As a proud card carrying member of the Federalist Society (well, actually I lost my card but you know what I mean), I'm outraged by the way the Bush administration is trying to pretend SCOTUS nominee John Roberts never belonged to it. From the Boston Globe:
In conference calls plotting strategy for his nomination, conservatives spoke angrily yesterday about the White House's decision to disassociate Roberts from the group. Many conservatives said the society should not be treated like a pariah, and questioned what would happen if the next Supreme Court nominee is a member.
Shannen Coffin, a Federalist Society member and former Justice Department official who has assumed a prominent role in defending Roberts, said that the White House's attempt to distance Roberts from the group ''was not well thought out" and that his involvement should be irrelevant.
''It's important that this doesn't become a litmus test, either for our political enemies or for the supporters of the president," Coffin said. ''If we start to tar nominees by association with a very academic and prestigious organization, we're making a mistake because we're stifling debate."
The legal left would love to make Federalist Society membership disqualifying for public service. (See, e.g., Francis Boyle; cf. Eugene Volokh's defense.) Why the hell is the Bush administration helping them?
