On Monday the book by Clarence Thomas- entitled "My Grandfather's Son" will be released. Amazon has it.
From Drudge.
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS DISCUSSES HIS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIFE AND SAYS THE REAL ISSUE AT HIS CONFIRMATION HEARINGS WAS ABORTION
Thurs Sept 27 2007 14:41:11 ET
In his first television interview, in which he discusses his childhood, his race, his rise to Supreme Court Justice and his job on the nation's highest court, Clarence Thomas says the real issue at his controversial confirmation hearings 16 years ago was abortion. Saying the issue was "the elephant in the room," Thomas also tells Steve Kroft that the hearings he called at the time a "high tech lynching" harmed the country. The interview will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES, Sunday Sept. 30 (7:30-9:00 PM/ET, 7:00-9:00 PM /PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Thomas, whose Supreme Court positions on abortion issues have been conservative, says the confirmation hearings in which he was accused of sexual harassment by a former employee -- allegations he continues to deny -- were really about abortion. "That was the elephant in the room... That was the issue. That is the issue that people are apparently so upset about," he tells Kroft. "[That is the issue] that you determine the composition of your Supreme Court and your entire federal judiciary, it seems now," says Thomas.
He says the hearings harmed the accuser, Anita Hill, himself, and ultimately the country by setting a precedent manifested in other highly charged, media-infused events such as the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton. "The process harmed her. It harmed me and we see sort of the precedent of this kind of thing begin to harm even people like President Clinton," Thomas believes. "Things are out of control. That's not good for the country. It's not good for the court," he continues, "What are we going to look like years from now if we can't get people confirmed because everybody gets to attack them. They get to draw and quarter them," he says.
In the interview, Thomas also expresses an opinion of his accuser for the first time in public, saying of Hill, who waited 10 years to accuse him, "She was not the demure, religious, conservative person that they portrayed. That's not the person I knew," Thomas says. "She could defend herself, let's just put it that way... She did not take slights very kindly and anyone who did anything, she responded very quickly," he says. When Kroft rejoins, "Didn't take 10 years?" Thomas replies, "It didn't take 10 minutes."
I can find nothing with which to disagree here.
4 comments:
Wouldn't his grandfather's son be his father?
Mary,
I was talking to Cla about his comfirmation recently. I was about 14 at the time...a clueless liberal leaning kid. I knew nothing about who he was or what the hearings were for. All I remember from it was that this guy was being absolutely villified, lots of discussion about *achem* some sort of hair on a can of soda, and allogations of sexual misconduct. The way it was played up in mainstream media I always assumed that this guy was some sort of criminal that was surely sent to jail after these hearings.
When I grew up, became conservative, and realized not only was he NOT in jail but he was on the Supreme Court I was so confused. LOL..
Anyway a long story just to show how mainstream media really can twist people's perceptions!! Boy am I glad the media was SO wrong and that he is on the Supreme Court and NOT in jail!
Thomas was raised by his grandfather, not his father, hence the title.
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