Modus Operandi

Well, that didn't take long. John Roberts is a liar. Turns out he was a member of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal club. "Working with the Federalist Society would provide some clue of his sympathies. The organization keeps its membership rolls secret, but many key policymakers in the Bush administration are acknowledged current or former members," says the Post.

Roberts is claiming he doesn't remember belonging, even though his name appears on the roles.

"Over the weekend, The Post obtained a copy of the Federalist Society Lawyers' Division Leadership Directory, 1997-1998. It lists Roberts, then a partner at the law firm Hogan & Hartson, as a member of the steering committee of the organization's Washington chapter and includes his firm's address and telephone number.

"Yesterday, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Roberts "has no recollection of being a member of the Federalist Society, or its steering committee."

I am NOT saying that belonging to a conservative organization disqualifies Roberts from SCOTUS. I am NOT saying that this revelation disqualifies Roberts from SCOTUS. So why deny his membership?

I am saying two things: this is exactly how Bushco operates, pretending to be less conservative, less reactionary, than they are. In their hankering for power, which they believe to be, yes, divinely appointed, they act in a moral vacuum in which any method that delivers that power is justified. Truth is either useful or inconvenient, but it is never, ever, a moral imperative; the moral imperative is to advance the agenda, truth be damned.

And I'm saying this: the duty of the Democrats in the Senate is NOT to stonewall this nomination, it is to make sure to show all Americans just who John Roberts is, who he associates with, what he believes, and who owns him.