Ask God Why You Did It: Clarence Thomas' Wife to Anita Hill

"Who has put a pubic hair on my coke?"

Those were the words that echoed through the halls of congress in 1991 during Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' confirmation hearing. Justice Thomas confirmation was contested by a former employee named Anita Hill. Now a Brandeis University professor, Hill accused Thomas of having been a chronic harasser of the sexual variety when she served under him as head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. But, as descriptions of a multi-behavioral pattern of inpropriety emerged from multiple witnesses, it was Ms. Hill's retelling of a situation where then Director Thomas allegedly proclaimed to an office full of women that someone had intentionally deposited a pubic hair upon the surface of the can of Coca-Cola he was enjoying.

So weird.

But now, even more weirdly, Thomas's wife, Virginia "Ginny" Thomas, has "reached across the airwaves and the years to implore Professor Hill to become chaste regarding her now nearly 20-year-old testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, recant it, apologize for it and ask her maker what made her do it.

ABC News has reported the content of a voicemail left to Prof. Hill by Mrs. Thomas as: “Good morning, Anita Hill, it’s Ginny Thomas,” she said, according to ABC News. “I just wanted to reach across the airwaves and the years and ask you to consider something. I would love you to consider an apology sometime and some full explanation of why you did what you did with my husband. So give it some thought and certainly pray about this and come to understand why you did what you did. Okay have a good day.”

Anita Hill has not yet made a public statement (it would really suck to typo the sixth word in the preceding phrase as I almost did by leaving out the letter "L"), but has apparently found it of enough concern regarding her own safety and wellbeing that she reported campus security at Brandeis, where the voicemail was left by the supreme court justice's wife. In turn, the university has turned it over to the FBI.

It's worth noting that Mrs. Thomas is a conserviative activist with ties to the Tea Party Movement. That may be what has scared Prof. Hill most, given the history of the Tea Party and the issue of racism among some of its ranks. Professor Hill is African American.

First Gay Supreme Court Justice?

Will Prof. Kathleen Sullivan (pictured, center; photo courtesy Georgetown Law School), who teaches law at Stanford University be the first openly gay nominee for the highest court in the land? Politico.com is reporting a push by some prominent gay and lesbian advocacy groups are pushing for the president to make up for his failure to appoint any (openly) gay men or women to his cabinet by doing so to the bench of the United States Supreme Court.

If he does, it may be the most controversial thing the new president has done to date. There is a potential corollary to Bill Clinton's effort to end discrimination of gays and lesbians in the military at a time that was later deemed too early, and in a manner that was too visible. The end result was one of history's worst "compromises:" the policy known as (and still in effect) Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell.

However, there is no way to time a Supreme Court opening and no way to fill a vacancy on the high court in a discrete manner. It will be interesting to how Obama acts. If he makes a bold move, such as nominating Prof. Sullivan, who is a lesbian, or fellow Stanford law professor, Pam Karlan, who is also a gay woman, it will put this president down in the history books for one more first...and why not; it's beginning to feel like the 21st Century has finally arrived.