PBS released their latest Frontline documentary on Tuesday with the subtitle of Clarence and Ginni Thomas: Politics, Power and the Supreme Court. They purported to uncover why the Thomases view the world the way they do. Ultimately, however, Clarence Thomas was portrayed as a far-right sexual abuser who benefited from affirmative action who rules the way he does on cases in order to please his friends.
The film began by recounting Ginni sitting in the front row at the White House as Clarence delivered the oath of office to new justice, Amy Coney Barrett. Kurt Andersen, author of the anti-capitalist book Evil Geniuses, was then shown saying “It was a momentous moment. Ginni Thomas is as good as any, maybe the best, embodiment of the American right today. She's a true believer. She has always been on the far-right. Her politics are all about this politics of fear and anger. That's Ginni Thomas.”
Narrator Will Lyman summed up the situation in a similar manner, “Two powerful conservatives, on the court and in politics, pursuing a shared vision” and Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy also concurred, “This duo of Clarence Thomas and Ginni Thomas, they are the it couple of the far-right.”
After several minutes of biographical information on the subjects, the film eventually got to Thomas’s time in the Reagan Administration with Lyman proclaiming, “He'd paid his dues by being the front man for Reagan on issues of race… Especially affirmative action, which Thomas came to see as deeply flawed and insincere.”
Kennedy then accused Thomas of simply playing a part, “He's playing the role of a black conservative. He's, he's playing the role of a black Reaganite,” while “giving the Reagan Administration cover, so that when people say, you know, ‘the Reagan Administration is racist,’ Reagan can say, ‘Well, you know, you can't say that. Look at these…Look, look at these people over here. Look at this guy, Clarence Thomas. He's Black.’”
Eventually, Clarence and Ginni would marry, which led leftist journalist Jane Mayer to claim “Clarence Thomas is at odds with the civil rights movement. He's against affirmative action. Ginni Thomas is at odds with the feminist movement and she's opposed to equal pay for women. In some ways, they really have a lot in common politically and in terms of sort of where they position themselves in sort of opposition to the, the politics of their, their own generation.”
Reducing the civil rights movement to affirmative action was bad enough, but in 1991, President George H.W. Bush nominated Thomas for the Supreme Court, declaring that “he is the best qualified at this time.”
Kennedy wasn’t buying it, “Well, I mean, you know, who believes that? Clarence Thomas stands to be one of the great beneficiaries in American life of affirmative action.”
They rounded up backers of Anita Hill's claims in 1991. Gordon Davis, who was described as a Holy Cross classmate of Thomas, claimed “I heard him say that before. He said it before. We were in the Hogan Campus Center, and a group of us black students were walking by. And he says, "Oh, look. Is that pubic hair on a Coke can?" Those were the exact words he used then, and I heard it later on, when Anita Hill spoke it. So, I believe what she said. She was telling the truth.”
Michael Fletcher, a co-author of the anti-Thomas book Supreme Discomfort, also took Hill’s side, “He liked adult films. He made jokes. Thomas was inappropriate and things like that. That all stacked up on Anita Hill's side of the, of the ledger. So, you know, I think if I had to say who lied, it was Thomas.”
Various people were shown recalling how they encouraged Thomas to persevere, but no explicit defense of Thomas from his EEOC colleagues was shown.
Eventually, the film got to present day with Lyman recalling that “[Harlan] Crow and Thomas describe their relationship as a normal friendship. But their ties have raised questions about the high court's independence. And Thomas's opinions have often been in line with the conservative politics of his friends.”
At one point, Lyman placed Thomas decisions next to audio snippets of Rush Limbaugh. So he recalled “In Gore v. Bush [sic], he provided one of the crucial five votes for delivering the White House to the Republicans... He insisted that key parts of the Voting Rights Act were unconstitutional… He argued against laws regulating guns… He called for the overturn of Roe v. Wade… And on one of his most personal issues, he declared he would ban affirmative action.” Lyman used this to claim “The closer Thomas aligned with the conservative world, the greater the divide with the politics and perspective of the world he'd grown up in.”
Viewers should not hold their breath for the Frontline documentary on any liberal justice issuing rulings that consistently line up with what MSNBC wants.
This documentary was sponsored by viewers like you.
Here is a transcript for the May 9 show:
PBS Frontline: Clarence and Ginni Thomas: Politics, Power and the Supreme Court
5/9/2023
9:03 PM ET
KURT ANDERSEN: It was a momentous moment. Ginni Thomas is as good as any, maybe the best, embodiment of the American right today. She's a true believer. She has always been on the far-right. Her politics are all about this politics of fear and anger. That's Ginni Thomas.
NARRATOR: Two powerful conservatives, on the court and in politics, pursuing a shared vision.
RANDALL KENNEDY: This duo of Clarence Thomas and Ginni Thomas, they are the it couple of the far-right.
…
9:51
NARRATOR: He'd paid his dues by being the front man for Reagan on issues of race.
CLARENCE THOMAS: I think that the president is, has, has really been treated unfairly in the media with respect to his views on minorities.
NARRATOR: Especially affirmative action, which Thomas came to see as deeply flawed and insincere.
THOMAS: Where you do run into the conflict is when you have a system set up under the guise of affirmative action that is called "preferential treatment."
KENNEDY: He's playing the role of a black conservative. He's, he's playing the role of a black Reaganite.
THOMAS: The president has been singularly supportive. He supports us where it counts.
KENNEDY: He's giving the Reagan Administration cover, so that when people say, you know, "the Reagan Administration is racist," Reagan can say, "Well, you know, you can't say that, "Look at these…Look, look at these people over here. "Look at this guy, Clarence Thomas. He's Black."
…
9:59
NARRATOR: Angela Wright was Thomas's communications director.
ANGELA WRIGHT: I think he really, really wanted to, just sort of prove to conservative white people that, you know, he was their guy. He just took such pride in denigrating Black people. He is taking stereotypes and laughing at them, and making white people feel comfortable in his presence because he's the first one to make the racial joke.
JANE MAYER: He comes up with derogatory nicknames for people. He bullies some of the weaker people. He makes fun of them. He's supposed to be running an organization that protects, for instance, older people in the workplace, and he tells his underlings to get rid of an older guy in the office 'cause he's too old. He says, "He's got one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel."
WRIGHT: There was a woman on his staff who was a little person, and I remember him specifically saying-- forgive my language, but this is what he said-- "She got that big ass." Despite the fact that sexual harassment was against the law, people just let it roll off.
…
10:03
NARRATOR: But they had important similarities.
MAYER: Clarence Thomas is at odds with the Civil Rights movement. He's against affirmative action. Ginni Thomas is at odds with the Feminist movement and she's opposed to equal pay for women. In some ways, they really have a lot in common politically and in terms of sort of where they position themselves in sort of opposition to the, the politics of their, their own generation.
…
10:07
KENNEDY: Clarence Thomas is nominated. Now, you know, immediately, there are certain things that happen that, you know, get my attention. First, did race have anything to do with this?
GEORGE H.W. BUSH: What I did was look for the best man. And the fact that he is Black and a minority has nothing to do with this in the sense that he is the best qualified at this time.
KENNEDY: Well, I mean, you know, who believes that? Clarence Thomas stands to be one of the great beneficiaries in American life of affirmative action.
…
MAYER: He's told to just basically sit there like a potted plant and don't say too much. It's insulting in a way, but he, he does... He, he does what he's told.
THOMAS: I think that to take a position would undermine my ability to be impartial.
KENNEDY: There did come a point at which people said, "Well, hold it." Uh, you know, "Maybe you don't know enough to be a justice."
THOMAS: would undermine my impartiality...Really undermine my ability to be impartial.
KENNEDY: It, it was just laughable.
…
GORDON DAVIS: I heard him say that before. He said it before. We were in the Hogan Campus Center, and a group of us black students were walking by. And he says, "Oh, look. Is that pubic hair on a Coke can?" Those were the exact words he used then, and I heard it later on, when Anita Hill spoke it. So, I believe what she said. She was telling the truth.
MICHAEL FLETCHER: He liked adult films. He made jokes. Thomas was inappropriate and things like that. That all stacked up on Anita Hill's side of the, of the ledger. So, you know, I think if I had to say who lied, it was Thomas.
MAYER: Both Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas were under oath. So one of them was perjuring themselves. And the problem was, if the person who was lying was Clarence Thomas, it was someone who was going to be one of nine of the most important judges in America for the rest of his life, and for decades to come. Somebody with enormous unchecked power, somebody who could decide the fate of many, many other people. So much was hanging in the balance. And, and it has ever since.
…
10:34
NARRATOR: Crow and Thomas describe their relationship as a normal friendship. But their ties have raised questions about the high court's independence. And Thomas's opinions have often been in line with the conservative politics of his friends.
In Gore v. Bush [sic], he provided one of the crucial five votes for delivering the White House to the Republicans.
RUSH LIMBAUGH: The Democrat Party accused the Supreme Court of being rigged for Bush.
NARRATOR: He insisted that key parts of the Voting Rights Act were unconstitutional.
LIMBAUGH: The end of a key element of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
NARRATOR: He argued against laws regulating guns.
LIMBAUGH: What do Democrats want? Your guns.
NARRATOR: He called for the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
LIMBAUGH: Roses are red, violets are blue, see you later, I aborted you.
NARRATOR: And on one of his most personal issues, he declared he would ban affirmative action.
LIMBAUGH: Affirmative action is not equality. Clarence Thomas, what a godsend. You give me a country run by Clarence Thomas, and I would sign up for it tomorrow.
NARRATOR: The closer Thomas aligned with the conservative world, the greater the divide with the politics and perspective of the world he'd grown up in.
ORION DOUGLASS: Look, he voted against the Voting Rights Act. We grew up in Savannah when King was marching and struggling and dying to pass the Voting Rights Act. How can the African-American community, how do, how are they to perceive it? And why would he do it? I think the overall opinion in the African-American community was, he's no longer us, he's them.
KENNEDY: In many parts of Black America, he is not celebrated. In fact, in much of Black America, just the opposite, he's derided. His name stands for something. You know, to pull a, to pull a Clarence Thomas, that means something. To pull a Clarence Thomas means to use your blackness to, you know, reach a high place, and then turn your back on it. That is to pull a Clarence Thomas. Gosh, he knows that, and he cannot be happy with that.
GLENN LOURY: You want to be thought of as a good black man or woman, not as a traitor, or a turncoat, a sellout. On the other hand, the idea that "I will think for myself "And I won't be told what to think just because of the color of my skin" is one that very powerfully animated Clarence Thomas. "If somebody's going to tell me I'm not Black "Because thinking for myself, I arrived at certain conclusions "That they didn't like, you question my authenticity? "You, you question my legitimacy? I take umbrage at that, I don't, I don't appreciate that."
