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Sunday Roundup

Posted: 10/24/10 01:05 AM ET

This week delivered a bracing lesson from the School of Unintended Consequences when news broke that Clarence Thomas' wife, Ginni, had felt moved, nearly two decades down the road, to "reach across the airwaves" and leave a voice mail for Anita Hill, asking for an apology. She didn't get one, but she did unleash a torrent of pubic-hair-on-a-Coke-can flashbacks, and inspired Justice Thomas' ex-girlfriend Lillian McEwen, a former prosecutor and law professor, to break her 19-year silence and talk about her "freewheeling sex life" with Thomas in the early '80s, as well as his porn "obsession" and fascination with large-breasted women. Oops. Chastened, Ginni Thomas canceled an interview with NPR, while her new Tea Party-inspired group, Liberty Central, walked back claims that Obama's health care law is "unconstitutional." I guess she never heard the expression: "Let sleeping Long Dongs lie." In the words of Ginni: "Okay, have a good day."

 
 
 

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10:39 PM on 10/24/2010
Scare the DemocRepublicans.
Vote for Peace.

Don't vote for anyone who voted for any war budget.

Youtube: paul8kangas
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ongomania
Mongo only pawn... in game of life.
09:42 PM on 10/24/2010
One SCOTUS Under God, and Heaven Help Us All...
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HUFFPOST PUNDIT
LaurieAnn
Charity is NOT a substitute for justice.
09:34 PM on 10/24/2010
As a woman who believed every single word of Anita Hill's testimony I am so gratified to have Ms. McEwen's statements added to the legacy of information we have on now Supreme Court Justice Thomas. That Ginny Thomas thought she could further her own career and assist republicans running for office by contacting Anita Hill to request an 'apology' is not only laughably ludicrous but also downright mean spirited. It has backfired for her miserably and has now cast even deeper aspersions on her husband's career. I believe that Justice Thomas' legacy has been sufficiently tarnished that his tenure on the Supreme Court will be mentioned, it at all, by an asterisk by his name. The only thing that remains is for him to voluntarily retire from service or be impeached. I certainly hope that we never have to hear from Mrs. Thomas and her merry band of tea party supporters again.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
QKingston Constantine
10:02 PM on 10/24/2010
This is only the Beginning.
Dont be Surprised at what comes next.
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CaraTaylor
Is that true or did you hear it on Fox News?
10:21 PM on 10/24/2010
I couldn't have said it any better myself, Laurie. Beyond my astonishment at Ginny Thomas' audacity, I have to also say that the way the media treated this, this week, was ridiculous! More than one "journalist" made the story about why Anita Hill contacted the media and made it a front page story, etc. . . . . . and literally had my blood boiling. I, too, might have thought it was a crank/prank phone call, because WHO in their right mind would ask someone who'd been sexually harassed to apologize to their harasser? If I were Anita, and I had just listened to that call after the national attention all the tea party violent rhetoric of this year, I also would have called security. The whole thing is just beyond asinine.
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LaurieAnn
Charity is NOT a substitute for justice.
10:48 AM on 10/25/2010
People saying that Anita Hill should have kept the message private really upset me as well Cara. Anita Hill has every reason to have the call investigated. Ms. Hill did millions of working women across this country a tremendous service by bringing the cause of workplace sexual harassment to the forefront of our consciousness. I continue to be so impressed by her demeanor and professionalism in the face of all she had to suffer.
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elcerritan
My bio is not micro
01:19 PM on 10/25/2010
AMEN!
thescoop
Owned by 3 Golden Retrievers
08:34 PM on 10/24/2010
Now that the ugliness of the 1991 hearings with Anita Hill truth telling to all those men on the Senate Judiciary committee about the behavior of Clarence Thomas has come back to the headlines, it appears that there might be evidence to support perjury charges (is there a statute of limitations on charges on such a case?) against Mr. Thomas for his testimony before the committee. Having read that there are thoughts of pursuing an investigation for possible impeachment charges against Justice Roberts, maybe they can investigate the truth about Justice Thomas.

I recall being glued to the TV watching a brave young woman describe a classic case of hostile work environment. I also recall the Ms. Hill's treatment by some of the members of the committee. Certain members' behavior and comments were reprehensible, assuring those who would really think about it that she wouldn't have placed herself in that most public situation, making herself vulnerable to further attacks of a different sort, unless her testimony were true. Now it comes out that there were others who could have testified to support Ms. Hill's testimony, showing a pattern of behavior by Mr. Thomas.

It was painful to watch the entire incident, actually a harbinger of other Republican tactics indicative of their willingness to achieve their goals and agenda at the expense of attacking people of character and substance. Ms. Hill was and is a "Profile in Courage".
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RapidProf
08:52 PM on 10/24/2010
Profile in Courage? You betcha.
Impeachment? Count me in.
Chauncey1186
EMAILGATE!!!
10:16 PM on 10/24/2010
Beautifully said!
08:00 PM on 10/24/2010
Arianna is simply too clever. I often think Arianna is two or three people disguised as one. Who can be that smart???
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demshuff
Clinton/Warren 2016
09:41 PM on 10/24/2010
I agree whole-heartedly. She is my new hero..........only wish more women (and men) would tell it like it is.
10:10 PM on 10/24/2010
too clever by half
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redpod
Running on micro-bio empty.
07:44 PM on 10/24/2010
I would like to post a suggestion for a contest to originate here at HuffPo, and to end with a National Ad contest for the best user-made television commercials designed to get Democrats elected. The DMC can't do it. Their ads are lame and typical. We need witty ads that are informative and funny. I would guess that the winning ad would gather far more attention and response over anything the Democrats could put out. Let's start here and let Huffington Post lead the way. Ms. Huffington, are you listening?
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07:17 PM on 10/24/2010
Apparently, looking at my account, I have made 630 comments and I have never said, "Hi Arianna" and thought she might read it.
So I shall say "Hi Arianna" now, and I think she might read it. Thank you for the free place to let us talk. Sorry for the occasional whining about 'pending comments'. We get so indignant, you'd think we were paying dues. wunderground.com, my weather site, charges me 5$ a year to have no ads. I pay it gladly. I also feel comfortable writing them to complain when it is cloudy for a few days.

Anyway, Hi and thanks. ("Let sleeping long d&ngs lie"....haha)
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CAdawn
Love a liberal
06:48 PM on 10/24/2010
Either Clarence or Ginni need to quit their job. Conflict of interest.
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CJCalgirl
nothing breeds faster than stupid
07:30 PM on 10/24/2010
CAdawn, BOTH, my dear, BOTH!
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LaurieAnn
Charity is NOT a substitute for justice.
09:51 PM on 10/24/2010
I don't know if the Koch brothers will allow Justice Thomas to resign.
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06:42 PM on 10/24/2010
Dear Arianna and with all due respect - When I read your quote "Let sleeping Long Dongs lie." I was both moved and inspired especially when referring to clowns, Justice Clarence Thomas included.

; o }
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sillyfrog
Pastafarian and UU student
06:08 PM on 10/24/2010
The only way to keep our government healthy is to not wait for the big elections to vote. Local elections determines what we get in the big elections. Some areas get to vote on who is dog catcher.
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LMPE
I connect the most dissimilar things
05:10 PM on 10/24/2010
Didn't anyone realize in 1991 how extreme Thomas's views are?
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ErnestineBass
No longer a cog in The Machine.
05:41 PM on 10/24/2010
Of course we did, but Bush I was hoping to court the black vote by tapping the toadyThomas.
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JBCinSD
06:15 PM on 10/24/2010
Exactly. Bush the Father found a black man who could be counted on to vote conservative and not deviate from the Republican Party line. Could just have had a rubber stamp made for Clarence Thomas to put on Scalia's opinions, "me, too". Thomas doesn't even have the intellect, the experience or the independence to ask questions during oral arguments at the Supreme Court.

In fact, Clarence Thomas went beyond towing the Party line. He repaid Bush the Father by casting a deciding vote (5-4) in Bush v. Gore to hand the 2000 election to Bush the Son.
11:29 PM on 10/24/2010
George HW Bush was not courting the Black vote. Bush's nomination of Clarence Thomas was a slap in the face to African Americans for not supporting him. The act of replacing the great intellect Thurgood Marshall with someone of mediocre abilities was deliberate and insulting to the African American community.

Many African Americans were against him getting on the Supreme Court then......

For almost 20 years, Thomas has sat on the Supreme Court like an empty block of wood taking up space and voting for whatever pleases his benefactor, George HW Bush.
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CAdawn
Love a liberal
06:50 PM on 10/24/2010
Thomas played the race card. All the senators went Yikes!....."I am not a racist.
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JBCinSD
07:16 PM on 10/24/2010
. . .and it worked. The Senators were, for the most part, gutless wonders in those hearings. Hatch, Grassley, Biden and Specter (on his way out) are still around.

The only one in those hearings with integrity and strength was Anita Hill.
HUFFPOST PUNDIT
RButler
I've always wanted to have everything I wanted
04:33 PM on 10/24/2010
I seem to recall hearing Juan Williams' name mentioned during the Thomas confirmation for some reason and looking back recently, Juan seemed more shrill than usual even before his comment. I wonder if he was privy to something at the Thomas cave and was getting agitated.

There is so much rotteness between the tea baggers, Fox News, the Thomases and garbage in general, so who knows what's going on behind the scenes if the cr*p that is public is this sordid. Imagine what we don't know, yet.
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exxman
Visualize Whirled Peas.
04:27 PM on 10/24/2010
I would love to have heard the supper table conversation that evening in the Thomas residence.
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jkkFL
Opinions are not Facts.
07:56 PM on 10/24/2010
I'm thinking it was real quiet in that house!
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Suntio
Amat victoria curam.
08:59 PM on 10/24/2010
Dunno, looks like Ginny can't keep her mouth shut.
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CaraTaylor
Is that true or did you hear it on Fox News?
10:32 PM on 10/24/2010
OMG, NO KIDDING!!!!! Have been thinking that alllll week!
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Tyler James Lee
03:56 PM on 10/24/2010
It's shameful that in a nation of 300 million souls, with our systems of education, our wealth and power, we can't come up with better people to fill these powerful offices at the apex of our government. The appointment of Thomas degraded the office, but there's not much better to say about Roberts or Scalia. This is the best we can do?
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mtrav
04:17 PM on 10/24/2010
No, just the best that the rethugs can scare out of us.
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cornel
wuf wuf
04:21 PM on 10/24/2010
What do you know about Roberts or Scalia, they are obsessed by big breasted woman too ? We need to investigate this matter, call your senator and ask for a hearing.

http://www.blackcommentator.com/54/54_cartoon_female_clarence_pf.html
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CJCalgirl
nothing breeds faster than stupid
07:33 PM on 10/24/2010
cornel, Roberts is a corporatist, and Scalia does not believe the constitution is a living document. He is a catholic fundie, as well.
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Bob Kellerman
Let's have more sanity toward each other
03:50 PM on 10/24/2010
I think, in the same twisted emotion that makes her a tea bagger,

THAT SHE IS TRYING TO GET HER HUSBAND IMPEACHED

To get even for all the years of living with the lies
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06:57 PM on 10/24/2010
It really does seem she wanted to open up this can of vermicelli. It feels familiar too.

"Uh, hon...I finally called your ex today. Would you like to hear what I said? Hello? Hello?"
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PatA
Juan Martinez! Rock Star!
08:33 PM on 10/24/2010
you know, you're making sense. there has to be some "hostility that you can cut with a knife" in that house.