Roberts Dissed The Gloved One

The more I read about John Roberts, the more I like him. As a lawyer in the Reagan White House, Roberts took exception to the idea of honoring Michael Jackson, and stated his objection in some pretty direct (and right on the money) language:

Last week, researchers found several memos from the summer and fall of 1984 in which future Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, working as a Reagan White House lawyer, argued against sending presidential thank-you notes to Michael Jackson for his charitable works. But it turns out this was just the beginning of what appears to be the young lawyer's concerns about the star. Three new memos uncovered by Post reporters show Roberts described Jackson as "androgynous," "mono-gloved" and a balladeer of illegitimacy.

On April 30, 1984, Roberts wrote to oppose a presidential award that was to have been given to Jackson for his efforts against drunk driving. Roberts particularly objected to award wording that described Jackson as an "outstanding example" for American youth.

Roberts wrote: "If one wants the youth of America and the world sashaying around in garish sequined costumes, hair dripping with pomade, body shot full of female hormones to prevent voice change, mono-gloved, well, then, I suppose 'Michael,' as he is affectionately known in the trade, is in fact a good example. Quite apart from the problem of appearing to endorse Jackson's androgynous life style, a Presidential award would be perceived as a shallow effort by the President to share in the constant publicity surrounding Jackson. . . . The whole episode would, in my view, be demeaning to the President."

This week's document dump by the National Archives also included two more Roberts memos on Jackson that predated last week's memos. The first, from May 1, 1984, called an award to Jackson for his campaign against drunk driving "a poor idea. A presidential award to Jackson would be perceived as a shallow effort by the president to exploit the constant publicity surrounding Jackson, particularly since other celebrities have done as much for worthy causes as Jackson but have not been singled out by the President."

He obviously saw something in Jackson that others didn't see, or didn't want to see, back in 1984. I'd love to hear what he really thinks of Joe Biden, Harry Reid, Teddy Kennedy, Barbara Boxer, Pat Leahy, John Kerry, and others. That would be an entertaining conversation.

What this little excerpt tells me is that, in addition to having a wicked wit, Roberts is a serious guy when it comes to the presidency. Some might call him "stuffy", but I think this is a guy who has a deep appreciation for the office and doesn't want to see it sink to celebrity politics (boy, he must have hated the Clinton administration). That sounds like a guy with the right attitude to serve on the Supreme Court.