Patterico's Pontifications

8/3/2005

One Step Short of Freemasonry

Filed under: Dog Trainer,Judiciary,Morons — Patterico @ 12:34 am



Our old friend David Savage of the L.A. Times says John Roberts

took issue with media reports that he was affiliated with the Federalist Society, a somewhat secretive group of conservative lawyers who hold debates and other events designed to promote conservative legal views.

How is the Federalist Society even “somewhat” secretive? Can someone fill me in on this? I’m a member — or at least I thought I was — and I don’t know a single secret. What’s the secret?

Google “secretive Federalist Society” and you’ll get hits to a bunch of leftist blog sites, but no good explanation of what’s so damn secretive. So they won’t release their membership lists to the general public? Neither will the ACLU. When’s the last time you heard the phrase “the secretive ACLU”?

But then, am I supposed to be surprised that a David Savage article sounds like a leftist blog site?

21 Responses to “One Step Short of Freemasonry”

  1. “How is the Federalist Society even “somewhat” secretive? Can someone fill me in on this? I’m a member — or at least I thought I was — and I don’t know a single secret. What’s the secret?”

    When there were questions about whether roberts wasa member, there was at least one newspaper article quoting that that information was secret and not divulged. I suppose that’s “somewhat.”

    actus (a5f574)

  2. Sir,

    As a Freemason of many years standing I must protest the way you have tarred us by association with the Federalist Society.

    I assure you, when we launch our oft-postponed New World Order campaign, you will be singled out for special attention.*

    *Probably fresh strawberries and ice cream. That’s what we always for dessert after we update our NWO plans.

    Michael Heinz (3a21a9)

  3. Actus,

    Refer to my post.

    Patterico (756436)

  4. “Refer to my post. ”

    I saw that. Its arguably “somewhat.” I would guess they wouldn’t keep secret the parts of their membership lists that members wanted divulged, so this particular flap could be cleared up by Roberts consenting to the Federalists disclosing the information they have on him, such as attendance, dues paying, and other records.

    actus (cd484e)

  5. MSM Lie #37 of 2005

    Federal judges would come to our school and speak at our meetings. The speeches were attended by students and faculty from both the left and right. Federalist Society literature was posted prominently on the law school bulletin board.

    This one is…

    The Cassandra Page (59ce3a)

  6. What? You’ve violated the oath and publicly admitted to being a Federalist Society member? Now I’ll have to kill you … er, I mean, I might have to kill you if I’m a Federalist Society member myself, an allegation I neither confirm nor deny.

    Xrlq (816c74)

  7. I think I might be responsible for the flap about the “somewhat secret” nature of the Federalist Society. Based on what I’ve read in the MSM, I think I am a secret member. My membership is so secret, I hadn’t even heard of the Federalist Society until the Roberts’ nomination. I think this is an excellent way to run a secret society. It is always the members that eventually expose the secrets. By keeping the members unaware of their membership you maintain security.

    Lew Clark (fccceb)

  8. are its list of members public?

    if not, I’d say that “somewhat secretive” is a very fair expression.

    perhaps, if Roberts was not so seemingly dishonest in his willingness to disclose his membership/affiliation with this group, this would not be as big of a deal.

    he doesn’t remember whether or not he was ever a real member? Come on now.

    josh (b85af6)

  9. The Federalist Society: Super Secret with Decoder Rings

    The Los Angeles Times falsely portrays The Federalist Society in this piece, High Court Nominee Sides With Restraint.
    In the questionnaire, Roberts took issue with media reports that he was affiliated with the Federalist Society, a somewhat secreti…

    FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog (baa0b4)

  10. I just want to know if the Federalists worship Xenu.

    Al (00c56b)

  11. I tried to trackback this post, but it does not appear to have worked. This one is lie # 37 of 2005. Click on my name for a brief discussion of my own experiences in the Federalist Society.

    salt1907 (ae6ab5)

  12. Hey, I am now and was in the past a member of the “somewhat” club. I assume that my membership packet included my secret Federalist Society decoder ring which allows me to learn the “special” interpretation of the US Constitution that only Society members have – you know, that part where all the words mean something…

    EagleSpeak (0d84c2)

  13. For the sake of full-disclosure, there is no secret decoder ring associated with the Federalist Society. Nor is there a secret handshake or sign. But there is a “secret dance”. Which proves that John Roberts is not now or never has been a member. But his son does belong.

    Lew Clark (fccceb)

  14. Ha! That’s pretty darned funny. I guess that means that my membership in the “secretive” Auto Club / Triple-A makes me a hardliner as well.

    Nick @ HBR (f77a6c)

  15. Josh,

    That sound you heard was Patterico’s point sailing over your head. There are thousands of organizations that will not routinely divulge their membership lists to the general public. The ACLU is indeed one of them. So why are these organizations never referred to as “secretive” by the MSM? If it sounds like a double-standard meant to stir up images of conspiracy and intrigue, that’s because it is. Further, I’ll posit that the majority of organizations now have policies that require them to keep their membership lists private. In other words, “somewhat secretive” = normal, routine, average, expected.

    AEH (fa8e71)

  16. It’s down right shocking! A conservative judge and former attorney is a member of a conservative lawyers’ group. How dare he!

    I’m just waiting for a Senator to ask “Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Federalist Society?” The irony here is nearly perfect.

    Brian (fe68e3)

  17. Well, we can add the ACM (Association of Computing Machinery), a society for computer professionals. After all, it is only fair. If conservative lawyers get a “secretive” society in order plan world domination, that we technology professionals have one, too.

    http://203.162.7.79/webs/comsci/ACMComputingSurveys/www.acm.org/serving/acm-privacy.html

    David

    David Harr (16530e)

  18. Wait- “secret dance?” Was that what they were doing at the last meeting on the secret First Amendment?

    I didn’t get the memo. I guess it was a matter of security.

    EagleSpeak (0d84c2)

  19. So I guess I wasn’t the only member of Federalist who didn’t get a supersecret decoder ring?

    Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest) (ee9fe2)

  20. And the hits just keep on coming:

    Rachel Paulose, 33, the U.S. attorney for Minnesota, who served briefly as a counselor to the deputy attorney general and who, according to a former boss, has been a member of the secretive, ideologically conservative Federalist Society.

    Tim (6e16b8)


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