A Conservative Clerk Leaked That Supreme Court Opinion

I know that because I am not a moron

Republicans, instead of celebrating their dream come true — that is, “The Handmaid’s Tale” becoming reality — are oddly instead spending all their time howling that the real issue is that some monstrously vile liberal leaked a draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade. When a reporter asked Sen. Ted Cruz why he was so sure it was a liberal who leaked it, he replied, “Because I’m not a moron.”

Since we all know Ted is a moron, I rest my case.

Seriously though, I do have an intellectual argument — hey, Republicans, you might want to look up what “intellectual argument” means — to prove my assertion.

I will go one step further and also lay down a speculative bet that the exact culprit was either a clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas, Ginni Thomas, or perhaps a clerk and Ginni working together. Ginni works together so well with her hubby, doesn’t she? What an adorable couple they are.

It doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to figure this out. It just takes being not a moron.

Timing is everything, dear Watson

The draft majority opinion in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which would completely overturn Roe v. Wade is dated February 10 (according to a notation circulated with the opinion). It was leaked, apparently, around the end of April. Under usual court procedure, March and April would be the time when Justices would be circulating variations on this draft document. The final opinion would likely come out in June.

So, why didn’t a liberal leak it in February? Why leak it now? Because a liberal didn’t leak it. A liberal would want this opinion to come out as close to the midterm elections as possible. The later, the better.

Here is the most logical course of events on timing. As different opinions and notations circulated among the Justices over Alito’s very extreme first draft, somebody peeled off. Somebody broke ranks.

Justice Roberts, who was not on board with the first draft, very likely managed to twist somebody’s arm to not put forth so extreme an opinion that shows such an extreme lack of respect for court precedent, not to mention lack of respect for past court Justices. I would suspect it was probably Justice Kavanaugh since that seems like an easy arm to twist, though possibly Justice Barrett, who peeled off under pressure from Roberts.

April would have been the time when that would have happened.

A conservative clerk, probably one for Justice Thomas, a man who regularly thumbs his nose at everyone and everything, and/or his wife Ginni, recognized the only way left to exert opposite pressure would be to leak the first draft. This exerts enormous pressure on the original five to stay with that draft opinion. Otherwise, it will look as though they caved to public pressure in the outcry over this leaked draft. No Justice can look like they are caving to protestors, not ever.

A radical conservative leaked this in order to try and box the five in. Elementary dear Watson.

Justice Roberts says it is authentic but NOT the court’s ruling, dear Watson

I don’t particularly like Justice Roberts, but he is a man of integrity who is not a liar. So, we all should probably pay attention when he says

“…it does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case.”

The leaked draft overturns Roe v. Wade completely. Justice Roberts says that is not the court’s final opinion. Ergo, in some way, something was softened as more drafts were circulated. Whatever softening was happening would make liberals on the court relatively happy. Whatever softening was happening would make certain conservatives — hint, Alito and Thomas, and their clerks — absolutely furious, as they were so very close to their Holy Grail.

Someone furious about this turn of events in April would certainly be capable of leaking the original draft as one final outraged temper tantrum.

Conservative are the ones who have been norm busting, dear Watson

In case you haven’t noticed, for the last 6 years, it has been conservatives consistently disrespecting all our treasured national institutions, precedents, and traditions, not liberals.

Also, in case you haven’t noticed, Ginni Thomas is really into norm busting, since she was okay with tossing out and overthrowing the 2020 election.

For the past 2 years, Republicans have ramped up their fight to undermine our democracy, be it with voting restriction laws, be it with bogus election audits trying to see if there were Chinese bamboo fibers in the ballots, be it with accusations that schools are hotbeds of “groomers,” be it their refusal to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the election of 2020!

Conservatives — in contrast to what that word is supposed to mean — have become the norm busters, bent on undermining all our democratic institutions.

So, when Justice Roberts says:

To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed.

I think I can rest my case on who was behind the leak. It was a member of the Republican Party of norm busting.

Remember that this is also the Republican Party of smokescreens. Hence why they are not celebrating with a party in the streets over their achievement of their Holy Grail, overturning Roe v. Wade. Instead, their “talking points” emphasize howling about the leaker.

I have a better idea. Let’s make them howl and shed lots of tears come November when this 70/30 issue of the dignity and rights of women sinks Republicans at the ballot box.

I will see you at the protests on Saturday. I’m already working on a sign. My sign simply says this: “Respect and Protect Women.” Join me, won’t you? That is at least a 70/30 issue, or so I would hope.

Otherwise, I don’t want to have to ultimately flee the Republic of Gilead, running across the border to Canada, where women are indeed cared for, loved, and respected.