The Supreme Court is in big trouble. Every decision Thomas has made is now tainted.

[fightforfreedom]

Thomas must resign, that is a no brainer. I am not a lawyer, but I believe the Democrats, lawyers, are going to look at all of the decisions Thomas has made and what his wife was up to at that time. The Democrats will probably demand Thomas recuse himself from certain future cases. I do not see how the Supreme Court can move forward with Thomas on the bench.

This is unbelievable, the text messages she sent to Meadows were insane. Just when you think things cannot get more insane, they do.

For months now I have said Meadows is the person Garland must focus on. He was involved in everything when it comes to the attempted over throw of our country. Meadows is mentally weak. We know this because he always plays both sides of the fence with other people. Indict Meadows and he will sing like a jailhouse rat.

We have never seen madness like this in our history.

Rudy is insane, we all watched his madness. Flynn and his family took an oath to Q. That's insane. Powell, Trumps lawyer is insane. We all know Trump is insane. I don't know how this madness is going to end, but it has to end or it will end us.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. 1. Thomas will never resign.

2. Not enough votes in the Senate to impeach.

[fightforfreedom]

4. I don't see how the court can function with Thomas moving forward.

Roberts is in a tough spot.

[Bettie]

9. He'll just ignore it

he's that cartoon of the dog sitting in a burning building saying "this is fine".

He doesn't care because he has money and power and with the bunch of ultra-extremists on his end of the court, he looks "moderate" and "reasonable" only by comparison.

[Amishman]

44. yup, this will be ignored

we're too divided nationally to force anything like this.

1/3rd will support his removal, 1/3rd will oppose it just because he votes how they want, and 1/3rd just doesn't care. Hard to get anything done that way.

[Javaman]

83. one of my favorite cartoonists...

https://www.theverge.com/2016/5/5/11592622/this-is-fine-meme-comic

http://gunshowcomic.com/648

[Bettie]

84. Yep, that's the one!

I can never get images to post right....

[Mr.Bill]

111. If there's one thing Thomas has shown he is good at

it's the act of saying nothing at all.

[onenote]

12. What is Roberts supposed to do?

He can’t remove Thomas from the court

[we can do it]

107. There you go, being realistic.

[onenote]

109. I know. I'm a flawed individual.

[Effete Snob]

31. It will function as it normally does

[Carlitos Brigante]

51. The disagreement I have with your reasoning is that it seems

you're thinking like a normal, ethical person. There are no morals, ethics or decency on that side. At least, since I've been alive.

[fescuerescue]

71. Is Thomas Blockading the doors or something?

What's going on?

[Rebl2]

78. I take

it Robert’s can’t tell Thomas he has to recuse himself on everything related to January 6 that come before the Supreme Court?

[wnylib]

122. Republicans will rally round Thomas

and create crazy fantasies about how normal all of this is.

They will pressure him not to resign because it would mean another Biden appointment to the court. They will push for Thomas to hold out at least until the midterms in the hope of having a Senate majority to block any Biden appointee.

[quakerboy]

126. Same way they have functioned to this point

Thomas was never not tainted, from day one. the same applies to Slimey K. And likely to Barrett.

[OldBaldy1701E]

18. Yep.

Time to flip the Senate. Not to mention getting a majority in the House. Then, we can impeach. (No, it's not a simple solution, but it IS a solution.)

[gab13by13]

28. Better do some big flipping,

it takes a 2/3 majority of the Senate to impeach a justice.

[lagomorph777]

76. He may not get the chance.

Has anybody seen him today?

[True Blue American]

94. Thomas was released from

The Hospital today. Not been seen, but you can bet some will catch him.

[lagomorph777]

99. Yeah. Hopefully Hospice awaits.

I can dream.

[ismnotwasm]

120. Yup.

[Lovie777]

2. He is a evangelist GQP . . ..

Their GAWD is most powerful and righteous.

And in the USA Supreme Court there are 5 more GQP.

I can imagine like trolls that the GQP are all 50 voting against Judge Jackson, with fears of two Ds.

Democracy be damn.

[Samrob]

70. My great aunt just laid something new on me. She said

"They should shoot the Thomases with shit and lock them both up for stinking,"

[USALiberal]

3. No, he will never resign! Nt

[3Hotdogs]

5. From your typewriter to God's eyeballs...

along with another set of my prayers.

[SilasSouleII]

118. What's a "typewriter"?

Hehe...

[msfiddlestix]

6. Did I miss some important news on Thomas and why the Supreme Court is in BIG Trouble?

I've been occupied with personal life matters, and appear to be behind some very important news here! I read he was out sick, I think hospitalized if I recall accurately, but at the moment don't see the connection..

guess I'll have a look around du and see if something about Thomas made headlines, other than being absent cuz hospitalized with illness.

[Joinfortmill]

21. ???

[Effete Snob]

35. His wife is still crazy

People still hold this weird notion that anyone in office is responsible for everything their spouse does.

His wife is a nutjob who communicated Qanon stuff with Mark Meadows and others during the January 6 insurrection. Thomas, in turn, opposed the release of Meadows’ communications from that day.

People believe this requires that Clarence Thomas must be punished in some way, or that there is some kind of rule requiring him to leave the court.

[msfiddlestix]

48. You believe there's some sort of force shield of separation between the two?

they live in separate worlds? Homes? Business contacts? Never appears with her during a private campaign event?

just to name a few potential opportunities where two very closely linked individuals in direct proximity to seat of powers engaged in nefarious activities. You think not likely?

[Effete Snob]

55. You apply this to every married couple?

Nancy Pelosi's husband is one heck of a stock picker. I'm sure his position in American Express doesn't affect her position on banking legislation one bit, right? Is that what we're supposed to believe?

If, as a society, we want to return to the days of "wife as chattel", just let me know what the rules are going to be for people in all kinds of professions.

Because I want to make sure that every married woman lawyer is disqualified from taking any case which might conflict with one of her husband's clients.

It's going to be a difficult adjustment to go back to the 50's for some.

[BlackSkimmer]

62. This. nt

[msfiddlestix]

68. This is not a case of the wife being the chattel, she has had him by the nose for decades

it's the other way around.. quite obviously.

rarely, prior to Scalia's death, did he ever engage on matters before the court during sessions, that I've ever listened in on. I've always suspected he didn't write his own opinions which have been directly attributed to him and signed off by him. I've never had the impression his thoughts were ever his own.

Not saying he directly committed "criminal offenses" . However, she hasn't been exactly secretive in her bizarre wacky far right wing campaigns. They are partners in these campaigns, at best he has played the role of an enabler.

Not going to engage here in writing on my thoughts of Pelosi and Feinstein's spouses investments and enterprsises other than to say I see it in the same light. The reference to chattel in both instances is absolutely and clearly not at all even close to appropriate analogy.

Women in positions of Power does not chattel make, and their spousal relationships would be best described as Equal Partners.

[Effete Snob]

75. "she has had him by the nose for decades"

Ah, that's good. Lean in on that imagery.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandingo_(film)

[msfiddlestix]

80. oh please

.

.

[inthewind21]

91. Oh ok

So you're perfectly ok with a Supreme Justice having a spouse actively engaging in insurrection. Got it. The FBI would disqualify an applicant for their spouses past/present. But the SC, just ducky. And people wonder why Me Too fizzled out. Black and White with zero ability to see any gray.

[Effete Snob]

97. I'm not okay with anyone engaging in insurrection

I am also not okay with holding people responsible for the behavior of their spouses.

I am not fond of either of the Thomases.

However, I have a sneaking suspicion that someone has found some political activity by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's husband, and they are going to be rolling it out soon, as if it mattered.

I have every confidence that unlike, say, the Kellyanne Conway household, were George is held up as an oracle here on DU with some regularity, the Thomases probably share a lot of opinions and beliefs.

That's not really unusual for a married couple. Or, it could be that he knows she's a little loonier than he is, but, what does one do to restrain one's spouse nowadays.

But I guess you have nothing to say about the crypto-sexist issue here and you want to make a personal accusation about what some pseudonymous poster on an internet forum is "ok with".

If that's what you need to feel superior and good, then I'm happy to provide that as a service.

[Kingofalldems]

115. So it was okay for him to rule on a matter she was involved in?

[True Blue American]

96. I would not say nose, but!:)

[BlackSkimmer]

93. You know she's had him "by the nose" for decades, how?

You have some inside info on their marriage?

How about the other justices? do their spouses have them by the nose also, or is it just Thomas for some reason?

[Effete Snob]

100. You want to know what's fascinating?

I used the "spouse as chattel" notion, which elicited that.

The word "chattel" is the same word that became our "cattle" - to refer to one's property - and the nose ring is precisely a traditional way of providing a means to attach the rope to one's cattle.

I believe the poster expressed him or herself with precision, and I am not at all confused by the meaning.

[BlackSkimmer]

102. I think you're spot on. nt

[True Blue American]

105. Probably,

They just are not as blatant as Gianni!

[keithhs28]

124. Shades of Nancy Reagan leading...

St. Ronnie down the garden path.

[fescuerescue]

73. If you think it's hard to impeach Thomas. Try impeaching his wife.

[aggiesal]

87. You forgot the Sarcasm things n/t

[Duppers]

38. 1/6 committee has text messages between Ginni Thomas....

and Mark Meadows

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/24/politics/ginni-thomas-mark-meadows-text-messages/index.html

[msfiddlestix]

41. thanks.. after posting I clicked on Home Page and WOW.

Yep I missed a lot yesterday, Thanks for the links...

sort of makes the reason for Clarence's absence a little bit like bs. he's more likely engaged in bleaching home computers and Ginny's devices, long conversations with criminal lawyers. perhaps.

[Duppers]

42. Exactly. And you're welcome.

[gab13by13]

7. Why would he resign?

He didn't break any laws that I am aware of. He didn't recuse himself in a decision that involved his wife. Clarence isn't much different than 5 other SC justices, as a matter of fact I believe that justice Alito may be the worst justice on the court.

[Achilleaze]

10. Read the news. He did involve himself in a wifely matter

The matter of treason.

The news of this ethical betrayal is all over DU. Read one of the articles.

Shocking.

[gab13by13]

14. She sent an email to Mark Meadows and gave him some kind of award,

Meadows must not have done anything wrong, like committing treason since DOJ won't even prosecute him for defying a subpoena, let alone committing treason.

Day 100 since the select committee sent the Mark Meadows criminal referral to DOJ.
Day 72 since the Michigan AG sent the fake elector criminal referral to DOJ.

[FBaggins]

29. Being married to someone who commits a crime is not a crime

Being married to someone who once exchanged texts with someone who allegedly committed a crime but who has not been charged (let alone convicted) of that crime... is also not a crime.

[Effete Snob]

36. It is if you think husbands own their wives like chattel

I think some of the demographic here believes that women still need their husband’s permission to buy a car or get a credit card.

[msfiddlestix]

43. ....

[Effete Snob]

50. It's true, though

The implied "offense" of Justice Thomas is failing to control his wife's behavior, thus making him responsible for it.

That he sided with a crazy Trump argument in a case is not a huge surprise, and certainly not the first time. That's simply his job.

[fightforfreedom]

47. The Clarence Thomas defense: My wife and I never talk to each other.

Therefore I am innocent. I did not know my wife was attempting to help overthrow the government.

Have we all gone mad?

[FBaggins]

54. He doesn't need a "defense"

There is no legal principle that says that we get to assume that anything his spouse does is his action too. We would have never accepted such nonsense if applied to one of the women on the court.

And, of course, she hasn't been charged (let alone convicted) of anything at all. The "inference on inference" chain here is so long as to be nonsensical.

[Effete Snob]

56. "anything his spouse does is his action too"

I, and many others on DU, grew up in an America where that was true, though.

[fightforfreedom]

57. Common sense has died in America.

[Effete Snob]

61. I know, right?

They let women become lawyers, and then some of them don't even work for the same firm as their husbands, and they take cases which conflict with some of their husband's client's interests.

Car dealerships sell them cars without even checking with their husbands first.

We need to get back to common sense America, where women made sure that their actions and words were in keeping with whatever their husband's job might be.

Back when we had common sense, we made sure that Geraldine Ferraro was held to account for her husband's business dealings. But, today, we let Paul Pelosi buy whatever stocks he wants.

[PoliticAverse]

116. Ferraro was a business partner of her husband owning 50% of the company and serving as secretary and

treasurer.

[wnylib]

123. What about his vote to oppose

release of the Meadows texts?

Also not a crime, but it does suggest collusion to cover up the actions of an insurrection supporter and promoter.

[FBaggins]

130. Nope

Not only could it not be spun that way (because the vote was not really whether or not to release the texts - it was whether or not to stay such release until the lower court had ruled on an appeal). But, more importantly, it can't be spun as "collusion to cover up" since he had to know when casting the vote that it could have no such effect.

[elleng]

128. Thank you.

[niyad]

74. Not that the numbers matter, but I believe therevwere 19 emails.

[Effete Snob]

77. text messages /nt

[niyad]

82. yes, thank you.

[Achilleaze]

8. Boofer (R) is also grossly unqualified and tainted with lies

His votes are corrupted. Sad how foul the G.O.P. is. Truly sick and sad.

[Mr. Ected]

11. What's even scarier is that tens of millions of Americans co-opt this madness

Otherwise sensible and discerning people have somehow been brainwashed to believe this pantload of gibberish.

Even after we flush these turds, their aroma will linger in our atmosphere for a long, long time.

[Generic Brad]

39. And the press normalized this insanity

Everyone is acting like this is shocking news. I’m more shocked that most of the media were aware of this crap in real time and downplayed it. On DU we were aware she was I major player in arranging funding and transportation for a lot of insurgents. This isn’t news. This is common knowledge that the press made believe wasn’t happening.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

13. We can demand that he recuse as much as we want

He will just ignore it and there is no legal way to compel him to do so. The decisions, tainted or not, are legal precedent and will continue to stand. SCOTUS can move forward by just ignoring it. They have lifetime appointments and the votes aren't there for impeachment.

[yardwork]

15. Democracy is in big trouble. The Supreme Court is untouchable.

The Supreme Court participated in a coup by handing the presidency to George W. Bush in 2000. He did not win. The Supreme Court halted a recount in Florida that was clearly going to show that Al Gore won that state, thereby winning the electoral college. Gore uncontestedly won the popular vote. It was the first time since 1888 that a presidential candidate won the popular vote but somehow "lost" the election.

This was a coup. It happened. Americans don't want to admit it. The Supreme Court did that - with Clarence Thomas's full support, since George W. Bush's daddy put him on the Court.

What followed was a twenty-year war that made the Bushes, Cheneys, and a bunch of their allies multi-billionaires.

Thomas's wife's crazy texts to Trump's chief of staff are a footnote, at best, to the coup that already happened 22 years ago.

[gab13by13]

16. Yeah, this Ginni Thomas thing is window dressing,

meanwhile the real overthrow of our democracy gets little ink.

The SC just overruled the Wisconsin SC that created another voting district for blacks. So much for allowing states to run their own elections.

The maps the state court adopted increased the number of majority Black districts from six to seven in Milwaukee. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the state justices had not done enough analysis to determine whether the Voting Rights Act required the creation of the seventh district.

[yardwork]

20. Seems that way. Our democracy is dying, state by state.

The hysteria over Trump's loss in 2020 is another cynical move by Republicans to deflect attention from the crimes they committed.

Meanwhile, our democracy is shredded, piece by piece.

[uponit7771]

37. WOW !!! wtf USSC?! I tried to google this ... I'm so ... just damn

[gab13by13]

45. Me too,

I keep saying that it's hard to win a rigged election by GOTV, but it's all we have. DOJ has done very little to help keep elections fair.

[wnylib]

125. Brace yourself. Republicans in NY plan

to challenge the NY redistricting map.

[JCMach1]

22. How DU was born, lest we forget

[yardwork]

23. I never forget.

As bad as Trump is, he's just a symptom of the disaster inflicted on the United States.

[Joinfortmill]

24. Totally agree.

[malaise]

26. This should be an OP

Great post

[yardwork]

27. Thank you.

[uponit7771]

34. +1, how did Roberts ... NOT KNOW ... about Thomas's conflict of interest ?!

[yardwork]

58. Right? If I know, one would think the Chief Justice would know.

[Effete Snob]

79. Yes, and?

What, in your mind, was Roberts supposed to do about that?

You think it is up to Roberts whether another justice recuses themselves from a case?

Has anyone here ever heard of Antonin Scalia?

[PufPuf23]

40. Unfortunate that you are correct. The USSC awarded the 2000 election to GWB when Gore won.

We are in a mess that I do not see a way out. alas.

[leftstreet]

108. +1

I agree this should be an OP

[Joinfortmill]

17. Spot on. It's fascism, which is a form of insanity.

Also, Russia is behind a lot of the propaganda.

[SoonerPride]

19. You think the right cares if the SCOTUS is tainted ?

All they care about is power and power to dictate how you live your life.

Whether you or I or the press think it’s legitimate or not they couldn’t care less.

[Lonestarblue]

25. Ginni Thomas is a member of the Council for National Policy, an anti-democracy organization.

The NYT recently published an exposé about her. Unlike most of their articles and opinion pieces, it disappeared from the front page within less than a day. I’m linking here to an article about the Times piece, which is behind a paywall.

https://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/2022/02/nyt-drops-the-hammer-on-ginni-thomas-with-scathing-report-on-her-political-activism/

“The political activism of a Supreme Court spouse is the focus of a New York Times exposé titled “The Long Crusade of Clarence and Ginni Thomas.”

The newspaper noted her work for the Council for National Policy, which it said “brings together old-school Republican luminaries, Christian conservatives, Tea Party activists and MAGA operatives, with more than 400 members who include leaders of organizations like the Federalist Society, the National Rifle Association and the Family Research Council.”

These people have worked to establish a totalitarian government based on their Christian theology, which is that rich white people are the ones chosen by God to rule the world. They do not believe in rights for then”lesser people” of the country, and they are the most destructive force working to overturn our system of democratic government we have ever seen. They’re rich and powerful, and they control much of the media and most of the Supreme Court now. Unfortunately, the general public knows nothing about them because the media rarely writes about their pernicious influence on politics and the people they get into public office. Some Democrats know about then, as most of us here do, but the average Republican voter is completely in the dark about how these people are working to replace the Constitution with their theocratic version. They are dangerously close to winning their war against democrcy.

[OhioTim]

30. Thomas Isn't In Good Health

and was recently hospitalized...........

[Wednesdays]

104. Or, so we're told.

[Demsrule86]

32. There is no way to force Thomas to do anything...sadly.

[ashredux]

33. Thomas will not stay on the court. "Health " reasons

[Farmer-Rick]

52. He has a secondary infection from Covid

And is hospitalized. At his age he probably won't survive. Secondary infections from COVID are very dangerous.

[BlackSkimmer]

63. Do you have a link for that?

He was vaxxed and boosted.

I've not seen any news about a secondary Covid infection.

[Farmer-Rick]

65. Sure

"This study confirms that the incidence of secondary bacterial infections is very high in critically ill COVID-19 patients. These patients are at highest risk of developing secondary pneumonia. Male gender, a history of diabetes mellitus and the administration of corticosteroids were associated with increased of secondary bacterial infection."

https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-022-07192-x

"Secondary bacterial infection in COVID-19 patients is a stronger predictor for death compared to influenza patients"

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-92220-0

There are a lot of studies on it but these will help you.

But I can not prove that is what Clarance has but..... it's so obvious.

So, I was trying to find out if he had diabetes or high blood pressure but could find nothing, not even if he got vaccinated. Do you have that link where he got the vaccines? Thanks.

[BlackSkimmer]

103. Here.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/05/all-supreme-court-justices-have-been-vaccinated-against-covid.html

[Farmer-Rick]

106. Thanks

I saw that after this post.

It's very strange that he would get vaccinated considering his views. But hypocrisy is the GOPs favorite tool

I thought sure he wouldn't make it out of the hospital.

But fate will not make getting him out of the court easy.

[COL Mustard]

46. Short of impeachment, there's really no recourse

He can serve for as long as he wants to and there's really nothing anyone can do about it. Sorry to say that, but that's how it is.

[CaptainTruth]

49. Interesting how Thomas "got sick" & disappeared right before this came out.

It's almost like someone contacted him for comment before publishing an article & it made him nervous.

[onenote]

112. So now that its blowing up, he's out of the hospital

How does that fit your theory?

[Ferrets are Cool]

53. "tainted" To you and to me, but

the average American doesn't give a chit about this. Very sad, but true.

[sop]

59. One of Ginni's emails to Meadows stated she had just discussed the matter with her "best friend."

Clarence publicly refers to his wife as "my best friend." Anyone want to guess who Ginni's "best friend" is?

"When Meadows wrote Thomas on Nov. 24 to 'not grow weary' in this 'fight of good versus evil,' and said he has 'staked my career' on overturning Biden's win, Thomas replied: 'Thank you!! Needed that! This plus a conversation with my best friend just now.' She did not say who that 'best friend' was, but Clarence Thomas has repeatedly referred to his wife as his 'best friend.'"

https://theweek.com/jan-6-committee/1011754/ginni-thomas-texted-mark-meadows-she-discussed-post-election-fight-with

[PatrickforB]

60. What we have seen time and again though, is a horrible and odious double

standard. If one of our people is even suspected of wrongdoing, the Republicans will quietly undermine them and they will get ridden out on a rail. Like with Al Franken, who most decidedly did NOT get anything like due process.

But the Republicans? They just say F you and move on. Trump taught them utter shamelessness. It really is appalling, and yes, we need to do something. I think many don't realize how far gone the GOP actually is, how treasonous. I believe Biden is coming to see it now, but at first believed that he could come in and govern seriously with these people. But no.

There is a lot of stuff going on, though, that is decent. Stacey Abrams is doing great work. Sanders, Warren, Sheldon Whitehouse, Merkel, the Squad. They are all speaking truth to power - moving that Overton window. Sanders did that with Medicare for all. Now we're all talking about it, and Americans overwhelmingly support it. The only thing holding us back is the fear of losing shareholder profits and the corruption of many in Congress.

The other thing that I'm wondering if will make a big difference for us is the war on women, which has decidedly heated up. If the Supreme court overturns Roe or Griswold, the GOP will be smashed in the midterms because most women I know will crawl over broken glass to vote anyone who is anti-choice, anti-birth control right out the door.

The only thing I worry about is us. For example, my state rep is a real holy roller. She votes how she is told and doesn't listen to anyone or anything. Far right wing Q kind of person. Well, I showed up at the Democratic 'meet and greet' and met the person who would be running against this loony tune. I donated to her, and got a yard sign. You know what it said?

Make politics boring again.

Seriously. Make politics boring again. She could not think of anything better than that. She lost substantially. Our people at every level need to be talking about healthcare, women's rights, and legalizing marijuana. They will win if they do.

We seem not to want to play hardball, though.

Say, did you see John Dean is putting public pressure on old Alvin Bragg to reopen the case against Trumpy. After Mark Pomerantz published his resignation letter in the New York Times, and said Trump DID commit crimes, Bragg mysteriously closed the case. Reminds me - I'm calling my Senators and Rep to do whatever they can to pressure the cretin Bragg to reopen. He needs to be subjected to massive blowback.

[FakeNoose]

72. +1000 This!

[inthewind21]

98. It was the Dems

Who forced Franken out. See Kiersten Gillibrand. And it wasn't Trump who taught them. They have been looking the other way for a loooooooong time. See Newt Gingrich, Lead the impeachment against Clinton while having an affair with his staffer, now his wife.

Bob Barr (R) Georgia, first to call for he impeachment and preached morals while having his own affair.

Larry "wide stance" bathroom lurker Craig, arrested in MN Airport for soliciting sex with men.

Donald Lukens (R) Ohio - Having sex with a 16 year old.

Ed Schrock (R) Virginia, strong supporter of anti gay legislation, caught on tape soliciting sex with men.

Mark Foley (R) Florida - caught sending sexual texts to teenage pages.

David Vitter (R) Louisiana Took over a seat for a R that stepped down for getting caught in affairs, had his own affairs and appeared in "the little black book" of the DC Madam.

Mark Sanford ( R) S. Carolina, "I'm hiking the Applacian Trail Governor."

Dennis Hastert(R) Illinois. Plead guilty for structuring bank withdrawals to conceal mis-conduct and at trial confessed to sexually abusing underage boys when he was a HS wrestling coach.

See also Jim Jordan, who is still a sitting representative. And there are many many more. And while a few of them get in such trouble they have to re-sign or OR go to jail, there are 4 more who keep their positions and rock right along.

[RedSpartan]

64. Thomas will only leave the Court when he dies.

And even then, his partisan stench will linger for generations.

[FBaggins]

86. He'll step down with the next republican senate/president

Assuming there is one before he passes.

[RedSpartan]

89. No chance.

He is addicted to his power, influence, and grievances. He will NEVER leave voluntarily.

[FBaggins]

92. You have it backwards

He'll leave for precisely those reasons.

[bucolic_frolic]

67. They were landscaping for four seasons that's for sure

wall-to-wall conservatism delivered in plain sight and no one could figure it out until they overplayed their hands.

So was Clarence making the decisions on how he ruled on SCOTUS cases, or was he an agent of influence through his wife from conservative Federalism?

[fescuerescue]

69. What is different now? Thomas has been on the SC for 30 years

I feel like I missed some news.

[Kaleva]

81. You'd have an argument if it had been Justice Thomas who sent the texts

[Effete Snob]

85. Well...

…I guess someone should be asking Judge Jackson whether she adequately controls her husband, and that we need to look into his activities in order to consider whether she is qualified.

[BlackSkimmer]

95. Indeed!

This opens up a whole new line of questioning for the committee in the future, doesn't it?

"Would you say you are in control of your spouse? Who "wears the pants" in your family?"

Good lord, the mind boggles.

[Ford_Prefect]

88. The key issue will turn on just how much influence Ginni had on Meadows and the Inner clique.

She is much more than Thomas's wife. She is a significant and guiding member of the Council for National Policy. CNP are to policy and legislation what the Federalist Society is to extreme conservative judicial action. Both outfits provide guidance, model legislation and financing for the recent series of State laws passed attacking women's health, education and Voting rights.

It looks as though the Jan 6th committee will have much to consider. Legal questions that follow from their deliberations may present a very different understanding of the links between CFP and the insurrection, something the committee has already had evidence of.

Whether this will apply to Justice Thomas directly is far from clear. Given the current makeup of SCOTUS and the Senate I doubt much will happen. If evidence surfaces of Mrs. Thomas having participated materially in the insurrection or events related to denying the election results I think it will be a very dark day in the Thomas home.

[GoCubsGo]

90. His decisions were tainted from the beginning.

Just as his appointment was tainted. He's a sexual predator, and never should have been allowed to be seated in the first place. This shit with his wife is just another episode in a long string of corruption.

[SYFROYH]

101. I don't think it works that way. SCOTUS doesn't have to hear anything it doesn't want to.

[YoshidaYui]

110. The Republicans did this

Lay it squarely at their feet!! Yes, indeed!

[ailsagirl]

113. He never was qualified in the first place

Just sayin’

[bluestarone]

114. Sad to say, one thing our fore fathers could NOT forsee is

QANONS in politics! WE have got to figure out our own way to deal with them! VOTE like never before!

[Rhiannon12866]

117. Well said!

We will never be done with the chaos and lawbreaking that TFG precipitated in 4 long years, he unleashed the monsters...

[NullTuples]

119. "Thomas must resign" - no, he really mustn't. He'd have to be impeached.

And we couldn't even remove Trump for his blatant overt crimes; his impeachments were acquitted.

There's zero chance McConnell would allow the court he & the Federalist Society built be dismantled.

[FakeNoose]

121. Aren't Supreme Court emails a matter of public record?

They should be subject to public scrutiny, at least emails that were written on the .gov account.

I should think Clarence Thomas' emails and texts might be subject to FOIA (Freedom Of Information Act) requests, just like the President's, or Hillary Clinton's. Our US media journalists are probably on this right now!

Snark off for the moment, I'm certain that investigative reporter Jane Mayer of the New Yorker has been following this story. Not sure if anyone else is though.

[FBaggins]

133. No

FOIA applies primarily to the federal executive branch. The legislative and judicial branches are not covered... nor are state and local governments (though states very often have their own versions of FOIA).

Not that the texts of a spouse would be covered in any event.

[elleng]

127. 'I am not a lawyer'

says a lot.

[Emile]

129. I don't see how Thomas can rule in future cases involving Trump!

I hope Roberts will do the right thing!

[FBaggins]

131. What do you imagine Roberts can do?

He has no authority to determine whether or not there is a conflict of interest - not power to enforce an action predicated on that determination.

The limit of his authority is that - if they are both on the same side on a given decision - he can decide whether or not Thomas gets to write the decision/dissent.

If they're on different sides... Thomas gets to decide who writes it. He is effectively the chief justice whenever Roberts disagrees with him on a ruling.

[Achilleaze]

132. Republicans have pissed on integrity, honor, and justice

They are not worthy of trust