RICO Act lawsuit should be filed against Mrs. Thomas and their mafia.
15
"Among Those Pressing Trump to Weed Out Disloyalty: Clarence Thomas’s Wife"
Yeah, no conflict of interest going on there...
12
Its as if the 7th grade mean girls suddenly accessed power to destroy anyone they despised-- but this is our government.
There are plenty of narratives about Washington infighting, political incest and backstabbing, in different administrations, but this seems wildly off. But this is Trump: heading steadily to the lowest common denominator in making appointments.
9
Everything I have ever read about Ginni Thomas leads me to believe that she is a dangerous reactionary, drunk with the illegitimate influence her husband’s position has given her and who should be nowhere near the reins of power.
22
So inappropriate....but not surprising. She and her spouse are part of the swamp that trump loves. This is actually sickening.
14
Wow, is she going after RBG and Sotomayer too?
3
Kakistocracy in action .
About 60% of America deserves better .
9
WOW This should be unbelievable.
9
Sounds like the Kremlin, or Castro's Cuba.
10
Just to be clear:
1. It's ok for Trump to call out Judges Sotomayer and Ginsburg & say they should recuse themselves;
2. It's ok to have Clarence Thomas sit on the Supreme Court, in spite of credible charges against him from Anita Hill, decades before the #metoo movement
3. It's ok for Judge Thomas's wife to lobby the White House and Pres Trump, yet that is not a conflict of interest nor is Trump calling out Judge Thomas to recuse himself..
What a world. What a topsy-turvy Trump World we're stuck with.
12
McCarthy era redux. "Are you now, or have you ever been, non-MAGA?"
7
Another shining example of kakistocracy writ large and gone horribly awry.
6
Not only unseemly but unacceptable, for a Supreme Court Justice's wife, especially one who we know lied during his confirmation hearings. His wife must also know her husband harassed Anita Hill and lied about it. How dare she interfere in any way with government affairs. Is there any way to impeach a Supreme Court Justice for interfering with government appointments. Thomas cannot be unaware of his wife's politicking.
9
She is unfortunately just one of many who seek to influence Trump in one way or another regarding appointed positions. She just has the distinction of being a bit more crackpot and also the spouse of a Supreme Court Justice. Being crackpot aside, unlike a lot of other petitioners, she has a real advantage, in that she can offer Trump something in return, via her influence on decisions made by the Supreme Court.
6
Why did Clarence pick a white woman as his wife? With his credentials, he could have picked any African-American female who shares his views on politics and life in general. Hmmm
My real question, for Clarence and Ginni?
What do most of Trump's base think of
a) mixed marriages?
b) the resultant children and how they're classified?
Hmmm, if they knew the things the base says when they feel comfortable that they're only amongst themselves . . .
4
The real question is will Donald Trump ask Justice Thomas to recuse himself, along with RBG and Sotomayor, on any case in which Trump is implicated?
3
Why is she even a "thing"? I thought conservative men liked their women to be good wives and mothers. How can there be a place for her away from the home?
2
I want to see Anita Hill’s picture plastered all around the Thomas’s neighborhood and the road to the Supreme Court from their residence. If a Democrat wins the Presidential Election, Anita Hill needs to be Press Secretary and give weekly press conferences so Ms. Hill can be on tv an newspapers frequently.
5
US Supreme Court Justices swear to "...administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich." Ms. Thomas is entitled to her opinions and should be free to opine publicly on any range of current events and issues--but her ongoing advocacy regarding specific political issues and against individuals in public life presents a blatant conflict of interest for her husband in his present position. Any claim that Mr. Justice Thomas is not in violation of his oath of office due to Ms. Thomas's activities is a shabby pretense and cast's a shadow on the court's legitimacy.
7
What exactly is conservative about Donald Trump?
Fiscally prudent?
Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent?
The Republican party is turning into a bunch of get rich quick hucksters- led by those highly paid Fox News entertainers and Rush LImbaugh
7
If nothing else this administration has managed to pull back the veil and expose the utter hatred bias and disregard for the rule of law and justice. Finally the world now gets to see the ugly underbelly of what America really stands for. It would appear that there is no institution who will stand up to this, they all talk a good story but when push comes to shove nothing. And the media just keeps shoveling the discord every chance they get to beat everyone into despair.
9
That’s true and it . Trump should have been thrown under the bus the first year he was in but the media keeps following him around & Congress is to scared collectively to get rid of him and his crime family and cabinet. Cowards all.
4
Ginni Thomas has the absolute right to remain absolutely wrong in just about everything. Her views and activities may be unseemly for the spouse of a sitting justice, her judgment may be diametrically opposed to transparency and fair play, and her beliefs may not align with either good governance or America’s highest values, but she has the right every person has to petition her government to do the wrong thing.
3
We should remember the words of Maya Angelou:
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
And vote accordingly.
6
It is increasingly clear that the GOP conservative cohort - which is most of them - is a fear-based group, and their fear is of the very democracy that makes us a country worth believing in. They not only cannot bear a dissenting voice; they must find ways to punish and or eliminate dissent altogether. They are not interested in the art of balancing and engaging the complexity of Americans' thinking and points of view. They are afraid of it. And the more this president consolidates his power, the greater the assault on democracy. On us. All of us.
8
And the left is no better.
Anyone in search of truth would be wise to encourage different viewpoints. Ideological purity, nationalism and a press that backs these ideas is the road to failure. Bush, Chaney, and the neoconservatives had us believe that the invasion of Iraq was the answer to all of our problems. The Iraqi people would choose democracy, and the people of the Middle East would bow down to our awesome power. Trillions of dollars, and thousands of lives later we see what ideological purity brings.
Now the Trump Republican Party has a new ideology, absolute power.
5
So, the resident is screaming that the "liberal" judges on the SCOTUS need to recuse themselves from all cases relating to him.
I propose that Clarence Thomas recuse himself from ALL cases, given he is married to this woman.
11
This rises to WAY more than the appearance of impropriety. Mrs. Thomas's involvement certainly calls into question the ability of Mr. Thomas to be impartial, but we know the answer to that already. Mr. Thomas has asked what, like a single question in his entire time on the court? Mr. Thomas is a reliable conservative vote with a chip on his shoulder from his supposed high tech lynching via the Anita Hill testimony. By the way, I totally believe Ms. Hill, and have zero trust in the agenda by both Mr. and Mrs. Thomas.
9
An unfortunate combination....he was confirmed by the Senate but says virtually nothing; she was elected/appointed by no one and feels entitled to say way too much.
15
Justice Thomas's wife needs to STOP.....we know she won't, but her activism is objectionable and probably too wrong to list them all....the protection of being the big-mouthed wife of a man with a lifetime government appointment is too much of a cover for her....
7
Call me petty. I don’t care. Time has not been kind to Mrs. Thomas. We are the same age. I know I look better!
2
@Mary D - I think internal ugliness starts to show up externally after a while.
6
Boy, what danger we are in! The pillars of democracy are being chiseled away and we have to sit and wait! How on earth can the wife of a Supreme Court Judge (unfortunate that he is one) have such negative persuasion to a weak-minded, flattery seeking, television personality of a president....who is hammering away with that chisel? This administration is drowning in the swamp it created.
6
Totally inappropriate for the wife of a Supreme Court Justice to be giving counsel to a President.
12
We can all thank Joe Biden for Clarence and Ginni Thomas.
6
Wait a minute. Is this not a conflict of interest. Now the scotus is in bed with the executive branch?!!
We are truly no longer a democratic republic. Instead we are a banana republic. I can’t imagine the outrage by conservatives if this type of thing was occurring under Obama.
I lose more respect for republicans everyday.
7
Here’s another headline from today’s NY Times: “Among Those Pressing Trump to Weed Out Disloyalty: Clarence Thomas’s Wife”.
Let there be no question Trump wants to turn the Supreme Court into another institution that will not question him. He will fill the court with unwavering loyalists and the Senate will allow him to do it.
8
This is nepotism at its most despicable-- par for the course for the most corrupt so-called "administration" the US has ever seen. When will it end?
8
Oh please - Ginni Thomas is a hot mess. Not to mention that her husband did do all that he was accused of and in this day of the "me-too" movement he might not be on the supreme court.
I'm a lawyer and back in law school when we studied supreme court cases, my impression was that Clarence was not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
9
Ginni should focus her efforts on weeding out dishonest stupidity masquerading as conservatism from the Supreme Court. And Ginni should also recall that she and her ilk will be much displeased when a new Democratic administration takes a page from her playbook by bluntly firing all of her friends, and rehires the competent civil servants she seems to despise. (Note to Clarence: your wife belongs to a group that supports racist voter ID laws. But then, so do you. However, because your usefulness does have a shelf life, you should still keep an eye on her.)
1
On trump I have long since passed the point where I was asking myself “What does this guy take us for?” Yet even then I could tolerate ignorance and stupidity to a point but not for someone who is disturbingly proud of it.
3
I look forward to Sanders administration firing anyone who ever supported Trump and his evil crew.
4
How cool!
Now we have Justice Thomas' honey-bunch joining Heritage as guardians of the staff break room, checking credentials, constantly watching, watching,watching for ideological purity and frequent if embarrassing manifestations of deep physical love for our president, the most attractive one in history.
And who better? Little wifey of a reverse racist Supreme Court conservative, and professional dim-bulb in her own right and a doughty Foundation that makes all its big bucks flaunting its ability to wreck the Supreme Court and frighten lily-livered legislators.
We're all going to hell...
7
Fine reporting.
2
Who did not see this purge coming? Other than democrats who insisted on a doomed to fail impeachment. What did you think Trump was going to do after his exoneration? Pull an Obama and play kissy-kiss with the other side? You asked for this.
And if you think this is bad...wait until you see what happens under the nightmare scenario of a Trump reelection. Trump totally unchained. A truly terrifying thought.
Vote like your lives depend on it. They might.
5
American presidents take the following oath, as prescribed in the constitution:
I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. [So help me God.]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_Six_of_the_United_States_Constitution#Oaths
With this oath, presidents take on supreme obligations.
There is nothing in the oath that entitles the president, his party or anyone else to loyalty.
Presidents merely "preside".
They do not have "divine rights".
They do not rule.
The question of loyalty is directed at and for the constitution and the United States above all oaths or laws and not at the personal interests of any individual.
6
Yes. In this country, leaders earn loyalty, they don’t (successfully) demand it.
1
Mrs. Thomas' involvement in this very partisan political process is unseemly for the spouse of a supreme court justice. Especially so because her actions are being applied in relatively invisible fashion out of public view.
This sort of widespread effort to purge anyone considered insufficiently loyal to the present administration is in itself problematic. If every administration was to perform such a purge, we'll immediately lose talent of many who are performing their jobs in a reasonable, unbiased fashion. It is possible for a person to perform their job duties in an unbiased fashion despite personal political stances, and many federal employees exemplify that behavior.
And the high turnover that would occur after each election would introduce additional inefficiencies. If every possible position is intentionally staffed with a clear partisan, then any future change in administration will naturally feel forced to clean house again with purges of similar scope. This sort of purge sets the stage for a long term pattern of similar purges in the future.
57
@StatBoy - - - Oh, No!
You missed Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor - a JUSTICE, not just the spouse of one - coming out and literally attacking fellow Justices of her own court for not playing progressive politics like she likes to do with the illegal alien question.
Sotomayor makes Ginni T. look like future Presidential material. Sorry about the timing there.
@StatBoy Except in this case. When trump is voted out of office in 2020 a purge will rid the new administration of the worst possible and unqualified people. So good riddance!
5
Both Thomases, are nothing more the corporate-hacks, out to profiteer from these same corporations, for as much as they can. Her husband should never have been seated on the Supreme Court. He's just another 'pay to play' type, that is prevalent in Trump's swamp.
5
Excellent reporting! And highly disturbing. The unelected, unselected Mrs. Thomas especially has no business pushing her agenda in light of the enormous power of her husband. This is exactly what Republicans demonized Hillary for as First Lady, though in that role she did in fact have an accepted role to play. Spouses of justices do not.
8
Excellent reporting! And highly disturbing. The unelected, unselected Mrs. Thomas especially has no business pushing her agenda in light of the enormous power of her husband. This is exactly what Republicans demonized Hillary for as First Lady, though in that instance she did in fact have an accepted role to play. Spouses of justices do not.
2
Most everything the president says actually means just the opposite of what he intends with the Swamp being one of the most glaring examples. There has never been an administration that had more corruption, cronyism, and pay to pay than this one. There is no arena that isn’t being exploited by special interests groups whether they are religious fanatics, white suprematists, breaks for business to deregulate for more profits, etc. all because trump has let it be known that he is not burdened by laws or ethics. Praise and flattery is all that is needed for this president who demands complete loyalty without ever giving it himself. There has always been a strain of ‘dumb’ in America and trump is the purest manifestation of that history.
5
Yes, Ginni is a lifelong, rightwing extremist; no, she should not be the spouse of a SC judge, if she's going to conduct her subversion.
But who is Trump? A Solon or a Salamander?
Answer: For 50 years, someone who never saw a law against corruption or bias he didn't feel inclined to break; whose transgressions were "fixed" by Roy Cohn's, via harassment of Trump's victims. And, whose thousands of victims are waiting to sue him in court for the harm he's caused.
Whatever the level of justice that eventually deals with Trump, it cannot be tainted by the Thomases, male or female.
3
Bear in mind this is from a woman who was once in a group (Life Spring) that she purportedly said used 'mind control techniques' and referred to its members 'pretty scary people'. Well, I have to say I find her extreme advocacy of ultra conservative positions similarly cult-like, and her and her 'followers' in Groundswell pretty scary people myself. Apparently some things don't change....
8
I think if Ms Thomas gets people, career public service employees, fired,without cause, there should be lawsuits following closely.
10
Influencers trying to get "their" people into positions of power under the guise of being for the Chief Executive has been going since Washington 1st took the job. One could say if it's not happening, then the influencer isn't doing their job. A tale as old as time.
Trump is demanding liberal justices recuse themselves from matters dealing with him, but the wife of a conservative justice is actively trying to destroy the careers of anyone not perceived to be loyal enough to Trump.
And this is just okay with everyone?
12
One more example of the deleterious influence of a spouse's outlook (including religious elements) on an already conservative Republican official's agenda. A potent mix of authoritarianism and theocracy. We are alone among ...advanced nations in tolerating this pathology.
7
God only knows what impact Pence’s wife has on him and his political and religious beliefs, but can’t be good either.
3
Talk about hubris! The partner of a Supreme Court justice should be prohibited from engaging in any type of lobbying — including sending lists of those she or he deems ‘dangerous’ to anyone. There should be a law against this type of behavior. Our government really is falling apart.
8
I was under the impression that federal employees first loyalty is to the constitution, not the president.
7
government is broken
what this shows is that, just like corporations' boards of directors, just like charitable organizations' boards of trustees, just like any organization, a group often becomes entrenched. the result is personal bias ends up overruling by-laws, charters, and laws.
term limits. if it's ok for the president to be limited to two four-year terms, the courts, congress, and all other organizations should have term limits to make sure that entrenched groups don't run amok and destroy the institution, which is what is happening to our government.
4
It would be better for the Country, if Mrs. Thomas and her supporters would focus on recommending people for federal government positions who are the most qualified for a position regardless of their political affiliations or perceived loyalty to the president.
It does not follow that those who are deemed most loyal to the president are the most qualified for a position. The recently appointed Mr. Grinnell as acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is one example of the fallacy of this kind of thinking.
During his 2016 campaign, Trump promised to surround himself with the very best people to fulfill key government positions. He has failed miserably to fulfill that promise. If he is re-elected, we can expect more appointments of people who are not competent or ethically-challenged or both. And Trump may decide they are not "loyal" by his definition of that attribute, if it is to his benefit.
Additionally, the Country is losing experienced personnel who are being fired or forced out by Trump or leave because they cannot tolerate his corruption and contempt for the rule of law. It is Gresham's Law at work in politics: The bad people drive out the good, leaving us with a "Tammany-style" government where incompetence, corruption and abuse of power are rampant.
2
How come those of us who work for the Government cannot discuss politics at work? Yet she can w/o recourse? Such a double standard for the wealthy, like prison sentences.
4
Ginny Thomas reminds me of that really, really mean girl in high school.
She looks in the mirror and doesn't like what she sees so she goes out and makes everyone else miserable.
She lies, she gossips, she ruins people, she forms cliques, she decides who stays and who goes, she has a massive ego covering a massive inferiority complex, like Trump, and she lumbers through the hallways being horrible.
Yep. That's who Ginny reminds me of. But this time, she's the mean girl who has a lot of power and is kicking good people out of an administration that every day loses more good people.
She's a scary woman. Hopefully she will "graduate" soon and just go away. Her husband should resign.
8
This group of Trump operatives of topic here are uniformly and consistently identified throughout as “conservatives.” In order to realistically evaluate the current political climate of the Trump administration it’s vital that we correctly ID those aligned with Trump. They are right wing extremists. Not the conservatives of tradition that once represented the Republican Party. The GOP that once was and it’s brand of conservative probity which is now an expired commodity, all out of political capital. This article effectively describes how the Republican Party now operates. As a totalitarian force.
8
Mrs. Thomas has been an active conspiracy-theorist for a long time, but one would think her Justice husband would ask her to restrain herself. Even if her activities are not a breach of Supreme Court ethics (which they probably are not), her involvement in the purges is a stain on the Court.
9
If Clarence Thomas doesn’t give a fig for the Supreme Court or its reputation or role in our 3-equal-parts government, why on earth would we imagine his wife would ?
I’m glad the truth about how she (and he?) wants to destroy American democracy: Maybe light of day will bring her nefarious influence to a halt.
Biden has never taken responsibility for his leading role in protecting Clarence Thomas from credible accusations during his confirmation hearings.
All of those senators who voted for confirmation should responsiblility for one of the most unqualified Supreme Court justices in our history (and his wife's inexplicable prominence in conservative circles).
11
I would say that Ginny Thomas is definitely part of the “deep state” apparatus that plagues American politics and government.
16
Well Ginni Thomas has made Justice Thomas an anachronism How can he continue to vote when his spouse is pushing Trump's loyalty agenda? Definite appearance of conflict--if not real conflict. Resign Thomas--you have done enough damage in this lifetime.
18
It's a shame that the #metoo movement didn't start a bit earlier, say 1991. Mr. Thomas would never have gotten on the court and we wouldn't be hearing about his wife trying to run the administration now. And, Joe Biden might not have taken the claims of Anita Hill so lightly.
9
Soooo...let’s read about this brazen case of pro-conservative power-and-influence abuse and conflict of interest in the context of Trump accusing Justices Sotomayor and Ginsburg of “unfair bias,” and insisting that they recuse themselves in cases involving him.
This is the surreal, degraded state of civic culture which reigns over high politics and policy making in the US today. The newest member of the official International Club of Mafia States meets the World’s Greatest Banana Republic...and the hybrid offspring is likely another Trump term which makes the mutation worse.
If ignorant, bloody-minded swing state voters, the permanently red South and Midwest, and the Electoral College, continue to determine outcomes and consolidate an ossified minoritarian democracy, California (and a few other places) will be fully justified in filing for divorce under the well-established doctrine of “irreconcilable differences.”
Then at least some people will know what it’s like to still live under the “constitutional rule of law.” Specifically the national constitutional law of the Republic of California. No need to redesign our flag. It’s ready to go. And we’ll have a law forbidding Supreme Court Justices with the sort of grotesque conflict of interest which catapults the tenure of Justice Thomas to an even higher level of shock and embarrassment.
10
this doesn't smack of a conflict of interest for a man who shouldn't have been nominated or sat on the scotus in the first place, does it?
11
What position in the government does the chinwag Mrs Thomas occupy? I missed that in the article. This has the odor of the McCarthy era. Instead of communists being purged, it's those who take their oath of office seriously, and abide by the Hatch act. Nov 3rd cannot get here quick enough for me.
11
Draining the swamp? More like swamping the drain...
14
Ginny Thomas is just the tip of that vast Right Wing conspiracy iceberg that Hillary Clinton warned us about.
27
There are people in this administration who are dangerous to America's ideals and freedoms. Despite all our differences of opinions, these people are deliberately trying to ruin people professionally, financially and personally. How do they justify hurting these person's family? How do they justify their actions, when they go to church, synagogue or mosque and ask for forgiveness? shame!!!!
9
There's no problem with Ginni Thomas being a right wing advocate trying to influence White House policy.
But there is a problem with her husband, Justice Thomas refusing to recuse himself on issues that his wife is working on from the policy side.
The "Catch 22" is that unlike other judges, Supreme Court justices decide for themselves when or if recusal is warranted. And Justice Thomas has made a point to sit on every anti-abortion case, despite the fact that his wife is a lobbyists on this issue.
But since the rules don't require a Supreme Court justice to avoid "the appearance of bias" as they do with other judges, he sits and votes even though everyone knows he is committed to overturning a woman' right to choose.
This is not about the law, or the merits of an individual case. This is a judge trying to destroy a legal standard from the bench while his wife does the same thing as a congressional lobbyist.
There is so much wrong with our political system and now the taint of unfairness infects the Supreme Court itself.
The GOP has made it clear. Politics is about power, not fairness, not due process and certainly not about equal protection of the law.
18
If this were the spouse of Dem appointed Justice, there would be howling and scowling from the party that has promoted unlimited big money in politics, voter suppression, gerrymandering, and the ability of a Senate leader to simply block a SCOTUS nominee because it is politically expedient for him to do so.
10
This is appalling. Never has “loyalty” been an issue in civil service outside of loyalty to the United States Constitution. Donald has become a “Don” in the most sinister sense of the word.
Ginni Thomas is merely the latest in a long string of conservative insiders who are attempting to pervert the system from the inside. Clarence Thomas, arguably one of the least potent justices ever to serve, has now made history twice: first with the Anita Hill harassment, and now with the subversive behavior of his wife (which we all know is being conducted with his approval). So much for impartiality. How can Thomas possibly be objective on any case remotely related to the Trump administration?
13
"Ginny" has be vocal since before Clarence Thomas was admitted to the bench.
June, 2010 her comment to sean hannity, was,
"there's alot of judicial wives and husbands out there causing problems, I'm just one of them".
She should rechuse herself, along with Clarence Thomas, from any monitoring of Justices.
6
It's ironic Trump is demanding Ginsburg and Sotomayor recuse themselves from cases involving his Administration. Clarence Thomas is well aware of his wife's activities, so maybe he should recuse himself.
11
Why isn’t the Chief Justice quietly urging Thomas to recuse himself because of the stain on the entire Supreme Court?
Oh, I remember, he facilitated the Senate “trial, so we know where Roberts’ sympathies lie.
1
If Justice Thomas doesn't recuse himself in Trump-related matters, perhaps an ethics complaint to the Bar is in order.
4
@EN
But Barr the AG would just throw it out.
Not up to the AG.
Sorry. I misunderstood your comment. the complaint is not to William Barr it's to the State Bar Association and the ABA.
1
As the Conservatives and Trumpists like to say of their "Deep State," who elected Ginni Thomas?
Who and what are people who label truth-tellers as "bad?" Why are facts now political inconveniences that must continually be labelled as fake? Why must those who identify lies and abuses be silenced? To think that people are being told to be scared of Bernie because totalitarian regimes of the last century were purgers and murderers. Who are the threats?
5
Ginny and her group have been around for a very long time but it's Trump who is letting them gain traction. I have a cousin who is in this group and we have the same name. For awhile I was getting frequent e-mails from them because they had confused me for her. Finally and with amusement I sent them an e-mail back to say that I am not who you think I am but rather a liberal who lives in San Francisco. I invited dialog and friendship with them to have some kind of mutual understanding.
I never heard from them again
Repulsive people who think they own our country and institutions.
9
Speaking as a spouse and life long Democrat, my husband both worked in city government and as a law clerk in Appellate court for several years. He NEVER got involved in politics and as his spouse, I never did either, other than to cast our single vote. What Ginny Thomas is doing probably isn’t illegal but she is clearly using the fact her husband is a Supreme Court Judge to gain access to the president for pushing a political agenda. This should not be tolerated. No Way No How. And frankly any “whataboutism” is irrelevant. She’s WAY out of bounds.
249
@Rose As the wife of a judge who only sits and pouts, is she acting as his voice?
Clarence Thomas has never been my favorite member of SCOTUS. This does not give her much attention credibility for me.
It does not appear that Goldilocks needs any urging to eliminate disloyal minions.
Isn’t there a loyalty clause in his hiring process?
12
Thomas was accused of sexual improprieties. He is a good fit for a justice in a trump administration. With all due respect to him and his wife I think he should consider himself a lucky man and his wife not try and draw too much attention with a McCarthy like comment.
7
What is wrong with forcing government workers to swear fealty and loyalty to our dark age lord master Mister Trump? Do we now live not in a democracy, but a feudal system where we have all become serfs? Once again, just askin’.
5
I can't wait until she receives her Medal of Freedom.
7
@Durango2
...and toasts it sharing champagne with Limbaugh.
Two peas in the same pod.
November can't come soon enough!
5
GOP; Malevolent mimes the lot.
We'll be lucky to survive this tsunami of lies and bad faith, which began with the oh so affable RR.
Evidently the GOP senses in Trump their Karl Roveian/Gingrich/Bush II dream ticket to a permanent ruling majority.
It's the 'unitary executive' perversion come back as Frankenstein's monster.
Trump is their locomotive to that destination and they are determined to get there now, as it may be their best chance in decades.
5
Where is Chief Justice Roberts in all this?
6
Clearly Trump is paranoid
but then again he has a lot to be paranoid about
2
If memory serves, when this was first reported Ms. Thomas was slurring her words in the telephone message. 7:30 a.m.?? Drink up, family values!
11
Except for the Warren court of the 50s and 60s, the Supreme Court is not the friend of democracy.
It undid the reconstruction amendments - 13, 14, 15- in the early 20th century.
And after Shelby County vs Holder undid the Voting Rights Act, it is doing it again.
2
The spouse of a sitting Supreme Court Justice personally and repeatedly, directly lobbying the President of the United States regarding important government personnel matters, seeking the promotion of a particular ideology which her husband, that Justice, himself has vigorously promoted for decades in his judicial opinions. This outrageous conflict of interest cannot stand, and must be raised not only by affected litigants before the Court but also by ethics challenges by the federal bar. Imagine the thunderous howls of condemnation by the right wing chorus if the spouse of any one of the Court’s liberal Justices had done anything remotely resembling this blatant example of corruption in plain sight! What say YOU C.J. Roberts?
19
If Roberts truly cares a jot about the Court’s perceived legitimacy before the American public he will forthrightly address this issue,and in a comprehensive manner. Let’s be honest, the Thomases are ideological “peas in a pod”. When she lobbies Trump, effectively he lobbies Trump. When he supports this Administration’s positions in his opinions, she also speaks in support of them through her husband. She becomes a “shadow” Justice, exponentially increasing her own influential access to ultimate Executive power. Amazing!
2
Such reports are keeping me awake at night - quite literally.
6
What, it isn't enough that we have a Supreme Court member who has never proffered an intelligent opinion? And, we have a president who doesn't understand the responsibilities and limits of government. Now we face a deliberate purge of intelligence and ability.
11
We can all thank Joe Biden for being a gentleman and allowing Thomas onto the court 30 years ago, when he was clearly disqualified via his un-professional behavior and outlandish legal opinions. It's time for democrats to toughen-up, change the composition of the court, and retro-actively remove Justice Kavanaugh due to McConnell's illegal blocking of Merrick Garland.
11
@JS
"We can all thank Joe Biden for being a gentleman and allowing Thomas onto the court 30 years ago..."
Really? Thank him? Was this really a sound judgment---& can we expect more of that from a man running for president?
It just can't get much lower than this. We have the right-wing extremist political hack wife of the most unqualified, unintelligent and politically biased called "justice" on the Supreme Court running amuck while Trump calls on the most distinguished sitting Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Sonia Sotomayor to recuse themselves from cases involving his administration because he thinks they are biased against him. I know why have been through the looking glass now for three years but we have hit rock bottom here. The Supreme Court is completely defunct as a judicial body and the rulings it produces are meaningless. 5-4 decisions are all political in nature and will be revisited by the court over and over. If Trump loses a case he will just ignore the ruling anyway. What are they going to do at this point? The Republican's in the Senate have clearly demonstrated that they will not uphold their oath of office and hold Trump accountable. Bottom line is the rule of law is dead in this country.
21
Judges are not permitted to show their political affiliation or engage in political causes - why should their spouses be allowed use their sway? I find Ms. Thomas's abuse of her role disgusting.
11
So NOW a Democratic Incoming Candidate realizes that a goodly HALF that White House staff will have to be fired and replaced.
There didn't USED to be a Deep State.
Now there actually IS.
But it's Republicans who are building it.
SMH.
7
Well, what did you expect when you appointed a Justice who obviously lied at his confirmation hearing?
I'm looking at you, Mr. Biden.
5
What can you say about this?
The tide has gone out in the Trump era and we are now seeing who doesn't believe really in the Constitution, in democracy, in tolerance, in pluralism, in the rule of law, and in human and civil rights.
Oh, and her husband sits as one of only nine on the US Supreme Court. A lifetime appointment.
It's mind boggling. Who are these people? And why do they believe they should have some influence over the lives of millions of people they don't know?
It's a sickness. That taxpayers pay for.
Please, please resign. And crawl back under your rock.
10
@Biff We need to be thinking about what we're going to do to them when\if sanity returns, before they run off and hide.
1
Now she has been outed, surely she will now be pursued with the same tactics she uses
2
Merrick Garland need we say more about fairness? It is minority rule expressing itself with an increasingly fascist face. Purge those not loyal to the LEADER, loyalty to the leader not the country or rule of law. Total lack of respect for the wishes of the majority. Trump lost the popular vote, Democratic Senators represent many more voters than their Republican counterparts, in the house Democrats received 58% of the vote. Tell me how this continues to work? When do the people get what they want?
10
This is more than ideology or partisanship. It's authoritarianism, and the impulses of authoritarian followers are no longer kept in check, but loudly encouraged by Trump. Where have we seen this behavior before, and how will it end?
25
Not many years ago, the notion that the wife of a Supreme Court justice would trade on her husband’s position to browbeat a president into appointing her hyper-conservative friends and associates to important government posts would have seemed like a plot outline for a very bad movie.
Ginni Thomas, however, is an actual person, as is her husband, Justice Clarence Thomas. Any theatrical movie made of this outrageous conduct would not be a comedy or a musical farce. It would be a darkly serious study of the judicial branch of the United States run amok.
It should be noted that there is a new movie about Justice Thomas, his entire life and his second wife, Ginni Thomas. It is a documentary in which Clarence Thomas “wrote” the dialogue and acts as both narrator and the on-camera star.
You cannot make this stuff up, and it is a very troubling.
29
@sdw Tammy Fay and Jim Baker anyone?
5
Apparently her recommendations are so off the wall that even Trump is ignoring them.
Now that's saying something.
4
So freedom of speech is out, concern for the public welfare is out, preserving the union is out. What's in is the truth as created by Trump.
It's all over. America did not survive Donald Trump.
6
People like Ginnie Thomas hear voices. It's apparent that something else is going on with her. Thoughts and prayers. Clarence Thomas need to be recused.
3
Ginny Thomas is not a conservative -- she's a radical. The same is true of all the "conservatives" named in this article. They are only interested in power, which they use to tell everyone how they have to live their lives. And any and all means are justified in pursuing these ends. They will lie, cheat and flout any laws that get in the way.
It took years for the mainstream media, including the NY Times, to use the word 'lie' to describe the blizzard of lies that Republicans have been spewing for decades. Now it is time to abandon the word 'conservative' to describe radical right-wing zealots.
25
Rich people with connections to power observe no boundaries. Apparently we need to spell out in law a prohibition against this kind of meddling, since Donald hasn't the common sense or integrity to kibosh on it himself. Why should this woman have direct access to influence the POTUS when the rest of us don't? Worse, she is the very definition of Conflict of Interest, given her husband's position. Donald bars various journalists and refuses to release the names of people and corporations that he meets with at the white house, yet allows a scheming busybody like Ms. Thomas to throw her weight around, picking favorites and targeting others. I can picture "Ginni" in the mean girls clique in high school, trading in lies and whispers to get her way.
8
People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
As I age out of this existence and prepare ledgers defining my existence, Ms. Haberman's article just reminded me Ginni Thomas and her husband Clarence Thomas are two of the faces emblazening my growing post scriptum facial-list of individuals I detest for their mean-spirited sense of fair play.
Mind you, this being a short list of mentionings, current and recent likewise examples that preceed those roaming the earth since Modernity like Dick Cheney's, and Karl Rove, Bush W.'s parade of Neocon's, and, of course, Bush W. himself, Ronald Reagan, Tom DeLay, Nixon, Lee Atwater, Condoleezza Rice, Nicki Haley.......I believe yyou get my drift.
1
@merc Please add the Arch-Villain and Oleg Deripaska loving Mitch McConnell, who is on the take from Russian Billionaires.
The swamp overflows.
7
Unquestionably, Gini and Clarence need to self-recuse.
3
Is this really new or surprising? Anyone remember the “Washington Wives”, who tried to censor music in the ‘80s? Tipper Gore was one of the main instigators. These women formed the PMRC (Parents’ Music Resource Center).
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parents_Music_Resource_Center
@Phobos If you see these as analogous situations, I think you need to think again. The present case represents a small group of extremely "conservative" ideologues whose goal is the concentration of power among those they support. What Tipper Gore was doing is wholly different, based on her notion about what children were being exposed to. It was misguided, but had nothing to do with trying to wrest power from public servants to further the interests of her friends.
9
@Phobos
I remember what a joke most people thought they were.
@aoxomoxoa
Suppression of others' freedom of expression is just as dangerous. We already had the FCC to monitor what was broadcast on TV or radio. Censorship of music is ludicrous given how selective they were in choosing what to criticize. Parents ought to be the arbiters of what their children are exposed to, not the spouse of some politician.
TV today shows 100s of murders a week, but show a nipple and people are up in arms? Our priorities are completely off-track.
How are Ginni Thomas' actions any different than the Federalist Society's? Or ALEC's for that matter?
To me, it just shows that conservatives would rather be led than lead as they have no independent ideas of their own.
I honestly can't think of anything bad enough to call this woman that would make it past the NYTimes guidelines. She's the perfect example of GOP hypocrisy, entitlement and I-got-mine-ism. She'd love to roll back rights for LGBTQ people who want to get married, women who want to control their own bodies and healthcare decisions and other things she finds offensive and non-traditional. But if anyone were to say, "hey, let's roll back rights even further to when it was illegal for blacks and whites to marry or for women to vote," she's say that was ridiculous. She's awful!
31
Groundswell is not Ginni Thomas’s “alter ego”.
It is all her ego.
7
This off the charts inappropriate. We must vote blue no matter who while we still can!
26
On Feb. 20, the New York Times reported that “the White House is transferring a senior national security aide who fell under suspicion of writing an anonymous insider account of dissent within the Trump administration.” The anonymous insider account, which the Times published in 2018 as an Op-Ed, was headlined: “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration.The insider boasted “I work for the president but like-minded colleagues I have vowed to thwart parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.”
The White House dismissals are not a matter of dissent or loyalty, as the New York Tines asserts. The White House is attempting to remove saboteurs. Any administration would work to identify replace staffers who worked to thwart its policies.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/opinion/trump-white-house-anonymous-resistance.html
Yes, it’s always wise to base decisions on deep seeded paranoia.
3
“Remove saboteurs.” This is exactly why there is a resistance.
5
@AW
It is not paranoia when a senior national security aide publishes an anonymous confession of working with colleagues to thwart presidential policies.
Cronyism is not dead...supreme court justice's wife openly pro-Trump, anyone doubt her and hubby don't talk at home after work? No, SCOTUS isn't slanted right, no....
5
@Brian Mrs Thomas is not actually pro-Trump-she is taking advantage of the present climate in the administration to further her own ends-and that of her 'ilk'. Their efforts to manipulate government policy will be short-lived when the majority of Americans vote their consciences in Nov. and they can return to nurse their hateful grievances at their exclusive country clubs.
2
This is the kind of inappropriate, beyond the pale, Trumpster behavior that is destroying our country. Can we not either muzzle her or remove him from SCOTUS?
9
If you ever hear someone ask, “How bad can a Trump second term be?” Here is your answer. We will see Fascism in government, the likes not seen since the late 1930’s -1940’s.
35
Strike one against Hillary Clinton was firing people in the travel office. Double standard much??
@Paul S Let's see. Travel office vs. Homeland Security and State Department? Clearly the same thing if you see no distinctions anywhere.
3
@Paul S In what 'world' do you see a comparison?
1
So Trump's "trusted advisors" are now in position to unseat and possibly have arrested anyone they dislike for any reason, based on a charge of "disloyalty." Meanwhile they install themselves or their friends in lucrative government jobs for which many of them are completely unqualified. This is the nightmare for which the founding fathers set up a tripartite government to act as a balance on executive power. That has mostly failed as Trump does not recognize the authority of Congress or an independent judiciary.
9
The entire court should recuse itself about 99% of the time...
1
when SCOTUS colludes with POTUS and the GOP Senate sits idly by, then have truly lost any hit of balance of powers and thereby our democracy
11
Is this not an obscene example of conflict of interest, Ginni being a proxy for the husband, a Supreme Court Justice, who, by any means should stay away from politics?
40
Now imagine him after reelection.
16
@Chris Morris I do, and it scares the heck out of me.
4
This is not the first time Clarence's wife has been in the news. She has become the woman who uses her husband's power for her own gains. It would be nice if she would step back and become her own woman, with all that entails. I've seen it before in military wives who inflated their own sense of self based on their husband's rank.
15
Chilling.
18
So now Trump wants Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Sonia Sotomayor to recuse themselves from any case involving him because he thinks they're biased. But we're supposed to pretend that Clarence Thomas has no bias, and that it's perfectly ok for his wife to be working on a "disloyalty" witch hunt in our government?
64
This shows that Trump has not only corrupted every corner of government but he has also encouraged other nut cases like Ginny Thomas to participate in the destruction of our government. I wonder if Justice Thomas is aware of activities originating in his home?
12
Thomas was vetting candidates for George Bush in 2000 WHILE her husband was deciding on Bush v Gore. She and he clearly have no respect for decency or democracy. He should have recused himself, the most obviously conflicted Justice in that case.
Now Trump is screaming and whining that 2 liberal Justices MUST recuse themselves...while the same Mrs. Thomas is actively pushing him to extend his Stalinist purge of the Civil Service in his Cult of Personality...But he's not calling for Justice Thomas to recuse himself, oh, NO!
If any Justice declared, as McConnell did, that he was TOTALLY for Trump, TOTALLY biased, Trump would CHEER in a thousand tweets.
This is how Democracy dies, to thunderous tweets. Will we even make it to November before Trump, on some trumped-up excuse, either cancels the election, or "appoints" "Watchers" at every precinct to make sure he wins?
31
@Dadof2
Not every precinct.
Just the ones Democrats run.
And be sure to check the trunks of cars for ‘missing’ boxes of ballots.
2
Ginni Thomas would make a great “Aunt Lydia”. Anyone who watches Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale would agree!
10
Justices should be appointed by a panel of neutral as possible members of the Bar Assn.. or some other such group.
Probably never happen!
1
the ABA vets judicial nominees. this is the first president that refuses to follow their recommendations in every single case
Mental illness takes many forms. Creating imaginary "enemies" then purging was the specialty of Joe McCarthy.
34
The one fact we can glean from this story, which warrants much further investigation and reporting, is that Clarence Thomas and his wife deserve each other.
They sound like true soul mates.
13
@Hope Is Justice Thomas fully aware of the dangerous consequences that his wife's political activities could have on his decisions? The public must ask where he gets his information for his deliberations.
1
”Virginia "Ginni" Lamp Thomas, is an American attorney and lobbyist who founded Liberty Consulting. ” Wpedia. I believe she is influencing him showing that the Supreme Court is not the altruistic body that Americans trust. Dems should be talking about the courts - they hold a heavy hand over our lives - healthcare, rights, and justice. Thomas should be removed from the court - J expect his wife had a hand in stopping Anita Hill - and Biden too!
8
So it's back to the good old days of Joe McCarthy, not to mention the Salem witch trials.
16
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any uglier. Parallels to the endlessly paranoid purges and kooky characters with the dictator’s ear in any number of megalomaniac regimes come to mind.
16
A private citizen interfering with government policies, employment, etc?
This should be investigated and brought before Congress.
Clarence Thomas has always been a stain on the bench, the biggest stain until Brett Kavanaugh, but now we have to deal with his meddling wife.
What is the expression...people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones?
11
Groundswell, Heritage Foundation, Judicial Watch...talk about a swamp. A swamp among swamps, really, full of leeches.
13
The wife of a Supreme Court Justice telling the White House who to fire and hire? Absolutely incredible! Clarence Thomas should immediately resign from the Court due to his wife's actions as he can no longer be seen as an impartial justice. The problem is that Donald Trump will then nominate another legal toady who may actually be worse than Justice Thomas so the Supreme Court is in trouble either way. And to Ms. Thomas, autocratic regimes are run by a ruler that demands absolute loyalty and nothing else. That is not how America operates. There are many countries in the world that are run by autocratic rulers and anytime you don't like the American system of government you are free to leave and live in any one of these other countries.
39
Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, by his Twitter post yesterday, has proved himself inept at handling the coronavirus crisis. Really, does the head of Homeland Security need to use the internet to find out the status of coronavirus cases around the world? I would think that he would have a direct line to the CDC.
The inability of the Trump administration to handle this virus outbreak may prove to be very bad for the country. If people die, Trump and Ginny Thomas will have a lot to answer for.
6
And will CT recuse himself from #45 related cases? No - there is a complete lack of non partisanship in DC right now ( I should say more than ever...) This woman is as anti constitution as they get.
10
"Some administration aides have long been suspicious that people like Ms. Thomas and Ms. Dunlop are less interested in pro-Trump purity than in appointments for their own networks of friends." Gee, is anyone really surprised at this? The Trump "administration" is the most corrupt, self-serving and sycophantic in U.S. history. This is "small potatoes" compared to the many other things that have been done to date.
8
The ugliness within is now manifesting in her actions.
8
Mrs. Thomas presents a good argument for "court packing". There aren't enough neutral spouses to head organizations such as Goundswell with strong political opinions.
The Supreme Court needs to have qualified justices to counteract the "Trump" justices on complex cases which currently will be decided on a political basis. Control of the Senate and House will be required for "court packing".
102
Trump has demanded that left leaning judges recuse themselves due to something they may have said. He always complains about left bias.
So in America it is still supposed to work both ways. Clarence Thomas's wife is clearly partisan by her words and actions. Clearly, Clarence Thomas should recuse himself related to anything to do with Trump as his wife is actively working to purge Trump enemies. Thomas is biased for Trump and using trumpian logic it is time for him to recuse himself. I wonder if any other right wing justices have ever said anything negative about Democrats. According to Trump's decree they should recuse themselves as well. Just saying.
506
@Kennyway
My thoughts exactly. Trump assumes that everyone in and around his administration must wrap their arms around him, love him, protect him, never have a differing opinion, or else they must be banished and ruined. We all know there are at least as many government workers who have their own bias against the Democrats. Ginni Thomas is a fanatic. Her work is a danger to our Constitution and our democracy.
85
@Kennyway
Also Gorsuch and Kavenaugh owe him their jobs, so recusal is in order for them as well.
69
@Kennyway In all fairness, Justice Thomas' wife is not him so I don't know that her activities, which should be viewed as inappropriate and unbecoming, but which are constitutionally protected, can be attributed to him. If a case were to come to the court that involved her directly then he would have to recuse himself. But it seems like other Supreme Court spouses are involved in liberal causes, but that is no basis for any recusal by those Justices.
1
Just another “swamp creature,” leveraging her husband’s position to social climb and influence others. We’ll see just how much influence she has when the Administration changes.
374
@Scott
Another instance of Washington showing itself what it is at its core: "Hollywood for ugly people."
22
@Scott Rather than wielding her own influence, Heritage Foundation has been paying her for years to influence her husband. Scandalous and a real dent in the integrity of the court.
21
Trump's Presidency has revealed just how fragile democracy is. It has brought those who would seek to undermine it and exploit it for short term personal gain to the fore.
Trump does not even have a basic grasp of the doctrine of separation of powers and why it is critical that it is respected.
Trump, his shameful maladministration and complicit GOP enablers have done and will continue to do huge damage to American democracy. It pains me that such a large numbers of Americans don't see it, can't understand it or don't care.
418
@Andrew
It pains me, my family and my community too my friend.
Our heartache, pain, disgust and fear of this administration and our "leader/autocrat" runs deeper than you can possibly imagine....
41
@Andrew Well said. I often wonder when future generations look back at this time in American history, what their thoughts will be.
20
@Andrew
I'm afraid, Andrew, that one of your answers is most correct. There are tens of millions of Americans who "can't" understand what Trump has done.
They're just not that smart. Throw in Fox News, Hannity, Carlson, a lot of racism and sexism, white people feeling threatened by brown people, a hatred of anyone "different," a changing world they can't keep up with, poverty, a lack of education and you've got "can't."
It's really sad. If California and Oregon and Washington and Hawaii wanted to form their own country I'd vote YES. We are, on this side, quite clearly utterly different from the mid west and the south.
15
When appointed to a position with the federal government whether as a political appointee or as an employee there is one thing that both are required to take-the oath of office.
That oath has no words within it that demands loyalty, subservience or obedience (aside from compliance to lawful orders) to a sitting president.
To demand that loyalty is treading closely on having a sovereign as our leader.
Many will argue the appointees serve at the pleasure of the president. That is true. But, the oath of appointment requires service to the country, the people.
Ms. Thomas along with others are leading our country down a path that we chose not to tread on many, many years ago and rejected the sovereign in favor of government of the people, not government by a person who demands loyalty to him rather than country.
375
Another “conservative” extremist. Thomas should recuse himself from the bench, or get his wife out of government affairs activism. The moral rot runs deep with conservatives.
640
@R In a lower court, this behavior would lead to the judges recusal on any case touching on political issues or those relating to the president. As we have seen, however, in the Supreme Court, the justices there do not believe they have to recuse themselves, and there is no one above them to make them. Justice Scalia addressed this when requested to recuse himself in a case involving companies in which he had a direct financial interest. The rule was "don't wanna, can't make me".
Add this to the POTUS mentality of "I can do whatever I want" and the GOP mentality of "we don't give a rip what Trump or his supporters do", and we have stepped wholesale into autocracy.
105
@R They ARE moral rot. There is nothing else there, which is why they have to lie and cheat to "win" elections. I now routinely ask other commenters to name any legislation proposed by Republicans that is intended to benefit the majority of Americans. So far, nothing.
47
@David I have always been mystified at the reverence that Scalia seems to have inspired. Just another partisan hack.
37
While it has virtually no chance of being enacted, we really do need some laws - since old fashioned expectations of appropriate conduct seem oh so passe - that prevent family members of elected and high ranking officials in the federal government from having or holding any positions or outside conduct which have or give the appearance of influence of government operations.
Ms. Thomas is certainly free to have her opinions, whatever one may think of them, but or her to be party to influencing the appointment or retention of government employees while her husband is a sitting justice is wholly inappropriate. If we had such laws, written to cover a broader scope than anything at present, we wouldn't have the Trump children engaging in qausi-governmental operations and "missions", sons like Hunter couldn't be in positions that may call into question their father's impartiality (while in office only), and so on.
Alas, as we seem to only want to "correct" the conduct of the other side, this likely will never happen.
10
Just another reason why our Supreme Court is now a political institution and no longer the objective check on the other two branches of government that it was meant to be. It’s the court of whomever is in power.
22
In a lower court, this behavior would lead to the judges recusal on any case touching on political issues or those relating to the president. As we have seen, however, in the Supreme Court, the justices there do not believe they have to recuse themselves, and there is no one above them to make them. Justice Scalia addressed this when requested to recuse himself in a case involving companies in which he had a direct financial interest. The rule was "don't wanna, can't make me".
Add this to the POTUS mentality of "I can do whatever I want" and the GOP mentality of "we don't give a rip what Trump or his supporters do", and we have stepped wholesale into autocracy.
2
Perhaps we should ask Justice Thomas to recuse himself from cases which involve issues his wife is advocating on behalf of the conservative movement? And apparently, Justice Thomas needs to have a conversation with his wife about checks and balances and her conspicuous acts of influence inside the White House. Not that ideological conservatives really care much about them; they favor conservatism as an ideology more than the representative democracy we live in. And they live their lives for their ideology, no matter how destructive it is to our form of government and democratic ways.
5
When I was growing up in the Fifties, the Republican Party was led by well-to-do White Anglo Saxon Protestants with educations and upbringings that stressed devotion to this country who --regardless of their political differences with Democrats -- were regarded as knowledgeable and experienced patriots by most Americans.
Now it is led by louts, job hunters, fast-buck artists, political scamsters and bottom-feeding swamp creatures like Rudy Giuliani, Corey Lewandowski, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Steve Bannon, KellyAnne Conway, Betsy Devos, Michael Flynn, Corey Lewandowski, Paul Manafort, Mitch McConnell, Stephen Miller, Roy Moore, Mike Pence, Scott Pruitt, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Roger Stone and Donald Trump, Jr. who are recognized by a sizable majority of Americans -- including a great many of Trump’s own supporters -- as the bums they are and who still have another 329 days plus or minus four years left to permanently ruin this country.
And now, along comes Mrs. Thomas to add a bit of history to the list.
Few if any of them will be experiencing any serious jail time, Trump will see to that.
His future appointments to the Supreme Court will doubtless be people of the caliber of A.G. Bill Barr, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Judge Roy Moore.
More than one-quarter of our active Federal judges are already Trump appointees, with more of them seeming to be appointed every day.
Trump’s legacy will be a bright red stain on the nation for decades to come.
112
@A. Stanton: Bravo! Well said and sadly, so true.
5
@A. Stanton - I am 81. Let me recall some of the Republicans who were regarded as "knowledgeable and experienced patriots."
Dwight Eisenhower
Bob Taft
Nelson Rockefeller
Everett Dirksen
Jacob Javits
Earl Warren
John Foster Dulles
And so on.
6
@Len Charlap
Thank you!
4
"For the past 18 months, Ginni Thomas, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, and other conservatives have plied the White House with memos and suggestions about which people to fire — and who should replace them."
And they expect us to believe that the Justices of the Supreme Court are not political, are not affected by politics, and do not take politics into account in crafting their decisions.
Yeah, right. And I am the King of Siam. You betcha.
20
its wrong for the president to interfere with the judiciary, which he has been doing, and which now extends to the supreme court given his comments on recusal to justices sotomayor and ginsburg.
it's equally wrong for the judiciary, even indirectly - as in: through a spouse - to interfere with the executive branch. and this commentary is despicable as it suggests loyalty is a requirement and a list of those not meeting trump's singular definition of disloyalty is being complied.
this is government run amok. where are the checks and balances? surely not in the legislative branch. (he did something wrong. i vote to acquit. where's the logic for that? wrong is wrong. it isn't a question of whether or not one's opinions is that it isn't impeachable. wrong, supported by the evidence, requires a vote against, not a pass.)
i'm not suggesting that ms. thomas isn't entitled to an opinion. she's certainly highly intelligent.
what i am suggesting is that when there is a hint of conflict, one should keep one's opinion to oneself - private.
if justice sotomayor offended the president by suggesting there was pressure and partisan bias on the supreme court, ms. thomas's memos and suggestions surely support her claim.
november gets closer every day. it's time not just to drain the swamp, a thorough house cleaning and disinfecting is absolutely necessary.
13
Wow, every day more evidence of pervasive corruption. But then after denying the seat to Garland and appointing Kavanaugh who still thinks the US Supreme Court is impartial?
14
When I took my commissioning oath, I swore an oath to defend and protect the constitution from enemies foreign AND domestic, not to the commander in chief. I was also taught not to obey an illegal order. Nowhere was there a requirement to swear a loyalty oath to any individual. We are not a monarchy or dictatorial government although we seem to be headed that way.
41
Nothing says impartial judiciary system like the wife of a sitting supreme court judge leading the charge to produce an enemies list for Trump. Sad and scary days for the nation.
55
"Despite her own history of supporting Senator Ted Cruz of Texas for the Republican presidential nomination and of trying to stop Mr. Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention, Ms. Thomas has presented herself to the White House as a barometer of who is sufficiently conservative and supportive of the Trump agenda, according to current and former administration officials."
If you believe that Ginny Thomas is doing anything other than pushing her own agenda, I will sell you both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge, for a modest sum, and you can make one a one way toll bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan and the other a one way toll bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Such a deal. Special just for you.
12
Why is this wife of a supreme court justice allow to run around Washington conducting loyalty tests for Trump? Sounds like a good reason for Thomas to recuse himself from all Supco decisions or, better yet, retire.
8
In the Russia, China & North Korea, this is called a purge.
I fear that soon, the lack of knowledge in government positions, definitely including the top one, will come back to hurt us.
15
Isn't this a conflict of interest?
10
Wonderful. Now Trump is taking advice from someone who has no elected office or any credentials at all, save for being the wife of a supreme court justice. It makes me wonder who else is whispering wisdom into his ears. This administration is going down the rabbit hole faster and faster and no one is stepping up to save us. The Republican Senate showed it had absolutely no power or will to curtail Trump's activities. This man must be voted out of office and I would vote all his toadies out of office, too.
17
Let me see if I've got this straight:
Ginsburg and Sotomayor should recuse themselves from any cases involving Trump or his administration because Ginsburg once called him an inconsistent "faker" and Sotomayor has criticized the White House and some of the justices for repeatedly ruling in favor of the president.
It's perfectly okay for Kavanaugh to rule on cases involving Democrats even after his partisan anti-Democratic rant during his confirmation hearing and for Thomas to rule on Trump cases even though his wife is actively involved in the White House firing and hiring process.
RIGHT?????????
89
Oh, what a busybody. Her husband sits in court not saying anything and she can't stay out of affairs that have nothing to do with her.
20
This is another reason that supreme court judges should have term limits. Who voted for Ginni Thomas? Talk about a swamp.
51
Ginny Thomas lobbying personnel is the whipped cream on our Banana Republic sundae. We are now a garden variety 3rd world country, nothing exceptional about us anymore. Just horrible people with power looking out for each other.
69
Paging George Orwell! Paging Aldous Huxley! Paging Rod Serling!
Stick a fork in us in this country; we're done.
7
So, is trump calling for Thomas to recuse? Yeah.
2
I remember the god ole days where being loyal to the Constitution was what mattered.
11
For Republicans, recuse (along with fact, honest, fair, tradition) is no longer part of the English lexicon.
4
Sanctimony and hypocrisy are the clothing of this administration. Apparently it’s only ok for the Toddler in chief to demand Sotomeyer and RBG recusals from cases but it’s all fine and dandy for a SCOTUS’s wife to guide who should be retained, replaced, and who should be the replacement.
More of the usual of I’ll take my toys and go home because I don’t like the game you want to play. Similar to the bully dividing the marbles back up; one for you, three for me, etc.
Wake up America and vote all BLUE before this country ceases to exist as we know and want it.
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This is another reason why the Democrats, should America be lucky enough to have democrat majorities and the WH next year, MUST at least form a study team to examine impeachment. Thomas for his behavior in general and his wife’s meddling, and Kavanaugh for lying to the Senate for his last (not the SC) judicial appointment. That one looks slam dunk.
5
What a frightening person.
6
Anita Hill would make a great Head of D.O.J.
10
horrendous conflict of interest...
19
SCOTUS is bias who knew? Everyone.
14
Clarence Thomas has not had a single thought in his head that was not put in there by two people:
Antonin Scalia when he was alive – Thomas voted with him on almost every SC ruling.
His wife Ginni Thomas, who appears to be a very domineering and opinionated person. Hard to imagine Thomas going against her views in any of his court opinions. She may well be the real SC justice and Thomas just her mouthpiece.
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@Sri
"Clarence Thomas has not had a single thought in his head that was not put in there by two people"
Hyperbole much? Which one of the two put the idea in his head to harass Anita Hill?
I disagree with almost all of his views. But to suggest Thomas is not a thinking and intelligent man is simply ridiculous.
1
She could always make rambling late night phone calls to the personnel office.
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@Almighty Dollar
And during Watergate, didn't we all just wait for Mrs. John Mitchell's calls telling her "truth" to the media. We need an update on whether she survived post-Nixon. Anyone looking for a good story?
Ginni Thomas has a track record of being bad for Clarence Thomas' attempts to display appropriate judicial demeanor, bad at handling her personal problems and ultimately, bad for democracy as a whole.
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@MrsWhit Sorry, but Justice Thomas has never made such efforts. He has issued maybe a handful of opinions in his entire Supreme Court tenure. All of them more extreme that the farthest right member's opinion on the case on hand. His personal behavior was examined at lengthy during his confirmation hearing, and that too didn't impress. He is - hands down - one of if not the absolute - worst justice the Supreme Court has seen.
16
@David - Yeah, and his opinions are sometimes downright embarrassing. Read Thomas's opinion in Brumfield v. Cain. He spent a large part of it to praising the NFL career of the victim's son. Clearly this is a man who cannot focus on legal matters.
7
In any government service, loyalty to an individual over rules and laws is lays the foundation for misconduct, corruption, and dysfunction.
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@Qui Tam: Precisely and succinctly stated. Thank you.
5
I find Ms. Thomas' behavior improper. That this administration accepts her recommendations is abhorrent, but quite typical of this dysfunctional administration.
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Ginni Thomas is an all-out kook, which should alarm everyone given that she's the wife of a Supreme Court justice. A few years back, she began to follow me on Twitter. I sent a request to her that I be permitted to follow her back - her account is locked, which tells you something - and never received a response, let alone permission. I then blocked her, feeling that she didn't deserve to see my opinions if I couldn't see hers in return. The supposed "bad" people they're all searching for are, instead, the ones instigating the search.
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@Kimberly "All-out kook" is the most appropriate way to describe this horrible woman.
Let's not forget how Ginni telephoned Anita Hill, years after Ginni's husband was appointed to the Supreme Court, and demanded an apology from Hill.
Ginni's a nutter with way too much political influence.
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@Kimberly
Consider yourself lucky. You don't want to be associated with or aligned with corrupt people.
7
Yes and another reason Clarence Thomas should be removed from the Supreme Court.
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