May 31, 2024

"So if your wife flies a flag you don't like and you can't work it out, your choices are to let her continue flying the flag and stay married or get divorced..."

"... or move out in some other capacity. And if your wife's language is flags and she's angry, and so she's decides to fly this distress flag that had been used by the George Floyd protestors by the stop the steal protestors, basically by protestors across the ideological spectrum. And you're like, Hey, but sweetheart, they're going to think that you are associating yourself with Stop the Steal. And then she goes into some sort of rant about how dare you accuse her of that. And that flag's staying up because you know what? They called me, they followed me in front of my home and their car and called me the C word. And then she like goes to bed and refuses to take down the flag.... What are you supposed to do?... This is like a feminist rant for me.... [T]his is private conduct by a private individual who is married to a Supreme Court justice. Why isn't she entitled to that?.... Think he should recuse because we can't prove that he wasn't involved?"

Says Sarah Isgur in the new episode of the "Advisory Opinions" podcast.

David French insists that he wouldn't allow a flag he didn't agree with to fly in front of his house, and the two go back and forth about how a man would physically accomplish the removal of the flag his wife insisted on flying.

For reference, here's what Alito wrote: "My wife is fond of flying flags. I am not. She was solely responsible for having flagpoles put up at our residence and our vacation home and has flown a wide variety of flags over the years...? As I have stated publicly, I had nothing whatsoever to do with the flying of that flag. I was not even aware of the upside down flag until it was called to my attention. As soon as I saw it, I asked my wife to take it down, but for several days she refused."

Isgur quips: "Her love language is flags."

ADDED: We join this conflict in the middle of things. Before your life reaches the point where the flag is up in front of the house and a matter of marital discord, the two of you ought to realize, together, that no signs or symbols belong on your shared house unless both of you want to be associated with that speech. The default should be no speech of that kind — no passive, unattended speech. You need to agree to get past the default.

Isgur keeps saying there's nothing attaching Justice Alito to the flag. It's all about his wife. But one may infer that a married couple has the understanding I'm saying married couples ought to have. How could such an intelligent, educated, well-established married couple not have a personal rule against non-mutual passive, unattended speech attached to their home? I'm not saying that I don't believe Justice Alito or that I think he needs to recuse over any of this. I'm just saying there is some evidence — based on inference — that the speech was also his.

AND: I looked up Martha-Ann Alito's education:
Mrs. Alito graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature in 1976 and a master’s in library sciences in 1977. She met Justice Alito in the law library when he was an assistant U.S. attorney.

89 comments:

Birches said...

Lol. French would insist the same way he insisted his wife not email men or get on Facebook for the year he was deployed. Remember that one? Lol.

doctrev said...

David French definitely loves having total control over his wife, or thinking he does. I can't imagine what that poor woman decided to do while he was in Iraq.

Breezy said...

Best advice is to just let it blow over.

imTay said...

They need to delegitimize the court so that they can pack it like an NYC jury.

mikee said...

To people who know their vexillology, the mere quibble of a spouse's disapproval would not be an impediment to letting their freak flag fly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjzRbgxZXz8

Jake said...

I can’t even believe this is a thing.

John henry said...

Ss a legal question what right do I have to forbid my wife to do anything in the house?
She owns half of it, pays half the mortgage. It seems like I would have no right to forbid her anymore than she would have to forbid me.

Anyone want to discuss the legal ramifications of this?

John Henry

Howard (not that Howard) said...

Just more Democrat BS, thrown against the wall seeing what sticks. Tiresome.

Lloyd W. Robertson said...

French tries to find some tendentious way to hate the same people the Trump haters hate. So much for conservatism.

john mosby said...

Oh how they would have loved Alito et ux having some kind of argument over the flag. Then they could lock him up (and what the heck, her too!) for domestic violence. Then yank his bar card for moral turpitude. Then get a few ‘decent’ House R’s to join the impeachment vote. Then nominate and approve Hunter as the replacement justice.

JSM

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Truly the juxtaposition of these concurrent outrages is an indictment of Big DNC Media and how they stick to the narrative no matter what. On the Left we have outrage over (take your pick) Thomas's wife working with political groups to True the Vote and/or Alito's wife have a collection of flags that are suddenly triggering to the loons of Progressivism. On the right we have Majority members of Congress and mainstream Americans questioning the appointment (not lottery pick as per usual) of a Judge who donated to the guy Trump is currently running against, whose daughter is fundraising for a group that advocates for imprisoning Trump and works directly for Adam Schiff and other Congresscritters also actively involved in prosecuting Trump, and who somehow was appointed to oversee the previous trials of Trump associates.

Both sides call for recusal, which did not happen and was refused. As stated already it is quite the juxtaposition. Can anyone here explain the common standards by which both examples might be fairly judged?

imTay said...

Remember when Anton Scalia accepted an invitation to go hunting on a private reserve with members of a secret society whom he had just recently met, he died with a pillow over his head, and his body was quickly cremated before it was shipped back, and way before any autopsy could be done, and the Supreme Court was in the balance and the Obama DoJ didn't care enough about how he died to even do a minimal investigation, beyond just asking the people who were there when he died and taking their word for it, and then quickly set about trying to appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court?

Nothing fishy about that!

Amadeus 48 said...

Hilarious that the Pine Tree Flag flew in front of San Francisco City Hall until last Saturday.

It is time to harrumph.

I am glad David French is on the case--a totally useless commenter who can write a one-way ticket to political oblivion for Republicans only. As if French wouldn't put up with anything as long as the Demmies wouldn't get too upset!

imTay said...

I am pretty sure that the Obama DoJ already knew what had happened to Scalia, probably in advance.

imTay said...

"Can anyone here explain the common standards by which both examples might be fairly judged?"

Sure, it's just like the standard for the US led international "rules based order." It goes "What are you going to do about it?"

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

And how can we forget the DA and the AG both ran on the explicit promises to "get Trump" and "jail Trump" and are carrying through on that improper and unethical premise. Who will be surprised when the judge orders Trump into the Epstein Cell at the jail? Who here doubts that is the exact plan to truly keep him off the ballot?

DINKY DAU 45 said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Rocco said...

As long as it’s not her freak flag, what’s the problem?

narciso said...

Frenchs mustard is amusing

planetgeo said...

You know who else loves to fly flags? Democrats. They fly rainbow flags, Hamas flags, abortion flags, all kinds of flags...that many of us disapprove of. Should we tear them down? Should Democrats who fly them recuse themselves from voting on any of those issues (as judges, mayors, governors, etc.)?

OK, I'll go with Yes on both points for everybody.

Narayanan said...

As soon as I saw it, I asked my wife to take it down, but for several days she refused."
=================
was it peremptory order or polite request?
did he even ask why? to establish intent?
does this show if alito would make good prosecutor/interrogationist

wendybar said...

So they want women to bow down to men?? Typical of these rabid Progressives who claim to love women unless they are conservative, then they want the man to control them. Hypocrisy, thy name is Progressivism...which is actually REGRESSIVE!!

Quaestor said...

If they are serious (which they are not) about this absolute tubula rasa neutrality on everything, then every Clinton, Obama, and Biden judicial appointee will flow off the Bench and onto the garbage heap of history like crap through a goose.

Sebastian said...

"Why isn't she entitled to that?"

Well, 1. (R) 2. Abortion.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Again - so what?

where did our free speech go??

Chuck said...

Isn't there a third option?

You don't have to physically tear down your wife's flag; and you don't have to divorce her.

You could just recuse yourself from a cases or cases where "the Justice's iimpartiality might reasonably be questioned, that is where an unbiased and reasonable person who is aware of all relevant circumstances would doubt that the Justice could fairly discharge his or her duties."

I am quoting there from Chief Justice Roberts' CODE OF CONDUCT FOR JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES. Which was signed by all of the Justices including Justice Alito.

narciso said...

Meanwhile threatening a supreme court justice is a violation of criminal code

JaimeRoberto said...

I'm looking forward to the Dems arguing that if Alito can't control his woman, he should step down.

Yancey Ward said...

David French being a clown is like The Sun rising in the east.

Narayanan said...

Then yank his bar card for moral turpitude.
============
shaken or stirred?
waved = both shaken and stirred!

Ann Althouse said...

In any case about the presidential election, you can infer that every one of the justices has a political preference. You can't just select the ones you want out. You need one standard that you can apply across the board.

Should Sotomayor have had to recuse herself in all of the cases where she cried over the outcome?

I think judges should work hard at showing only complete political neutrality, but there needs to be one standard, applied equally.

Should their spouses have to muzzle themselves? One answer for all.

Mind your own business said...

So are the SCOTUS Justices who DIDN'T fly that flag going to have to recuse themselves for bias in the other direction?

Yancey Ward said...

Of course Chuck doesn't want a uniform standard. That isn't the way Chuck the Cunt operates, because he is a cunt.

Amadeus 48 said...

"Should their spouses have to muzzle themselves?"

They never have--but until 20 years ago no one cared what the spouses thought or said. In fact, "people" (Demmies and the press, but I repeat myself) only care now when it is a Republican. Name a single Demmie justice who was castigated in the press for what his or her spouse thought or said. Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

Tina Trent said...

Do liberal justices who continually speak to pro-abortion groups have to recuse themselves over abortion? Do conservative justices speak at anti-abortion events? Not as frequently, I think.

There's a good argument to be made that RBG should have recused herself from every case involving sentencing and criminal law.

Do we move towards a European system (some countries in Europe, not all) where law students who want to be judges have a different educational track from the outset of their training? Or are law schools just too ideologically penetrated for this to be effective, as it's easier to root out all the conservative students from the elite programs?

Achilles said...

At this point it would be easy to write an LLM that would do a better job than all but 2 of our Justices.

And these are the 9 best. We need to replace all judges at this point. Merchan made that clear.

iowan2 said...

When Dealing with a Wife, Dad explained, and modeled to me, before I had a first date, Do you what to be happy or right, when dealing with your wife?

Marriage requires each side to give in 60% of the time.

This is a non-event, invented by a few on the radical left, magnified by the radial left media.

It would be fun to get our Vice Presidents take on controlling her husbands actions, to allay public perceptions.

Achilles said...

Chuck said...
Isn't there a third option?

That brings up the fourth option.

Drive the fascists out of power and out of the country.

deepelemblues said...

"Before your life reaches the point where the flag is up in front of the house and a matter of marital discord, the two of you ought to realize, together, that no signs or symbols belong on your shared house unless both of you want to be associated with that speech. The default should be no speech of that kind — no passive, unattended speech. You need to agree to get past the default."

What marital discord? Are we getting a glimpse into the Meadehouse marriage dynamic here? The professor casts her opinion here as some kind of - cruelly neutral, perhaps - standard of mutual respect and maturity between spouses. I see endless opportunity for marital discord, though, in such a stifling environment. I am fairly certain my wife would die of shock, or she'd kill me, if I suddenly intruded upon her autonomy in an area she felt strongly about. Bring in her belief that she is being attacked and it is my duty, and my instinct for self-preservation, to protect and back her up in such unpleasant social situations.

And I am not picking fights with my wife I can't win.

rehajm said...

You can't just select the ones you want out

I, I….I’m going to have to disagree with you there. Yes they can and yes they will. I’ve indulged all the ‘Joe is out’ predictions so now time for mine- they cook the vote again, count all the illegals as blue state inhabitants in the next census- cook the census a little if they have to, then use the House as the tool to rework the court to what it was supposed to be when Hillary took over…

Weyland E. Yutani, Super Genius said...

It's a mistake to even debate the issue on its merits. Merits don't matter. This is solely an attack by the activist left, attempting to politicize the Court just like they politicize EVERYTHING. It's just a blood sport to them. If it wasn't a flag, it would be something else. To acknowledge their attack by arguing the merits is to concede that it's a real issue. Ignore the commie scum.

Kirk Parker said...

"One answer for all."


You're new at this, aren't ya?

Kate said...

I'll never forget watching the Senate interview Alito when he was nominated for the SCOTUS. Behind him was his wife and she was obviously supportive and proud. The Senators hectored Alito, asking rude questions and doubting his honesty. Quietly behind him, his wife began to weep.

I'm not surprised she's become politically aggressive. I think we saw the moment she red-pilled.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

NBC Chuck is desperate for the NBC "The View" tabloid outcome.

Kakistocracy said...

Honestly the “my wife is an independent autonomous human being and if she wants to fly a flag at our home I can’t and won’t stop her” is probably the most post-19th-century thing Alito has ever said.

Women are allowed to have autonomy when it gets him out of trouble.

RCOCEAN II said...

Its amazing how the left controlls the agenda, they decide what we are discuss and what we are not. And I'm supposed to care what the "controlled opposition" which puts up feeble pushback, while accepting all the liberal/left premises and assumptions, says about it.

The liberal/left is attacking Alito because he won't push their agenda on the SCOTUS. Getting into the details, and accepting their attacks as legitimate is part of the problem.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Ann said:

"In any case about the presidential election, you can infer that every one of the justices has a political preference. You can't just select the ones you want out. You need one standard that you can apply across the board."


Chuck says - "nut-ah"

dbp said...

Even if everything Alito said was a lie and he was 100% behind all of the flag displaying--these are far too nebulous of speech to require recusal from any case.

All that being said, I think husbands and wives should be in accord for major things. We have a neighbor across the street with an idiotic "In this house we believe" sign. Knowing the couple, I am almost certain that the sign is the doing of the wife. I assume the husband either doesn't give a damn or doesn't want to start a fight over it. In a healthy marriage, both sides put up with stuff they don't like. If it's always one side that gives in, that's not healthy, or fair.

Chuck said...

Kate said...
I'll never forget watching the Senate interview Alito when he was nominated for the SCOTUS. Behind him was his wife and she was obviously supportive and proud. The Senators hectored Alito, asking rude questions and doubting his honesty. Quietly behind him, his wife began to weep.
...

Mrs. Alito began to weep during the newly-elected SC Senator Lindsey Graham's supportive and laudatory questioning of then-Judge Alito. Check the video.

deepelemblues said...

"Mrs. Alito began to weep during the newly-elected SC Senator Lindsey Graham's supportive and laudatory questioning of then-Judge Alito. Check the video."

A mystifyingly irrelevant comment.

Achilles said...

Weyland E. Yutani, Super Genius said...

It's a mistake to even debate the issue on its merits. Merits don't matter. This is solely an attack by the activist left, attempting to politicize the Court just like they politicize EVERYTHING. It's just a blood sport to them. If it wasn't a flag, it would be something else. To acknowledge their attack by arguing the merits is to concede that it's a real issue. Ignore the commie scum.

They have been ignored for long enough.

They have everyone's attention now. They have asked for the attention.

Time to give it to them.

rrsafety said...

Is French married?
Doesn’t sound like it…
If my wife put her foot down on a flag, the flag stays. Isn’t worth fighting over.

sean said...

Happy wife, happy life. The best plan is to have sufficient strength of character to make the woman do what is necessary when it's important, sufficient equanimity to let her have her way when it isn't, and sufficient wisdom to know the difference.

At least it's worked for me, and I've been married a lot longer (and less often) then Prof. Althouse.

wendybar said...

Marc
@MarcMantone
I don't want to hear about flags flying until you look in this.
@JohnJHarwood @joenbc



Paul Sperry
@paulsperry_
·

BREAKING: FEC vendor records reveal Judge Merchan's daughter raked in $9.7 mil from Biden+Kamala during their 2020 campaigns for prez, raising fresh conflict issues. They paid Loren Merchan's Dem consulting firm Authentic Campaigns to sway swing-state undecideds thru social media
4:38 PM · May 30, 2024

Meade said...


“At least it's worked for me, and I've been married a lot longer (and less often) then Prof. Althouse.“

Ah but is your happy wife happier than the happy wife who is Prof. Althouse???

wendybar said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
wendybar said...

Western Lensman
@WesternLensman
·
Follow
We have a judge in NY who has not only donated to the political opponent of the defendant in his courtroom, but has a daughter who has received MILLIONS from those same political opponents

But the *true* attack on the rule of law is a pine tree flag flying at a beach house

Yancey Ward said...

Question for Chuck:

Since Merchan donated to the Biden Campaign and his daughter works raising money for the Democrats, should he have recused himself from this trial?

A simple yes or no will suffice.

Rocco said...

Chuck said...
"You could just recuse yourself from a cases or cases where 'the Justice's iimpartiality might reasonably be questioned, that is where an unbiased and reasonable person who is aware of all relevant circumstances would doubt that the Justice could fairly discharge his or her duties.'"

You mean like your daughter working for the campaigns of the defendant's political opposition? I agree, Judge Merchan is very sus.

Joe Smith said...

Alito's letter was too long.

It should have been only 2 words.

Michael said...

One of the offending flags flew over San Francisco city hall for decades. Bad bad flag.

Chuck said...

deepelemblues said...
"Mrs. Alito began to weep during the newly-elected SC Senator Lindsey Graham's supportive and laudatory questioning of then-Judge Alito. Check the video."

A mystifyingly irrelevant comment.

I wrote that, and wrote that in that way, because commenter Kate had written that Mrs. Alito "began to weep" when "Senators hectored Alito, asking rude questions and doubting his honesty."

And so no, that was not when she began to weep. She began to weep when Lindsey Graham was doing a sermon praising her husband. I can't explain Mrs. Alito. And honestly, I voted for Bush every time, I volunteered for the MI-GOP, I supported FedSoc federal judiciary nominees, and I have never been an Alito hater.

I am just in amode now of looking for, and trying to destroy, any Trumpist infulence in the GOP, the Federalist Society, or conservatism in general.

Original Mike said...

"A simple yes or no will suffice."

I'm guessing you won't get a response, Yancey.

Richard Dolan said...

"the two of you ought to realize, together, that no signs or symbols belong on your shared house unless both of you want to be associated with that speech."

Sounds like the sort of marital advice that would have special appeal to a lawyer. Marriage is a contract, so why not extend the idea to the front lawn and the flag pole! On this as in everything else, one size does not fit all -- each marriage, whether happy or not, works this out in its own way.

Rusty said...

Now I'm worried about Mrs. French. Somebody should check for bruises.
Is Mrs. Alito on the Supreme Court too?
If not. Who gives a f*ck?

Kate said...

@Chuck -- perhaps you're right. I certainly no longer trust my memory to be 100% accurate.

However, a woman isn't escorted from the room and senators don't look shamefaced if the tears are happy ones.

Freder Frederson said...

We have a judge in NY who has not only donated to the political opponent of the defendant in his courtroom

And exactly how much money did he donate to Biden? A lot of people tip their mail carrier more than that at Christmas, which is a Federal crime for both the mail carrier and the person paying the tip ($20 for any one occasion and $50 cumulative per calendar year is the max).

Jupiter said...

David French's neck is way, way too short.

PM said...

Does he object to her I'm With Stupid t-shirt.

Yancey Ward said...

"@Chuck -- perhaps you're right. I certainly no longer trust my memory to be 100% accurate."

Chuck is not correct- Chuck is lying again.

Yancey Ward said...

Original Mike,

He might answer either way but, of course, if he answers "Yes", then he will have to admit the verdict should be overturned. So I don't really expect an answer from Chuck because Chuck likes to lie.

Yancey Ward said...

"Does he object to her I'm With Stupid t-shirt."

French's wife doesn't need to wear the shirt because everyone already knows it.

Freder Frederson said...

My mistake. You can give your mail carrier a gift worth $20 ($50 per year), but cash and cash equivalets are not allowed.

Christopher B said...

The same people who claim Justices Alito and Thomas march in martial lockstep with their wives are also the ones who claim that Nancy and David Pelosi never discuss their finances.

Cappy said...

Go ahead, Dave. Tell her to calm down.

Pianoman said...

Couples with a good relationship can discuss the issue like adults, and compromise their way to a reasonable solution.

Narcissistic idiots like this will shriek their way into divorce.

Gunner said...

If Mrs. Alito wanted to put up an BLM or LGBTQ flag, stopping her would be a hate crime.

Yancey Ward said...

"My mistake. You can give your mail carrier a gift worth $20 ($50 per year), but cash and cash equivalets are not allowed."

The DoJ is no doubt right now scouring Trump's bank records and interviewing all his mail-carriers to see if he gave them a $50.01 bottle of scotch for Christmas.

Yancey Ward said...

I promise you, that was not me joking.

Readering said...

I like the line, with Dobbs in mind:

Alito: I can't control my wife. I can control yours.

Chuck said...

The issue of Judge Merchan’s recusal was raised in a motion, and further litigated n an interlocutory appeal.

I could be quite satisfied if Alito were subjected to same, with equivalent standards and disclosure.

And then of course the same question would be put to you; you think Alito is fine, but Judge Merchan is conflicted…

Joe Smith said...

Is French married?

I always assumed he was gay.

French's wife doesn't need to wear the shirt because everyone already knows it.

His wife wears a strap-on, not sure about the shirt.

Jupiter said...

Don't worry, Freder. Alvin Bragg will bring those criminals to justice.

Jim at said...

Of all the fake, ginned-up bullshit the left has created over the years, this one tops them all.

Elena. Kagan. Assholes.

There's your conflict of interest.

Birdchaser said...

I no longer fly a flag at my business or home no matter what the wife would like.

Gospace said...

My wife grew up in MD, the state that was basically taken over by the federal government at the beginning of the great unpleasantness. She was taught in school- private RC school- that the South was mistreated and misunderstood. Most of her direct ancestors of that era were still in Europe. The single male ancestor of hers old enough to serve in the conflict didn't. There's little doubt about his being a smuggler and southern sympathizer. She's wanted to fly a Confederate flag ever since I erected the 1st of 3 flagpoles in the yard. Took my older kids taking her for a tour of the area houses flying such flags to dissuade her.

I have several direct ancestors who fought for the South, and ancestral relatives who manned the Confederate artillery at the Second Battle of Drewry's Bluff and fired upon my 2nd and 3rd great=grandfather.

I won't have a Confederate flag in front of my house.

The recent brouhaha over The Pine Tree flag, aka the Washington Cruisers flag and other names, has convinced me to add it to the rotation.

Flying historic US flags should not be, but is controversial. Confederate flags are not US flags, though they are historic. Flying message flags like the BLM or homosexual pervert pride flags is designed to send a message. The message I get from them is- don't let your children play there or visit...

People today say unequivocally that if they were alive during the Great Unpleasantness they would be on the Union's side. Or, the Confederate side. But they, like me, don't really know. They, like me, wasn't around then. Same with the Revolution. Would you be a Patriot or a loyalist? I had direct ancestors on both sides of that kerfuffle also.

My wife has little say in the flag choices. She didn't dig the hole and install the poles. Sounds like in the Alito house it may be the other way around. Frankly, I don't care. A couple that fights over it likely has other issues.

Readering said...

"I always assumed he was gay." Does that line still play in 2024?

Yancey Ward said...

"Does that line still play in 2024?"

You usually only see it from the Left, but I also think French is gay and the wife is a beard.

Bunkypotatohead said...

This is why we have his'n'hers flag poles.