…and pretty much exactly as I would have, touching all the bases Ethics Alarms did in its posts on this epically stupid—but useful!—controversy.
It is stupid for all the reasons Justice Alito (and I mentioned, in the first 5 posts here). Here is the letter.The fact that he even felt he had to rebut two shameless U.S. Senators who went on the record with a “This SCOTUS Justice must recuse because his wife displayed two flags that some people may think show support for the idiots who stormed the U.S. Capitol four years ago because some of them carried similar flags” argument so obviously contrived that it makes my teeth hurt is embarrassing, or should be, to Democrats. Unfortunately, at least in the matter of Trump-Derangement, they are immune for such feelings. Anything goes, but wow, was this “anything” ridiculous.
Let’s see, Alito felt he had to point out…
- “…confident that a reasonable person who is not motivated by political or ideological considerations or a desire to affect the outcome of Supreme Court cases would conclude that the events recounted above do not meet the applicable standard for recusal.” These are not reasonable people, of course.
- Neither Alito nor his wife were familiar with the connections between the distress symbolism of an upside-down U.S. flag or the Revolution era “Appeal to Heaven” flag and the “Stop the Steal” movement at the time the flags were displayed. Neither was I. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Whitehouse and Durbin knew about the connection either, not that either would have the honesty to admit it.
- Alito says his wife can say or protest whatever she wants to, and there isn’t a thing he can do about it, nor can he be held responsible for her words and actions.
- “As I have stated publicly, I had nothing whatsoever to do with the flying of that flag. I was not even aware of the upsidedown flag until it was called to my attention. As soon as I saw it, I asked my wife to take it down, but for several days, she refused.” I’m amazed how many women, supposed feminists, have made the argument to me that Alito should be able to tell his wife what she can and can’t say or do. Gee, this patriarchy just isn’t patriarchal enough, gals, is that it? What hypocrites. Over at Reason, Josh Blackmon reveals that Nancy Gartner, a former federal judge, told the Washington Post that Alito’s obgligation was either to recuse if his wife refused to remove the flags, or divorce her!
So why is this Hail Mary, absurd and offensive effort to impugn a U.S. Supreme Court Justice useful? It’s useful to help identify the liars, anti-democratic trolls and Machiavellian leftists out there. I’ll just link to one of the Unethical Website of the Year’s many posts smearing Alito over this episode. Your Trump Deranged friends follow these people.
Ethics Alarms 
I’m sure that some people carried the American flag on January 6. Does that mean that if I display the flag (e.g. over Memorial Day) that I am signaling solidarity with the “insurrection”?
If you are a SCOTUS justice whom Democrats want removed from deliberations because they’ll rig anything they can to hold on to power, yes, of course you are.
Addendum: on my increasingly depressing legal ethics listserv where the “experts” hang out, the immediate reaction to Alito’s letter was that his analysis of what requires recusal was “biased.”
I responded, “Just…wow. If sincerely believing that a SCOTUS Justice has to recuse because of two flags of ambiguous significance his flag-obsessed wife flew over their homes, one of them almost four years ago, is “reasonable” and not the product of crippling bias itself, then I am Marie of Romania.”
(My colleagues don’t like me very much.)
Wasn’t the demand for recusal biased? Are these experts that dense.
To suggest these demands were developed through an objective lens is absolutely laughable.
Of course, it’s biased. To paraphrase Ken Ham, “It’s not about who’s biased and who’s not biased, it’s about whose bias is the best bias to be biased about!”
The Democrats feel that they are the Good Guys which means that the Republicans are the Bad Guys. When you are literally fighting Hitler, then you’re allowed to be biased against him, right?
Especially when the media is in your pocket assuring the country that there is no bias involved.
They ARE that dense. It’s bias blindness—so biased they don’t even know they are biased. Ethics!
Hey Jack, I think there’s a link error (or some really subtle humor) on the link to Alito’s letter, it directs to the IMDB page for Valdez Is Coming.
Ya THINK? How the hell did THAT happen? I fixed it, and I’m embarrassed, but I’m also ticked off the so many sources made it so hard to access the text. Of course, that doesn’t excuse linking to a forgettable Burt Lancaster Western from 1971…
I saw an unconfirmed report that nearly all of the J6 “insurrectionists” were wearing shoes at the time of the event, so everyone wearing shoes must be in cahoots with them.
But what kind of shoes? Nike, no. New Balance, it might as well be a Hitler Youth
haircut!
News flash
https://babylonbee.com/news/aoc-demands-to-know-where-alito-bought-an-upside-down-us-flag?utm_source=The%20Babylon%20Bee%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email
My response to Justice Alito:
Quit trying to reason with those who don’t care about reason unless it supports their argument exclusively.
Also, stop talking about your wife’s involvement. They don’t believe you, and they never will. If Jesus Christ walked in and informed these senators of their error they would accuse him of being biased. They don’t deserve the truth, so don’t give it to them.
The only way to win this is not to participate. Ignoring ignorant, biased congress-trolls is its own reward, and avoids the wrestling-with-a-pig problem.