"I am an ordinary citizen from Omaha, Neb., who just may have the chance to preserve liberty along with you and other people like you," she said at a recent panel discussion with tea party leaders in Washington. Thomas went on to count herself among those energized into action by President Obama's "hard-left agenda."Read the rest of the story here.
But Thomas is no ordinary activist.
She is the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and she has launched a tea-party-linked group that could test the traditional notions of political impartiality for the court.
In January, Virginia Thomas created Liberty Central Inc., a nonprofit lobbying group whose website will organize activism around a set of conservative "core principles," she said.
The group plans to issue score cards for Congress members and be involved in the November election, although Thomas would not specify how. She said it would accept donations from various sources -- including corporations -- as allowed under campaign finance rules recently loosened by the Supreme Court.
Monday, March 15, 2010
DUNCE SCOTUS
It seems the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has started her own Tea Party PAC, according to this report in the Los Angeles Times:
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It is pretty breathtaking, isn't it. The Supremes are the first ones to bang on about their (bogus, btw) impartiality and the need to uphold it when it suits them (as they have been doing since being chastised by Obama during his SOTU address), but here we have the wife of one of them starting her own Tea Party, of all things.
ReplyDeleteOf course we'll hear the argument that it's "just the wife," etc., which no one in their right mind (and/or married :) would ever buy.
Stunning.
On the other hand, Justice Thomas can finally have a claim to at least some distinction as a Supreme.
While in general I don't find Ms Thomas' involvment in political activity particularly concerning in itself, the fact that the venue she is head of is a lobbying group is alarming especially with the new bastardly, dastardly corporate as a human law. And that the ruling came up before the SCOTUS as she was forming this lobbying group does raise an eyebrow.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing for us to do is continue pushing to have the recent ruling overturned and to get Congress to outlaw lobbying.
Did anyone expect anything better of Clarence the Wank Engine?
ReplyDeleteThere's nobody to overturn the SCOTUS, but I'm sure Congress has the power to try again, but if they insist corporations have the constitutional right to corrupt the country, we're screwed.
Actually I think we've been screwed for a long time.
Maybe C Thomas should resign to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. But that would be the honorable thing to do, so we can forget that right now.
ReplyDeleteI’m a bit concerned about making an issue of this. Should a citizen be expected to give up political activism if his or her spouse is appointed to the Supreme Court? What about a liberal activist whose spouse was appointed to the Court? What about lower appeals courts?
ReplyDeleteIt’s certainly possible that Ms. Thomas’s political views might influence her husband’s rulings, but would that become less likely if she were not politically active? Arguably it would become more likely. She’d still have the same political views.
Infidel, I tend to agree with you. Although this situation is fraught with potentially unethical issues, we should be more concerned with fighting the problem of lobbyists instead of focusing on an individual who, so far, seems to be within the law.
ReplyDeleteOf course if there were proof that Justice Thomas used his position to inappropriately advance his wife's efforts, then someone should call foul.
Infidel753 - Should a citizen be expected to give up political activism if his or her spouse is appointed to the Supreme Court?
ReplyDeleteThese are not garden variety conservatives who simply hold a difference of opinion. These are extreme right wing reactionaries who are admitted followers of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, who employ the same language towards liberals as Ann Coulter and Michael Savage, and who regard liberalism as an evil to be eliminated. Indeed, I feel threatened by them. Very threatened.
Notwithstanding the fact that Liberty Central PAC will solicit contributions from corporate donors ... and the floodgates of corporate money in politics were opened by a recent SCOTUS decision. Notwithstanding the fact that, during Election Year 2000, Virginia Thomas was recruiting Republican operatives at the same time her husband was handing the election to GWB.
There is nothing benign here.
Clarence is no fool. Selfish, greedy, mean-spirited bastard he is he had the good sense (career-wise) to hitch his wagon to the reactionary right. Smart move.
ReplyDeleteThe right side of the political spectrum is where the money is and where real careers are forged.
On a happier note it seems as if Clarence really found his soulmate.
On a happier note it seems as if Clarence really found his soulmate.
ReplyDeleteNow, that's what they call positive thinking! ;)
These are not garden variety conservatives who simply hold a difference of opinion. These are extreme right wing reactionaries
ReplyDeleteBut she still holds those views whether she's a political activist or not. Whatever influence she has on Justice Thomas, she'll still have that influence whether she's involved in an activist group or not. Why is her political activism a focus of concern? It makes no difference to whatever effect her views might have on her husband.
There is nothing benign here.
ReplyDeleteNotwithstanding the fact that, during Election Year 2000, Virginia Thomas was recruiting Republican operatives at the same time her husband was handing the election to GWB.
Notwithstanding the fact that Liberty Central PAC will solicit contributions from corporate donors ... and the floodgates of corporate money in politics were opened by a recent SCOTUS decision.
Indeed, I feel threatened by them. Very threatened.
These are extreme right wing reactionaries who are admitted followers of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, who employ the same language towards liberals as Ann Coulter and Michael Savage, and who regard liberalism as an evil to be eliminated.
These are not garden variety conservatives who simply hold a difference of opinion.
You may want to see How to Bribe a Supreme Court Justice, a commentary on the very topic.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, many thanks for the link. Perhaps a few noteworthy quotes from the article are in order here:
ReplyDelete"Liberty Central is thoughtfully organized under tax law as a c(4). It can take unlimited corporate contributions, not disclose them, and engage in partisan activities.
Ponder that for just a moment. The wife of a Supreme Court justice has organized a political non-profit linked to Tea Party activists whose activities can be supported to an unlimited extent by corporations whose donations need not be disclosed to the public. Similarly, Mrs. Thomas is under no obligation to disclose her compensation to anybody.
None of this appears to be illegal in part due to the recent Citizens United court ruling by the Supreme Court that freed corporation contributions from certain key restrictions. That radical and controversial decision passed by a 5-4 vote, and surprise, Justice Thomas voted yes.
(…)
If Judge Thomas wished to be more supportive of his wife's endeavors, he could simply resign from the bench. It would be fascinating to see what level of support Liberty Central would then enjoy. One suspects little.
The New York Times recently revealed that a mere $31,000 in political contributions by a pay day lending mogul and his family and associates seemed to have purchased an exemption from Federal regulation.
No doubt Mrs. Thomas would never stoop so low.”
No doubt ... especially when these noble persons in power hold that liberalism is a disease worthy of elimination.
Ah yes, "PayDay" loans. It's certainly payday every day for those no-neck thugs who charge between 200% and 400% because the damned Republicans thought usury laws were too much regulation. Up until we caught the Republican disease, they used to jail gangsters for charging far less.
ReplyDeleteNow they run the place. No, I don't waste a minute dreaming that there is a chance this country will survive. It won't and it doesn't deserve to. Justice is doomed, Republicans are why.