The Conservative Cave
Current Events => Politics => Topic started by: thundley4 on August 17, 2011, 12:03:35 AM
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At times of partisan stress in American Politics, the Supreme Court often becomes part of the game, and the ethics of individual justices become a focus of criticism.
Liberal groups are leading the charge now.
Common Cause, for instance, discovered that Justice Clarence Thomas failed to report his wife's nearly $700,000 in income when she worked for the conservative Heritage Foundation. The failure was indeed a clear violation of the law, but it was also the kind of oversight that occurs routinely on disclosure forms, and Thomas quickly amended his filings for a 13-year period, saying that he had misunderstood the law's requirements.
More incendiary in publicity terms was the very public role played by his wife as co-founder, president, and CEO of Liberty Central, a political group, which advertises itself as linked to the Tea Party movement.
NPR (http://www.npr.org/2011/08/15/139646573/bill-puts-ethics-spotlight-on-supreme-court-justices?ft=1&f=1001)
Being NPR, the article is slanted and downplays the case for Obama's recent appointees to recuse themselves from the health care cases coming up.
I can't help but wonder if racism plays a part in the lefts targeting of Clarence Thomas. Not only is he black, but his wife is white. That makes them both easy targets for the left, a conservative black man and a successful conservative white woman.
It also seems like this would be overstepping the separation of powers. It would be funny if the USSC declared the law unconstitutional if it passes.
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Sounds like it's destined to die in committee, like 90% of each party's more-emotionally-driven legislation does every year.