A supreme conflict of interest?

From the LA Times:

“I am an ordinary citizen from Omaha, Neb., who just may have the chance to preserve liberty along with you and other people like you,” she said at a recent panel discussion with tea party leaders in Washington. (Virginia) Thomas went on to count herself among those energized into action by President Obama’s “hard-left agenda.”

… “I adore all the new citizen patriots who are rising up across this country,” Thomas, who goes by Ginni, said on the panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference. “I have felt called to the front lines with you, with my fellow citizens, to preserve what made America great.”

Who is Virginia Thomas and why does she matter?  You may be more familiar with her husband’s name:  Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.   In January, she created Liberty Central Inc., a nonprofit lobbying group whose website will organize activism around a set of conservative core principles.

The group plans to issue score cards for Congress members and be involved in the November election.  Thomas says it would accept donations from various sources — including corporations — as allowed under campaign finance rules recently loosened by the Supreme Court.

Make no mistake about the brand of conservatism that Thomas espouses.  In her website biography she lists herself as a fan of Rush Limbaugh and says she is “intrigued by Glenn Beck and listening carefully.”  This, to me, does not speak of an intellectual fascination with constitutional limits; rather these are the hallmarks of the knee jerk self-protectionism of the ignorant and self-satisfied.

Now, I’d be the last one to say that a woman is an echo of her husband, and I’d never suggest that Justice Thomas has no mind of his own, but I do recognize that in a relationship with any approximation of equality the exchange of ideas and support flows both directions.   I completely reject any Lysistrata scenarios.  But I believe her involvement with a lobbying group — conservative or otherwise — constitutes be a serious breach of objectivity.

I would never suggest that the spouse of a Senator, Representative, or even a President be prohibited from working in the political arena.  For example I had no problem with the dual careers of the Bob and Libby Dole.  However I do believe judges must be held to a higher standard.  Unless Justice Thomas is willing to recuse himself from any case involving the right to privacy or any other controversial issue upon which Liberty Central takes a stand, I think we’ve got a serious problem on our hands.  And since justices are appointed for life there’s not a thing we can do about it.

I, for one, find that very worrisome.

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