An important piece of information emerged over the holiday weekend, and it's important that it not get buried. By way of background, the activist Left -- very much including a large share of the 'news' media -- has been doing its best to fabricate yet another entirely phony "scandal" against a conservative Supreme Court justice. They've been actively pursing this strategy for years, funded by mountains of the sort of 'dark money' they pretend to abhor, for the purpose of eroding the Court's legitimacy. Let's be explicitly clear: They are not doing so because they are genuinely concerned about "ethics." They are not doing so because there are clear violations or conflicts of interests at play (this cynical brigade has shown zero interest in similar or more flagrant potential issues involving the Court's leftist contingent). They are doing so because the Court's conservative majority is denying them the outcomes they desire. It's that simple. They are laboring to tear down an institution that stands in the way of their extreme ideological project because they view and demand power as their ideological birthright.
This is dangerous, both to "our democracy," about which they purport to care very deeply, and to the targeted justices. We've witnessed the Democrats' Senate leader specifically threaten members of the Court by name, earning a rare rebuke from the Chief Justice. We've seen ugly, menacing protests outside the family homes of various justices. And we've even seen a thwarted assassination attempt against Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which garnered shockingly little coverage. As always, "civility" and "rhetoric" media panics cut in one direction among the progressives who run America's widely-distrusted, 'elite' newsrooms. And it's from those newsrooms that the current, ludicrous controversy has emanated -- driven by activists, and picked up by elected Democrats. It's ginned-up nonsense. It's embarrassing. And it's all so transparent. The country is supposed to be scandalized by an upside-down American flag flown outside of Justice Sam Alito's home in early January 2021. The country was then instructed to be further appalled by the discovery of another, 'insurrectionist-linked' flag flying at his vacation home.
Justice Alito has explained the 2021 incident, drawing incredulous heckles from the Left, but it turns out that his account aligns with contemporaneous reporting from the Washington Post. Indeed, back at the time, the Post looked into the matter and found the episode so unremarkable that they didn't even run a story on it. But here we are, years later, and the manufactured outrage machine insists that everyone simply ignore this:
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The Washington Post reveals they actually already discovered in Jan 2021 the Alito flag story was fake and chose not report it after they determined it was part of a neighborhood dispute not rooted in politics. It's a good thing we didn't let this all get out of hand! pic.twitter.com/B5i5fBxCUT
— Philip Letsou (@philipletsou) May 25, 2024
It getting 'out of hand' was the whole point, of course. But the fact remains that the Post dug into this flap more than three years ago and declined to report on it after concluding that the upside-down flag was hoisted by the justice's wife, over a neighborhood dispute. The dispute, it seems, originated from bouts of profane rudeness from left-wing residents: "Alito said that a neighbor had posted a sign saying 'F**k Trump' near a school bus stop and then a sign attacking his wife, Martha-Ann Alito. On a walk, the justice told Fox, the Alitos got into an argument with the neighbor, who used the term 'c**t' at one point. His wife then flew the inverted flag," which is a sign of distress. But the New York Times' breathless reporting in recent days is designed to conjure up the impression that Alito is a pro-Capitol-riot, 'stop the steal' lunatic. Facts that were explored and dismissed at the time have been resurrected and distorted, as part of a shameless political hit job. As for the other 'problematic flag,' what an embarrassing attack:
Rather than retreat in humiliation, the Times doubled down this week with a follow-up report of yet another flag—this one right-side up—spotted at the Alitos’ vacation home in New Jersey. The left tells us that the 1775 Pine Tree flag was spotted among Jan. 6 protesters! And moreover, that its catch phrase, “an appeal to heaven,” derives from a radical character—John Locke. The Times somehow fails to let readers know that the flag is a longtime symbol of independence; that it was designed by George Washington’s secretary; was flown on ships commissioned by Washington; has been honored, commemorated and flown over state capitols; and is the official maritime flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is currently displayed outside the office of the speaker of the House. Dozens of historic flags were toted to the Capitol on Jan. 6, as were copies of the Constitution and pictures of the American eagle. Are they all now symbols of “insurrection”?
The 'Appeal to Heaven' banner was never controversial or "linked" to January 6th until the journo class abruptly decided that it was, as part of a preposterous pile-on. Beware the Trump insurrectionists who run...San Francisco?
lest you think this was just 2019, the Appeal To Heaven flag was flying outside San Francisco City Hall in 2023 as well — the same time frame as at Alito’s beach house
— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) May 25, 2024
Dastardly insurrectionists everywhere pic.twitter.com/x7oNSx2hct
The lengths to which people will go to re-write history on the fly, in service of craven politics, is creepy and Orwellian:
Wikipedia edits on the Pine Tree Flag page are fascinating.
— Andrew Kerr (@AndrewKerrNC) May 24, 2024
On Wednesday, it was just a normal flag.
On Friday, it's a now a symbol of Christian nationalism and right-wing extremism.
And the Popular Culture section on the HBO miniseries has been completely removed. pic.twitter.com/vIadtsCiyZ
Recall that a well-known dictionary company literally altered the definition of a term overnight, in support of a separate partisan assault against another current member of the Court. Nevertheless, Senate Democrats -- including many of the same cretins who seized upon the insane, debunked Julie Swetnick/Michael Avenatti 'serial gang rape parties' smear of Brett Kavanaugh to demand the withdrawal of his nomination -- are pouncing on the humiliating, made-up flags 'scandal' to issue new demands. They want Alito to recuse himself from certain cases. They want new rules imposed on the justices. They insist upon 'emergency' meetings to address this garbage (they actually wrote the words "MAGA battle flags" in their idiotic press release). And they're making dark threats like this, via a conspiratorial lunatic and prominent all-white club member:
Raskin: “if and when we win back the House and the Senate and the White House we will look at the Supreme Court and figure out what can be done about that extremely corrupted and contaminated body.” Yes we will, brother. Yes we will.https://t.co/tqrffjtEnl
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) May 24, 2024
As an aside, Rep. Raskin, last seen cowering and caving to pro-Hamas mobs in Maryland, is quoted here railing against the "extremely corrupted and contaminated" Supreme Court over its, um, unanimous decision against a fringe, anti-democracy left-wing effort to force Donald Trump off of ballots. The 'corruption and contamination' runs so deep that they've even gotten to Sotomayor, or something. Do these people hear themselves? What's frightening is seeing them openly broadcast the sorts of power-grabs they would be willing to attempt against the Court if given the opportunity. These sorts of people have contempt for our country and our system, assailing and bullying any check or balance that frustrates their thirst for political supremacy and power:
Nothing says don’t question the legitimacy of elections and “our Democracy” like “stolen seats.” pic.twitter.com/bRxZ8RMrnJ
— Randy Barnett (@RandyEBarnett) May 25, 2024
No one should take seriously any lectures about democracy, institutions, or norms from these clowns. And the hackery truly is off the charts. Just look at these Senate Democrats go:
In 2016, Justice Ginsburg—not her spouse—weighed in against Trump’s election, suggested fleeing the country, and made comments about his tax returns.
— John McCormack (@McCormackJohn) May 25, 2024
Why did Senate Democrats not call for her recusal in any Trump case—including one about his taxes? https://t.co/4b3syltgwV pic.twitter.com/AMg9HpftuG
They never called for RBG to recuse herself (just like they ignored 'ethical issues,' under their own, ever-changing, on-the-fly 'standards' from Sotomayor and others) because they don't actually believe any of this rubbish. They don't adhere to consistent principles or standards. They pursue whatever they feel like they must, in any given moment, to achieve political and ideological advantage. That's it. Their pathetic histrionics should be ignored by the Court, but not by Republicans or voters. These are radicals who pose an actual threat to the country's governing institutions and the rule of the law. They are aided and abetted by many in the news media. They must not be entrusted with the power they covet and crave. Speaking of histrionics, I'll leave you with this:
"There are days that I come to my office, close my door, and cry."
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 26, 2024
Justice Sotomayor says she often cries when SCOTUS announces a ruling:
pic.twitter.com/hD4F4IM8vO
Given the Left's fleeting rules from 2018 -- when they claimed Brett Kavanaugh's righteously furious reaction to being baselessly accused of gang rape painted a troubling portrait of his temperament and fitness for the beach -- is Sonia Sotomayor emotionally stable enough to remain on the Court? By the way, the Roberts Court is not actually very right-wing, isn't unusually 'activist,' and Sotomayor is quite often in the majority. That little emotive rant seems to be her way of previewing that the leftist screamers are not going to like a number of the rulings that will be announced in the coming weeks. It may be time to further enhance the justices' security details, given the dangerous, unhinged rhetoric and conduct that might once again follow -- shamefully stoked by politicians at the highest levels of the inaptly-named Democratic Party.
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