wealth. A disgusting, vile man. His wife is no better. I want them both locked up!
When judges in a supreme Court are corrupt, whom should those who seek justice ran into? It is hard to imagine that the Clarence Thomases of this world can perpetuate corruption in a system that is designed prevent the misuse of resources, promote fairness, make justice a virtue to be upheld, safeguard the constitution (the very basic and foundational reference document), adhere to democratic ideals, and generally do what is right for the country. What type of oath do these judges use to be sworn in? If Clarence Thomas is capable of receiving donations from the wealthy, then you can imagine how many people have bought justice from him and disadvantage others who are desperately in need of justice. He has perhaps become a voice of the wealthy rather than the oppressed in the Supreme Court, a move that is not healthy for the country. Such incidences have happened in Kenya where there is a corruption enterprise, a group of wealthy cartels in almost every industry who want to protect their deals and sometimes hoard goods. In this regard, certain cases are directed to particular judges because they can deliver predetermined verdicts that favor the highest bidders. If this is also perpetuated in a judicial system and moreso in America, then you can imagine the extent of the rot in the judiciary exacerbated by the Thomases. His investigation should be broad to cover all the years he has been judge and cases that he has executed. Who knows? May be his prosecution will reveal delivered injustices to those who deserve justice.
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Edwin , your insightful response regarding the character of one of our Supreme Court justices reminds me of the good character of our current President.
President Joe Biden continues to work for the people who elected him as well as for the people who hate him.
Mitch McConnell may be in a different political party, but he and Joe have known one another for years. Joe was checking on Mitch even in the midst of working to help those states and fellow human beings harmed by the recent hurricane.
I concur with you. Joe Biden, if am not wrong, has showcased himself as a human being first and then a countryman as a president. That's why his responses are well-thought, informed, proactive, and free from polarisation despite getting extreme criticism from Republican. And I celebrate him 🙏
Edwin, The Constitution Center podcast featured a discussion of Montesquieu and the Constitution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCr7X8FydYY This conversation with eminent scholars is peppered with terms like virtue, moderation, not to mention the ultimate human weakness: power, 'the cancer of society'. All the values the Founding Fathers explored when cobbling together our country's foundational document can be traced to Montesquieu's writings. I had to listen more than once to absorb the terms and interpretations (Federalist and Anti-Federalist) imbedded in Montesquieu's theories. It is well worth your time.
But if Chairman Biden had believed Anita Hill and stopped the Judiciary Committee's endorsement of Thomas to the Supreme Court, would we be here today?
This is a reasonable question. My blood still boils over the way Anita Hill was treated. But let's remember that the sexism that surrounded that hearing was embedded in society. And to a slightly lesser degree, it still is.
I also am angry at Biden for his part in the insane "tough on crime" bill that has incarcerated too many for too long. That bill was a crime against humanity.
But I looked in the mirror today. And I saw a flawed person. I like who I am and most of what I have done. But there are a few mistakes that will haunt me forever. I think mirrors work that way for most of us. Even Presidents. Imperfect, yes.
So with all that in mind, I step back and loudly proclaim Joe Biden may be the most moral, compassionate, effective and important President since FDR.
Bill, we all grow as we age and most of us are regretful of some of our past actions. Watching Biden these last years as vice president and now president has brought me hope.
I agree with you, Bill. Biden has grown. We cannot afford to chuck him for past errors when he is doing so much good now. Unlike tfg, he broke no laws. He was stuck in the old patriarchal mindset that still reigns in a large part of our society.
Some people get older and wisr. Others just get old.
So true Bill. Which is why we have to work hard to re-elect him again. Compared to Trump and the other Repub candidates there is none that even come close to the terrific job he has done for us all!
Biden is a better man than he was in those days, and it's very true that until Anita Hill (who is a Black woman, who were mostly invisible back in those days) brought the term "sexual harassment" into the mainstream, Americans had literally no idea what it meant, and many thought that if a woman entered the workplace being harassed was part of the job. I remember my mother watching the confirmation hearings and disparaging Anita Hill, saying she was liar looking for attention. We've come a long way since those days, but we've got a long way to go too.
I think that Biden as grown along with our society, which is FINALLY believing that innocent women can have terrible things done to them by powerful men.
Bill, if you want to see a brilliant parody of sexism, put on your pink tie and go see the Barbie movie. It's hilarious and there are unlimiited patriarchal zingers and bits of wisdom throughout.
Sadly, you are right. Life is full of these sad and regrettable occurrences. When was the last time a Republican president appointed anyone of high character to the Supreme Court? Eisenhower appointing Earl Warren? That was 70 years ago.
This is one of Joe's great mistakes and when I saw that hearing again, I was furious. I am sure there was some kind of politics going on behind the scenes and perhaps part of the problem was that Thomas was black and they were looking for someone to replace Thurgood Marshall. Now what makes me furious is the House wasting taxpayer money investigating the federal response to Maui and their other nonsense.
Is the House doing any thing except trying to impeach everyone in sight. I thought impeachment was for a president who had failed in his duties, not for judges trying to seek the truth or people in general.
If Bush / Cheney hadn't lied about weapons of mass destruction would we be here today? We can't blame one incident in history on all the ills in the world today, can we?
Clarence Thomas was nominated by George W. Bush because he believed that Ted Kennedy would never vote against a Black Man, no matter how conservative. And he was right!
It's easy for us to look back and think 'what if' those may years ago. But if we are honest, many were not persuaded at the time by Anita Hill's revelation. It was a different time, a different attitude and a different vision of Clarence Thomas than we have now. Perhaps many of us have developed our awakening, just as President Biden has from time, growth, wisdom and a clarity in vision brought about by a history of Thomas's scandalous behavior.
Tragically, President Biden was one of the Senators who voted for clearance's appointment to SCOTUS -- after he pulled the "high tech lynching!" accusation, following attorney Anita Hill's devastating testimony about his actions when she had to work with him.
I do not think young people are greedy nor are old people greedy. It s the republican leaders who are greedy. These people want to remain in power and the world is moving away from them and they cannot face that. Eventually these republicans will need the young people to take care of them.
I hope. I read that the younger people are not supporting trump. If the democratic numbers stay the same, trumpers at 50% , if trumpers lose numbers because of his antics, the percentages could go democratic.
"because of his antics" The whole party has morphed into a malignant nightmare clown-car. Piloting the ship of state? We just grazed the iceberg (not including a wake of broken families and excess COVID deaths) the last time around, and the climate storm gathers apace.
The profound ignorance and gullibility is really shocking to me. What a tortured inner life these people must live, believing the apocalyptic nonsense that has no rational solution. When I talked to one recently, what I came away with was how helpless they must feel. There is no way out for them but violence, since the beliefs are so ridiculous and have no solution in reality.
"profound ignorance and gullibility" - typical cult; how it ate the brains of so many will puzzle us for decades. I lay the credit/blame at the feet of Ronnie and Rupert. In 1985, an article by Louis Lehman in the StLouis Post Dispatch laid it all out, just like the 2015 Project does this day.
This is one of the reasons trump and company want to move their court trials away from places like NY ( a lot of people hate him) and GA where he probably regards the judge as a hanging judge. That's why his minions are trying to impeach her to get her off the case. Notice there is no complaints from the republicans about the trump leaning judge Cannon in FL.
Edwin, it isn't only Lynn who finds long writings easier to read/take in when broken up into paragraphs. I read your very interesting and informed posts but would really prefer a few paragraph breaks. But you for all of your thoughtful commentary.
Elizabeth, you have taken the words right out my mouth! You are absolutely correct. Thomas is scum in a robe. He has become a grifter that’s on the take, selling decisions from the highest court in this nation.
It’s quite clear that this Supreme Court didn’t think of the hood of the people when it made this decision, or any decision it’s made on any case for that matter.
What needs to happen is every member of the Supreme Court needs to be investigated thoroughly to ensure they are living up to the highest standards. If they are found to have violated the law, the ethics of a justice, then they need to be immediately removed and prosecuted.
Unfortunately impeachment would result in a trial in the Senate. None of the Republican senators would vote to convict strictly on partisan grounds. McConnell would not allow it. Based on the current makeup of the Senate, 17 of them would need to vote to convict along with all the Democrats in order to remove Thomas or any other judge.
Mitch McConnell's days in the Senate could be limited. He had another "frozen" episode. His aide managed the situation like a daughter with an impaired elderly father. Problem is McConnell is Senate minority leader with a big role.
He might be suffering from petit mal seizures which seem to have started subsequent to his recent fall. I think he needs to see a neurologist before he blanks out while crossing the street or walking downstairs. It's also probably time for him to retire.
This is very true, Mike. With the makeup we now have in the Senate, and House of Representatives, there’s no way we’ll ever get the votes to out any of these justices. The ones that need to be expelled are all Trump appointees. There’s way to hang Trump lovers in Congress!
This is another reason we all have gif to cite 🧢🧢🧢🧢in all the upcoming elections the next 6 to 8 years!
For decades, Jenn. SMH...the others too are corrupt and the decisions they made on the court should ALL be examined for invalidity based on relationships with those who gained by “winning” cases. Disgusting.
And they smack of privilege. How about members of the LGBTQ+ community who are in the cross hairs of the GOP and all the acts of violence born of their hate filled rhetoric?
'Conservative Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito are increasingly going on offense as they seek to push back against a firestorm of ethics controversies.'
'When Thomas’s annual financial disclosure was released Thursday, the justice’s personal attorney simultaneously circulated an unusual six-page statement tearing into “left wing” groups that he said had “weaponized” ethics against Thomas.'
'Alito earlier had spoken out under his own name in a rare op-ed and interview he gave to The Wall Street Journal’s conservative-leaning opinion section.'
'Alito in the interview called recent stories about him “nonsense” and suggested the Supreme Court bar should be defending him.'
“But that’s just not happening. And so at a certain point I’ve said to myself, nobody else is going to do this, so I have to defend myself,” Alito told the paper.'
'Public statements from Alito and Thomas’s attorney give the impression that both justices are sick of sitting back and taking criticism from the media and Senate Democrats.'
'The written remarks by Elliot Berke, Thomas’s personal attorney, were particularly striking Thursday.'
“No Justice, Justice Thomas included, should be subjected to such political blood sport,” Berke wrote. “It is painfully obvious that these attacks are motivated by hatred for his judicial philosophy, not by any real belief in any ethical lapses.” (The Hill) See link to the article below.
What is shocking to me is that our highest court in our nation fails to recognize blatantly obvious ethical standards apply to them, in their hallowed positions of Supreme Justices.
As shocked and betrayed as I feel about Dobbs, I am stunned that a justice could unabashedly suggest that: no one told me it was a problem, so therefore, it was not. And, lookee-lookee....now I AM heretofore reporting all goodies obtained under the table from generous friends who support “my” judgements, since this has now been brought to my attention as “unpopular”. And,....this unpleasant public reaction is, after all, merely mean spirited politics. We are very honorable!!!
Alito and Thomas and even Roberts all need to to recognize that they are, as ethical leaders of this country, obligated by inference of the dignity of their office, to the highest of ethical standards, and if they can’t figure out what that might mean, they have no business serving a lifetime appointment on the highest court of the land.
Perhaps the most striking and alarming aspect of this whole Supreme Court grift and graft story is the silence of the Chief Justice. The fact that Roberts has not stepped up to establish a formal and enforceable set of rules - a code of conduct, if you will - speaks volumes about the pervasive corruption of this court.
Roberts can't get officially upset that his fellow justices have been bought and paid for. Because through the glaringly obvious corrupt behavior of he and his wife, some of the greatest offenses have been from him.
'John Roberts can’t get a Supreme Court ethics code. Alito’s interview shows why
When the Supreme Court left for its summer recess in June, the justices were at a stalemate on adopting a formal ethics code.'
'Chief Justice John Roberts has been seeking unanimity among the nine justices for firm ethics standards, CNN has learned, but such agreement has eluded him. It is not clear what standards a majority might be considering and the reasoning of the holdouts.'
'Justice Samuel Alito’s new comments in a Wall Street Journal interview suggest why he and perhaps other justices might be resisting and rebuffing outside pressure related to ethics, despite escalating controversy over justices’ lavish travel and other off-bench behavior.'
'The Supreme Court, Wednesday , June 28, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Supreme Court stands by its guidelines after report raises new ethics questions
Alito said he “voluntarily follows disclosure statutes that apply to lower court judges,” and he expressed disdain for congressional efforts to persuade the justices to adopt their own ethics rules.'
'“I know this is a controversial view, but I’m going to say it,” Alito said.' “No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court – period.”
'Alito’s broader remarks reflected a belief that outside critics, not the justices themselves, are the source of legitimacy concerns engulfing the high court.' (CNN) See link below.
Thanks for the link. It paints a clearer picture. But the naive assumption of the article is that Roberts actually wants to clean up the court. I believe he wants to create the appearance of propriety but it's too late for that. His legacy is a mess.
And this should bother us:
"Chief Justice John Roberts has been seeking unanimity among the nine justices for firm ethics standards..."
A CHIEF Justice may not have the actual authority (I don't know, couldn't he?) to establish some clear boundaries and codes with respect to gifts and recusal when hearing cases presented by donors or friends who got their jobs through the Chief's wife!
But he COULD stand tall with some basics that would be obvious and acceptable to any logical person opposed to corruption. He COULD speak clearly about what should be acceptable or not. But as I said. He won't. Because he and his wife have become rich through the same web of corruption as Alito and Thomas. Roberts is essentially the Chief Con Man.
Bill, I am not ready to accuse the CNN reporter of making a 'naive assumption' with reference to Roberts' motives. The impression I received is that unanimity among the Justices about a uniform code of ethics would not be achievable. I find it totally inappropriate to leave the creation of a proper code of ethics to the Courts' Justices, when an independent panel of legal experts would the more sensible approach.
"an independent panel of legal experts would the more sensible approach." Yes!
And from what I have learned it already exists. The Code of Conduct for all other judges employed by the Federal Government would be a starting point, no? And then, since it's the "Supreme Court" the panel could tighten it up even more. They could have "Supreme Integrity"!
Bill, with respect to your quote, 'Because through the glaringly obvious corrupt behavior of he and his wife, some of the greatest offenses have been from him.', I do not know whether that is correct. Given the questionable ethics of Justices Thomas and Alioto, it isn't clear to me which of the Justices may be most unethical. I thought some clarification about the Chief Justice, in this regard, would be helpful to readers. The following was copied from an article about the matter in The New York Times:
'At the Supreme Court, Ethics Questions Over a Spouse’s Business Ties
'The chief justice’s wife, Jane Sullivan Roberts, has made millions in her career recruiting lawyers to prominent law firms, some of which have business before the court. Now, a letter sent to Congress claims that may present a conflict of interest.'
'After Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joined the Supreme Court, his wife, Jane Sullivan Roberts, gave up her career as a law firm partner to become a high-end legal recruiter in an effort to alleviate potential conflicts of interest. Mrs. Roberts later recalled in an interview that her husband’s job made it “awkward to be practicing law in the firm.”
'Now, a former colleague of Mrs. Roberts has raised concerns that her recruiting work poses potential ethics issues for the chief justice. Seeking an inquiry, the ex-colleague has provided records to the Justice Department and Congress indicating Mrs. Roberts has been paid millions of dollars in commissions for placing lawyers at firms — some of which have business before the Supreme Court, according to a letter obtained by The New York Times.'
'In his letter last month, Kendal Price, a 66-year-old Boston lawyer, argued that the justices should be required to disclose more information about their spouses’ work. He did not cite specific Supreme Court decisions, but said he was worried that a financial relationship with law firms arguing before the court could affect justices’ impartiality or at least give the appearance of doing so.'
“I do believe that litigants in U.S. courts, and especially the Supreme Court, deserve to know if their judges’ households are receiving six-figure payments from the law firms,” Mr. Price wrote.'
'In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Supreme Court, Patricia McCabe, said that all the justices were “attentive to ethical constraints” and complied with financial disclosure laws. The chief justice and his wife had also consulted the code of conduct for federal judges, Ms. McCabe said, including a 2009 advisory opinion that a judge “need not recuse merely because” his or her spouse had worked as a recruiter for a law firm with issues before the court.' (NYTimes) See gifted link below.
Traditionally, a judge or public official who has a sense of high ethics acts simply based on the PERCEPTION of influence. If Roberts and his wife wanted to really show how uninfluenced he is, they could have agreed that she would apply her legal training to another form of work in the field of law. There are many ways that "connected" attorneys can make millions.
So instead of doing this elaborate dance of rationalization (maybe this, maybe that) she could have simply found other lucrative work when he became Chief Justice. A person in a role like that needs to lead by example and there shouldn't be even the tiniest hint of conflict. It's not hard to do. You just commit to it.
All JMO. I do appreciate the info you provide. Thanks!
We agree, Bill. I refrain from writing exactly what I think of Roberts, but with that hint, it's no secret.
Colorful language, fierce rhetoric, exaggeration, a host of enemies, endless lies, self-serving, and dramatic scenes have their allure in fiction, non-fiction and in America during The Trump Years. Digging out the details, the context, the evidence, compiling the facts is the work of journalism and historians. It can be boring, but the road to the truth is what counts most of all.
I would reply, "Justice Thomas, this is America, not Russia! You are appointed to serve the ctizens of the United States of America!.....each and all of us....NOT JUST THOSE WHO TAKE YOU AND JEN ON FUN TRIPS!
Sadly, our Supreme Court Justices are appointed for life and are above the law.
The despicable Leonard Leo bought two mansions on Mt. Desert Island in ME after hand selecting 1) donors for Thomas and Alito and 2) hand picking Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Comey-Barrett. Several protests have been staged by the good people of ME at his property this summer. He had the local police arrest one of them and now there is a civil lawsuit against the police department. So the taxpayers of the town will pay for Leo's indiscretions yet again.
The minority head of the Republican Party in Maine's House defended him saying they are bashing him because he is Catholic and a conservative. No one has said a word about his being Catholic or being a conservative. This is typical Republican gaslighting.
Thomas called Leo the 3rd most powerful man in the world. I don't often agree with Thomas, but he may be right about that.
Susan Collins can thank Leo for getting her reelected as he raised tens of millions for her reelection which, she barely won.
I can't help thinking that the supreme court needs an ombudsman type position created with the skill, credibility, and power to investigate complaints made against the justices and other court personnel to determine their merit. If such an office existed, these issues would have been settled, one way or another, by now. If Thomas and Alito have not made any serious ethics violations, as they claim, this matter would have been put to rest.
As it is now, innocent or not (I am trending to the "or not" camp), the entire court's ethical standing is eroding (yes, many other things are contributing to this), all because we really cannot know the truth of these allegations. By taking no action, Roberts is allowing the entire court to suffer. This will be his legacy; failing to be the adult in the room when we desperately need one.
Steve, the fact that your suggestion is sensible spells out the Court as being reprehensible. It is not ethical and, therefore, requires monitoring. To widen the view how deep and wide is corruption in the US? How much of that is responsible for the election of Trump and others, who have no business holding elective office?
Hi Fern! There is no question corruption exists on all levels of the US government. That is the whole reason for our system of checks and balances. Corruption takes many forms. What pains me most is the silence/duplicity of those who should be acting as agents of our checks and balances system either saying nothing or actively aiding those trying to destroy it. When we needed a boxer, McConnell continued playing chess. When we needed a school-yard monitor, Roberts continued eating lunch with his friends. When we needed a fire-and-brimstone preacher, Pence continued to be a sycophantic pharisee.
These are all deep, repeated, moral failings, not simple mistakes made by good people. Trump and his ilk would have no traction if Republican leadership was up to its job. The irony is, if the Trumpers take over, they will be even less relevant than they are now.
And with that excellent comment nothing else needs to be said.
Thank you LH!
Of course “nothing else needs to be said “never stopped me before..... we should all be taking the slimy Thomas’s corruption as an insult to our Nation. Of course they can’t spell( the Thomas’s) that is. Other wise they would hang “SHAME” on their bibs!
Perhaps Clarence Thomas’ wealthy donors should pay for all the travel of frightened and desperate women and their families due to the Dobbs decision. I have very little sympathy for Clarence Thomas being concerned about his safety when he willfully disregards an entire genders safety, security, and body autonomy.
LH, Thomas brought the danger directly to all women in society with the overturning of Roe. He must be held accountable for his corruption and deceit to line his pockets and bank accounts will ill-begotten wealth. A disgusting, vile man. His wife is no better. I want them both locked up!
When judges in a supreme Court are corrupt, whom should those who seek justice ran into? It is hard to imagine that the Clarence Thomases of this world can perpetuate corruption in a system that is designed prevent the misuse of resources, promote fairness, make justice a virtue to be upheld, safeguard the constitution (the very basic and foundational reference document), adhere to democratic ideals, and generally do what is right for the country. What type of oath do these judges use to be sworn in? If Clarence Thomas is capable of receiving donations from the wealthy, then you can imagine how many people have bought justice from him and disadvantage others who are desperately in need of justice. He has perhaps become a voice of the wealthy rather than the oppressed in the Supreme Court, a move that is not healthy for the country. Such incidences have happened in Kenya where there is a corruption enterprise, a group of wealthy cartels in almost every industry who want to protect their deals and sometimes hoard goods. In this regard, certain cases are directed to particular judges because they can deliver predetermined verdicts that favor the highest bidders. If this is also perpetuated in a judicial system and moreso in America, then you can imagine the extent of the rot in the judiciary exacerbated by the Thomases. His investigation should be broad to cover all the years he has been judge and cases that he has executed. Who knows? May be his prosecution will reveal delivered injustices to those who deserve justice.
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Edwin , your insightful response regarding the character of one of our Supreme Court justices reminds me of the good character of our current President.
President Joe Biden continues to work for the people who elected him as well as for the people who hate him.
Mitch McConnell may be in a different political party, but he and Joe have known one another for years. Joe was checking on Mitch even in the midst of working to help those states and fellow human beings harmed by the recent hurricane.
What a great human being!
I concur with you. Joe Biden, if am not wrong, has showcased himself as a human being first and then a countryman as a president. That's why his responses are well-thought, informed, proactive, and free from polarisation despite getting extreme criticism from Republican. And I celebrate him 🙏
Edwin, The Constitution Center podcast featured a discussion of Montesquieu and the Constitution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCr7X8FydYY This conversation with eminent scholars is peppered with terms like virtue, moderation, not to mention the ultimate human weakness: power, 'the cancer of society'. All the values the Founding Fathers explored when cobbling together our country's foundational document can be traced to Montesquieu's writings. I had to listen more than once to absorb the terms and interpretations (Federalist and Anti-Federalist) imbedded in Montesquieu's theories. It is well worth your time.
This is worthy of my read. I have saved. Thanks
Me too.
But if Chairman Biden had believed Anita Hill and stopped the Judiciary Committee's endorsement of Thomas to the Supreme Court, would we be here today?
This is a reasonable question. My blood still boils over the way Anita Hill was treated. But let's remember that the sexism that surrounded that hearing was embedded in society. And to a slightly lesser degree, it still is.
I also am angry at Biden for his part in the insane "tough on crime" bill that has incarcerated too many for too long. That bill was a crime against humanity.
But I looked in the mirror today. And I saw a flawed person. I like who I am and most of what I have done. But there are a few mistakes that will haunt me forever. I think mirrors work that way for most of us. Even Presidents. Imperfect, yes.
So with all that in mind, I step back and loudly proclaim Joe Biden may be the most moral, compassionate, effective and important President since FDR.
Bill, we all grow as we age and most of us are regretful of some of our past actions. Watching Biden these last years as vice president and now president has brought me hope.
I agree with you, Bill. Biden has grown. We cannot afford to chuck him for past errors when he is doing so much good now. Unlike tfg, he broke no laws. He was stuck in the old patriarchal mindset that still reigns in a large part of our society.
Some people get older and wisr. Others just get old.
So true Bill. Which is why we have to work hard to re-elect him again. Compared to Trump and the other Repub candidates there is none that even come close to the terrific job he has done for us all!
Biden is a better man than he was in those days, and it's very true that until Anita Hill (who is a Black woman, who were mostly invisible back in those days) brought the term "sexual harassment" into the mainstream, Americans had literally no idea what it meant, and many thought that if a woman entered the workplace being harassed was part of the job. I remember my mother watching the confirmation hearings and disparaging Anita Hill, saying she was liar looking for attention. We've come a long way since those days, but we've got a long way to go too.
Totally agree.
Human and very kind, decent , knowledgeable and a good President. He is For the People.
I think that Biden as grown along with our society, which is FINALLY believing that innocent women can have terrible things done to them by powerful men.
Bill, if you want to see a brilliant parody of sexism, put on your pink tie and go see the Barbie movie. It's hilarious and there are unlimiited patriarchal zingers and bits of wisdom throughout.
I wonder what Donald Trump and his ilk see when they look in the mirror. Only his red tie, I imagine.
The word “president “ is only capitalized when referring directly to or naming a president.
Not lesser, maybe just more enlightened men. However, none of them exist in the Republican Cult called a Party.
Sadly, you are right. Life is full of these sad and regrettable occurrences. When was the last time a Republican president appointed anyone of high character to the Supreme Court? Eisenhower appointing Earl Warren? That was 70 years ago.
This is one of Joe's great mistakes and when I saw that hearing again, I was furious. I am sure there was some kind of politics going on behind the scenes and perhaps part of the problem was that Thomas was black and they were looking for someone to replace Thurgood Marshall. Now what makes me furious is the House wasting taxpayer money investigating the federal response to Maui and their other nonsense.
Is the House doing any thing except trying to impeach everyone in sight. I thought impeachment was for a president who had failed in his duties, not for judges trying to seek the truth or people in general.
If Bush / Cheney hadn't lied about weapons of mass destruction would we be here today? We can't blame one incident in history on all the ills in the world today, can we?
If only... Lincoln had not been assassinated. If only... the victors in WWI had not saddled Germany with un-payable debt.
Clarence Thomas was nominated by George W. Bush because he believed that Ted Kennedy would never vote against a Black Man, no matter how conservative. And he was right!
George H W Bush, 1991
It's easy for us to look back and think 'what if' those may years ago. But if we are honest, many were not persuaded at the time by Anita Hill's revelation. It was a different time, a different attitude and a different vision of Clarence Thomas than we have now. Perhaps many of us have developed our awakening, just as President Biden has from time, growth, wisdom and a clarity in vision brought about by a history of Thomas's scandalous behavior.
If he had at least listened to those who wanted to support her contention that the man is a predator…
Well, one does not know that we would not have gotten another conservative, but at least they would not be a bought justice …
Tragically, President Biden was one of the Senators who voted for clearance's appointment to SCOTUS -- after he pulled the "high tech lynching!" accusation, following attorney Anita Hill's devastating testimony about his actions when she had to work with him.
Absolutely a good man.
99.99% of the judges in the U.S. would not do or take what Clarence Thomas has done. Thomas is a hollow shell without a moral compass.
We is worse- he is hostilely giving us all the finger!!
GOP = Government Outcomes for a Price.
Greedy Old People
Lots of selfish young people and greedy old people in the world. They are not a political party. Ageism perceptions.
I do not think young people are greedy nor are old people greedy. It s the republican leaders who are greedy. These people want to remain in power and the world is moving away from them and they cannot face that. Eventually these republicans will need the young people to take care of them.
😡I are an Old People...and even I know that it is usually a mistake to make that sort of generalization.
Great Obsolete Party
I hope. I read that the younger people are not supporting trump. If the democratic numbers stay the same, trumpers at 50% , if trumpers lose numbers because of his antics, the percentages could go democratic.
"because of his antics" The whole party has morphed into a malignant nightmare clown-car. Piloting the ship of state? We just grazed the iceberg (not including a wake of broken families and excess COVID deaths) the last time around, and the climate storm gathers apace.
And the youngest voters are most likely to sit out elections. Plutocrats are %#&ing up their future, and it would be crazy to sit this one out.
Yes, there was a time...
Flowery but powerful, an excerpt from Edwin Markham's "Lincoln, Man of the People":
"The rafters of the Home. He held his place—
Held the long purpose like a growing tree—
Held on through blame and faltered not at praise.
And when he fell in whirlwind, he went down
As when a lordly cedar, green with boughs,
Goes down with a great shout upon the hills,
And leaves a lonesome place against the sky."
Thank you, Edwin, both for understanding the rot at the top of American Government and the consequences of our not doing something to correct it.
Sadly, it’s not a news flash to those not in a MAGAt coma
I continue to call them MAGAts too.
The profound ignorance and gullibility is really shocking to me. What a tortured inner life these people must live, believing the apocalyptic nonsense that has no rational solution. When I talked to one recently, what I came away with was how helpless they must feel. There is no way out for them but violence, since the beliefs are so ridiculous and have no solution in reality.
I guess that’s the point.
"profound ignorance and gullibility" - typical cult; how it ate the brains of so many will puzzle us for decades. I lay the credit/blame at the feet of Ronnie and Rupert. In 1985, an article by Louis Lehman in the StLouis Post Dispatch laid it all out, just like the 2015 Project does this day.
Jen, I'm with you on the "profound ignorance and gullibility". I just don't get it.
I call them trumpers with a small "T" trump is the same. I loved it when the judge called him Mr. trump.
Thank you Fay Reid
Very well said. Where is Justice if not in the Supreme Court. Who can be trusted?
This is one of the reasons trump and company want to move their court trials away from places like NY ( a lot of people hate him) and GA where he probably regards the judge as a hanging judge. That's why his minions are trying to impeach her to get her off the case. Notice there is no complaints from the republicans about the trump leaning judge Cannon in FL.
Hi, Edwin - would you consider breaking your comments up into paragraphs? They would be easier to read, at least for me.
And your content is usually well worth reading, so I struggle through, but paragraphing would be appreciated.
Sure Lynn Spann and I am sorry that you are struggling to read them. Thank you for reminding me that.
Edwin, it isn't only Lynn who finds long writings easier to read/take in when broken up into paragraphs. I read your very interesting and informed posts but would really prefer a few paragraph breaks. But you for all of your thoughtful commentary.
Well noted. Thank you so much.
Excellent observation. I am a subscriber. Thank you, Edwin!
I really appreciate your time and contribution. Thank you
Elizabeth, you have taken the words right out my mouth! You are absolutely correct. Thomas is scum in a robe. He has become a grifter that’s on the take, selling decisions from the highest court in this nation.
It’s quite clear that this Supreme Court didn’t think of the hood of the people when it made this decision, or any decision it’s made on any case for that matter.
What needs to happen is every member of the Supreme Court needs to be investigated thoroughly to ensure they are living up to the highest standards. If they are found to have violated the law, the ethics of a justice, then they need to be immediately removed and prosecuted.
What an apt typo. The court was indeed thinking of “the hood of the people” - as in Klan hoods, or hoodwinking.
That’s what I get for doing this after midnight, or early in the morning. I forget to double read what I type before posting.
But, in this case, it works both ways. The Supreme Court isn’t working for the GOOD of the people anymore. Just the HOOD people!
Unfortunately impeachment would result in a trial in the Senate. None of the Republican senators would vote to convict strictly on partisan grounds. McConnell would not allow it. Based on the current makeup of the Senate, 17 of them would need to vote to convict along with all the Democrats in order to remove Thomas or any other judge.
Mitch McConnell's days in the Senate could be limited. He had another "frozen" episode. His aide managed the situation like a daughter with an impaired elderly father. Problem is McConnell is Senate minority leader with a big role.
Because he is the minority leader, and let’s be honest potentially majority leader, his infirmity is more serious.
He might be suffering from petit mal seizures which seem to have started subsequent to his recent fall. I think he needs to see a neurologist before he blanks out while crossing the street or walking downstairs. It's also probably time for him to retire.
This is very true, Mike. With the makeup we now have in the Senate, and House of Representatives, there’s no way we’ll ever get the votes to out any of these justices. The ones that need to be expelled are all Trump appointees. There’s way to hang Trump lovers in Congress!
This is another reason we all have gif to cite 🧢🧢🧢🧢in all the upcoming elections the next 6 to 8 years!
Elisabeth, YES!!
Was Clarence Thomas not taking gifts from Harlan Crow BEFORE the Dobbs decision?
For decades, Jenn. SMH...the others too are corrupt and the decisions they made on the court should ALL be examined for invalidity based on relationships with those who gained by “winning” cases. Disgusting.
Yes.
Absolutely, lock them up and Alito as well.
I hope that they have no children. I have never heard mention of them.
His statements regarding security needs are a bit whimsical. (I’m trying to be nice)
Bill, I just call it BS!!
Yup, all of the above.
I think he was taking those trips before the Dobbs leak.
And they smack of privilege. How about members of the LGBTQ+ community who are in the cross hairs of the GOP and all the acts of violence born of their hate filled rhetoric?
After all this , no more nicey nicey.
Truly...and what does he know of any woman’s life path when an unwanted pregnancy suddenly becomes the only reality she is living in.
LH, you surely know that clearance is full of BS when he talks about his "safety" after threats re the Dobbs leak!
what about all those years before the Dobbs Leak?
I’m sure Ginni keeps him focused on what is important
'Conservative Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito are increasingly going on offense as they seek to push back against a firestorm of ethics controversies.'
'When Thomas’s annual financial disclosure was released Thursday, the justice’s personal attorney simultaneously circulated an unusual six-page statement tearing into “left wing” groups that he said had “weaponized” ethics against Thomas.'
'Alito earlier had spoken out under his own name in a rare op-ed and interview he gave to The Wall Street Journal’s conservative-leaning opinion section.'
'Alito in the interview called recent stories about him “nonsense” and suggested the Supreme Court bar should be defending him.'
“But that’s just not happening. And so at a certain point I’ve said to myself, nobody else is going to do this, so I have to defend myself,” Alito told the paper.'
'Public statements from Alito and Thomas’s attorney give the impression that both justices are sick of sitting back and taking criticism from the media and Senate Democrats.'
'The written remarks by Elliot Berke, Thomas’s personal attorney, were particularly striking Thursday.'
“No Justice, Justice Thomas included, should be subjected to such political blood sport,” Berke wrote. “It is painfully obvious that these attacks are motivated by hatred for his judicial philosophy, not by any real belief in any ethical lapses.” (The Hill) See link to the article below.
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4181847-thomas-alito-go-on-the-attack-over-supreme-court-ethics/
What is shocking to me is that our highest court in our nation fails to recognize blatantly obvious ethical standards apply to them, in their hallowed positions of Supreme Justices.
As shocked and betrayed as I feel about Dobbs, I am stunned that a justice could unabashedly suggest that: no one told me it was a problem, so therefore, it was not. And, lookee-lookee....now I AM heretofore reporting all goodies obtained under the table from generous friends who support “my” judgements, since this has now been brought to my attention as “unpopular”. And,....this unpleasant public reaction is, after all, merely mean spirited politics. We are very honorable!!!
Alito and Thomas and even Roberts all need to to recognize that they are, as ethical leaders of this country, obligated by inference of the dignity of their office, to the highest of ethical standards, and if they can’t figure out what that might mean, they have no business serving a lifetime appointment on the highest court of the land.
Perhaps the most striking and alarming aspect of this whole Supreme Court grift and graft story is the silence of the Chief Justice. The fact that Roberts has not stepped up to establish a formal and enforceable set of rules - a code of conduct, if you will - speaks volumes about the pervasive corruption of this court.
Roberts can't get officially upset that his fellow justices have been bought and paid for. Because through the glaringly obvious corrupt behavior of he and his wife, some of the greatest offenses have been from him.
'John Roberts can’t get a Supreme Court ethics code. Alito’s interview shows why
When the Supreme Court left for its summer recess in June, the justices were at a stalemate on adopting a formal ethics code.'
'Chief Justice John Roberts has been seeking unanimity among the nine justices for firm ethics standards, CNN has learned, but such agreement has eluded him. It is not clear what standards a majority might be considering and the reasoning of the holdouts.'
'Justice Samuel Alito’s new comments in a Wall Street Journal interview suggest why he and perhaps other justices might be resisting and rebuffing outside pressure related to ethics, despite escalating controversy over justices’ lavish travel and other off-bench behavior.'
'The Supreme Court, Wednesday , June 28, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Supreme Court stands by its guidelines after report raises new ethics questions
Alito said he “voluntarily follows disclosure statutes that apply to lower court judges,” and he expressed disdain for congressional efforts to persuade the justices to adopt their own ethics rules.'
'“I know this is a controversial view, but I’m going to say it,” Alito said.' “No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court – period.”
'Alito’s broader remarks reflected a belief that outside critics, not the justices themselves, are the source of legitimacy concerns engulfing the high court.' (CNN) See link below.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/31/politics/supreme-court-ethics-alito-roberts/index.html
Fern,
Thanks for the link. It paints a clearer picture. But the naive assumption of the article is that Roberts actually wants to clean up the court. I believe he wants to create the appearance of propriety but it's too late for that. His legacy is a mess.
And this should bother us:
"Chief Justice John Roberts has been seeking unanimity among the nine justices for firm ethics standards..."
A CHIEF Justice may not have the actual authority (I don't know, couldn't he?) to establish some clear boundaries and codes with respect to gifts and recusal when hearing cases presented by donors or friends who got their jobs through the Chief's wife!
But he COULD stand tall with some basics that would be obvious and acceptable to any logical person opposed to corruption. He COULD speak clearly about what should be acceptable or not. But as I said. He won't. Because he and his wife have become rich through the same web of corruption as Alito and Thomas. Roberts is essentially the Chief Con Man.
Bill, I am not ready to accuse the CNN reporter of making a 'naive assumption' with reference to Roberts' motives. The impression I received is that unanimity among the Justices about a uniform code of ethics would not be achievable. I find it totally inappropriate to leave the creation of a proper code of ethics to the Courts' Justices, when an independent panel of legal experts would the more sensible approach.
"an independent panel of legal experts would the more sensible approach." Yes!
And from what I have learned it already exists. The Code of Conduct for all other judges employed by the Federal Government would be a starting point, no? And then, since it's the "Supreme Court" the panel could tighten it up even more. They could have "Supreme Integrity"!
Bill, with respect to your quote, 'Because through the glaringly obvious corrupt behavior of he and his wife, some of the greatest offenses have been from him.', I do not know whether that is correct. Given the questionable ethics of Justices Thomas and Alioto, it isn't clear to me which of the Justices may be most unethical. I thought some clarification about the Chief Justice, in this regard, would be helpful to readers. The following was copied from an article about the matter in The New York Times:
'At the Supreme Court, Ethics Questions Over a Spouse’s Business Ties
'The chief justice’s wife, Jane Sullivan Roberts, has made millions in her career recruiting lawyers to prominent law firms, some of which have business before the court. Now, a letter sent to Congress claims that may present a conflict of interest.'
'After Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joined the Supreme Court, his wife, Jane Sullivan Roberts, gave up her career as a law firm partner to become a high-end legal recruiter in an effort to alleviate potential conflicts of interest. Mrs. Roberts later recalled in an interview that her husband’s job made it “awkward to be practicing law in the firm.”
'Now, a former colleague of Mrs. Roberts has raised concerns that her recruiting work poses potential ethics issues for the chief justice. Seeking an inquiry, the ex-colleague has provided records to the Justice Department and Congress indicating Mrs. Roberts has been paid millions of dollars in commissions for placing lawyers at firms — some of which have business before the Supreme Court, according to a letter obtained by The New York Times.'
'In his letter last month, Kendal Price, a 66-year-old Boston lawyer, argued that the justices should be required to disclose more information about their spouses’ work. He did not cite specific Supreme Court decisions, but said he was worried that a financial relationship with law firms arguing before the court could affect justices’ impartiality or at least give the appearance of doing so.'
“I do believe that litigants in U.S. courts, and especially the Supreme Court, deserve to know if their judges’ households are receiving six-figure payments from the law firms,” Mr. Price wrote.'
'In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Supreme Court, Patricia McCabe, said that all the justices were “attentive to ethical constraints” and complied with financial disclosure laws. The chief justice and his wife had also consulted the code of conduct for federal judges, Ms. McCabe said, including a 2009 advisory opinion that a judge “need not recuse merely because” his or her spouse had worked as a recruiter for a law firm with issues before the court.' (NYTimes) See gifted link below.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/31/us/john-roberts-jane-sullivan-roberts.html?unlocked_article_code=D7sntBskEP3mp8vq04oVdsjDQ9VRpkLq0veQrCp9CikzewhN_77HDNlA5tDjPuElca75OX9l7uwqCMSBf02AOiS9OphZUVHYY9nwR2wql0PYmTLTuZS98-Qg_Y24wAwI4VXROKR-1vXmLZpYzGEgIz4kQd8A-FiLmViY5JnzNATbm_ryXjPL5yy9pu0zRD-_ham_7WFxK5ZlNJkQJqxUL-fJbCajzXLGxJBVs9ZejlLseuTCgYs1jlaevi0aHGB5sPfnRsGXaXhrDGBy9_jcWq2_oYmSkh4F9aFYoPHh3CFtwTVX1WEVAhRBfKAcrMb9hPD2hLB-hGCkx53SgGDg-5NswsYuoVo&smid=url-share
Traditionally, a judge or public official who has a sense of high ethics acts simply based on the PERCEPTION of influence. If Roberts and his wife wanted to really show how uninfluenced he is, they could have agreed that she would apply her legal training to another form of work in the field of law. There are many ways that "connected" attorneys can make millions.
So instead of doing this elaborate dance of rationalization (maybe this, maybe that) she could have simply found other lucrative work when he became Chief Justice. A person in a role like that needs to lead by example and there shouldn't be even the tiniest hint of conflict. It's not hard to do. You just commit to it.
All JMO. I do appreciate the info you provide. Thanks!
We agree, Bill. I refrain from writing exactly what I think of Roberts, but with that hint, it's no secret.
Colorful language, fierce rhetoric, exaggeration, a host of enemies, endless lies, self-serving, and dramatic scenes have their allure in fiction, non-fiction and in America during The Trump Years. Digging out the details, the context, the evidence, compiling the facts is the work of journalism and historians. It can be boring, but the road to the truth is what counts most of all.
maybe Alito and Thomas should practice Ethics so that they will not be found to have none.
I would reply, "Justice Thomas, this is America, not Russia! You are appointed to serve the ctizens of the United States of America!.....each and all of us....NOT JUST THOSE WHO TAKE YOU AND JEN ON FUN TRIPS!
Sadly, our Supreme Court Justices are appointed for life and are above the law.
The despicable Leonard Leo bought two mansions on Mt. Desert Island in ME after hand selecting 1) donors for Thomas and Alito and 2) hand picking Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Comey-Barrett. Several protests have been staged by the good people of ME at his property this summer. He had the local police arrest one of them and now there is a civil lawsuit against the police department. So the taxpayers of the town will pay for Leo's indiscretions yet again.
The minority head of the Republican Party in Maine's House defended him saying they are bashing him because he is Catholic and a conservative. No one has said a word about his being Catholic or being a conservative. This is typical Republican gaslighting.
Thomas called Leo the 3rd most powerful man in the world. I don't often agree with Thomas, but he may be right about that.
Susan Collins can thank Leo for getting her reelected as he raised tens of millions for her reelection which, she barely won.
I can't help thinking that the supreme court needs an ombudsman type position created with the skill, credibility, and power to investigate complaints made against the justices and other court personnel to determine their merit. If such an office existed, these issues would have been settled, one way or another, by now. If Thomas and Alito have not made any serious ethics violations, as they claim, this matter would have been put to rest.
As it is now, innocent or not (I am trending to the "or not" camp), the entire court's ethical standing is eroding (yes, many other things are contributing to this), all because we really cannot know the truth of these allegations. By taking no action, Roberts is allowing the entire court to suffer. This will be his legacy; failing to be the adult in the room when we desperately need one.
Steve, the fact that your suggestion is sensible spells out the Court as being reprehensible. It is not ethical and, therefore, requires monitoring. To widen the view how deep and wide is corruption in the US? How much of that is responsible for the election of Trump and others, who have no business holding elective office?
Hi Fern! There is no question corruption exists on all levels of the US government. That is the whole reason for our system of checks and balances. Corruption takes many forms. What pains me most is the silence/duplicity of those who should be acting as agents of our checks and balances system either saying nothing or actively aiding those trying to destroy it. When we needed a boxer, McConnell continued playing chess. When we needed a school-yard monitor, Roberts continued eating lunch with his friends. When we needed a fire-and-brimstone preacher, Pence continued to be a sycophantic pharisee.
These are all deep, repeated, moral failings, not simple mistakes made by good people. Trump and his ilk would have no traction if Republican leadership was up to its job. The irony is, if the Trumpers take over, they will be even less relevant than they are now.
Amen! AMEN!!
And don't forget the harm brought to LBGTQ people by absolutley absurd-hate contriving SCOTUS decisons.
LH,
And with that excellent comment nothing else needs to be said.
Thank you LH!
Of course “nothing else needs to be said “never stopped me before..... we should all be taking the slimy Thomas’s corruption as an insult to our Nation. Of course they can’t spell( the Thomas’s) that is. Other wise they would hang “SHAME” on their bibs!
I couldn’t care less about Thomas’ safety, but I love your suggestion about women 🙏
Is Secret Service protecting him?
Is nothing of consequence going to happen to this man? So outrageous