Clarence Thomas’ Silence Revealed

Clarence Thomas owns the modern-day record for a Supreme Court Justice not saying a peep, while doing their job. Five years! Nothing to say in five years? What is up with that?

To my thinking, Thomas achieved his spot on the bench fair and square - he was appointed. All that was required was that senior Bush, ‘like’ him, and he did. He needed confirmation, and he was. So that’s that – end of story. Nonetheless, Thomas has helped keep controversy of his nomination alive, mostly through his and his wife’s ineptness, and not being willing to let go of the past. We now hear that he failed to disclose his wife’s non-investment income for the past six years! Clarence please!

Now, the question on the federal forms that all justices must annually complete is not so tough. It comes in the form of a check box next to “Spouse’s Non-Investment Income”. Thomas repeatedly marked “None” when, in fact, his wife took in over $700,000 from her conservative think-tank, the Heritage Foundation. He says he did not understand the question. Please (again). Call me a smart-butt, but it seems that in hiding behind such an implausible excuse, he is re-making the case for himself as the 'affirmative action justice', or a really bad liar. For God’s sake man, it’s a check box!!!

As for his silence on the bench, it strikes me that an ambitious man who relishes a position of which he has arguable business, has two problems. On one hand, he runs the risk that his character may someday let him down (as it has in the past), illuminated in the case of lying on disclosure forms, perhaps to avoid more serious conflict-of-interest allegations. On the other hand, he also runs the risk of revealing that his brain lacks the horsepower for the job (Peter principle). In each scenario, even poor counsel would advise him to, “keep your mouth shut and hope they don’t notice”. Viola! Silence, with no end in sight.

James C. Collier

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