More likely, Thomas and/or her handlers sought to create a diversion. Funny coincidence: the very morning of the voicemail, the New York Times published "Activism of Thomas's Wife Could Raise Judicial Issues," which asks whether it isn't kind of problematic for a U.S. Supreme Court Justice's wife to start a Tea Party-linked organization "dedicated to opposing what she characterizes as the leftist 'tyranny' of President Obama and Democrats in Congress" -- and then go dialing for donors in her capacity as its leader. It's reasonable to expect that individuals and corporations might throw money at the spouse of someone so influential -- or that she might reveal those names to him. But the organization's 501(c)(4) nonprofit tax status allows it to conceal its funding sources. So there's no telling who first helped Liberty Central open its doors in late 2009 with two gifts of $500,000 and $50,000, or who's paying Thomas's salary now -- in short, whether there's a potential conflict of interest.
So changing the subject may have seemed like a very good idea that morning. And what better opportunity for the Thomases to play offense about their persecution at the hands of the media and the tyrannical left than by resurrecting their gripe with Hill?
If that was the plan, it didn't work because Hill didn't bite. She sat on the voicemail for a week thinking it was a prank, then notified campus security, which alerted the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Blazecock Pileon: I thought Anita Hill was called to testify at the hearing. So this request makes it sound like she pursued Thomas in court, when that's not what happened. Or am I misremembering things?When I first saw this story this morning, I thought that the voicemail was asking for a "full explanation of why you did what you did to my husband," which made sense. But the voicemail actually said "... what you did with my husband."
Douching is terrible for women; it can lead to infection and irritation. Even teen magazines will tell you this! Douches exist only because women have been told that our bodies are unclean. Douches, and the bags that reportedly accompany them, are terrible, no-good products. Insulting douches doesn’t insult women — the existence of douches insults women.posted by Lexica at 1:05 PM on October 20, 2010 [3 favorites]
Source: In Defense of "Douchebag"
Secondly, this department isn't touching this case with a 10-foot-pole
The wife of Clarence Thomas describes the "hell" of the hearings, her own experience with sexual harassment and her belief that Anita Hill "was probably in love with my husband"posted by blueberry at 11:36 PM on October 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
—People magazine, November 11th, 1991
"He was obsessed with porn," she said of Thomas, who is now 63. "He would talk about what he had seen in magazines and films, if there was something worth noting."
...
According to McEwen, Thomas would also tell her about women he encountered at work. He was partial to women with large breasts, she said. In an instance at work, Thomas was so impressed that he asked one woman her bra size, McEwen recalled him telling her.
« Older So you want to go to law school?(SLYT)... | oops, by Chris Beckman, is a f... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by klangklangston at 10:04 AM on October 20, 2010 [21 favorites]