During the 1988 Presidential campaign, "good" Bush 41 ran two damaging TV ads. On the surface, they criticized Democratic nominee Mike Dukakis for Massachusett's weekend prisoner furlough program (not mentioning the program was enacted into law by a previous GOP governor). The ads featured intimidating mugshots of black murderer Willie Horton, sentenced to life, who escaped from a furlough and raped a Maryland woman. While the ad's text only questioned what kind of governor would grant furloughs to murderers serving life, the powerful visual subtext was white fear of blacks.
Today's WaPo reports tht Supreme Court nominee John Roberts might have been involved:
In a form filled out by Roberts when he was being considered for a senior Justice Department position in 1989, for example, he listed among his qualifications "legal opposition research" for a group called Lawyers for Bush/Quayle, which was active in the 1988 presidential election. He did not detail what he researched.
Let's examine some dots, which may or may not connect, but which suggest questions that Roberts be forced to answer during his confirmation hearings.
Al Gore first raised the prison furlough program -- without naming specific individuals -- during the primaries. Bush 41's campaign manager, Lee Atwater (mentor to Karl Rove), hoped that "by the time this election is over, Willie Horton will be a household name." Roger Ailes, who created the ad, commented that "the only question is whether we depict Willie Horton with a knife in his hand or without it." It was difficult for Democrats to see the ad without finding it racist. Shortly before dying from brain cancer, Atwater apologized to Dukakis for trying to "make Willie Horton his running mate...because it makes me sound racist, which I am not."
Between the 1988 primaries and general election, someone had done more detailed research to learn about individual furloughees like Willie Horton. Who would be qualified to do such research? Perhaps a "legal opposition" researcher. Which such people would have the time, resources and incentive to research Horton? Perhaps a group named "Lawyers for Bush/Quayle". In other words, did John Roberts do the digging which produced this ad?
Was Willie Horton the only example submitted, or were other furloughed prisoners named? Did researchers mention GOP Governor Sargent, who actually proposed and signed the furlough law? Or did the lawyers only send the incident most likely to scrape off racist votes?
Once the ads aired, did any lawyers for Bush/Quayle (such as John Roberts) object that the visuals sent a racist image far stronger than any text about prison policy?
John Roberts should not escape confirmation hearings without specific questions about any role he might have played in these shameful campaign ads. He should also fully describe any other connections he may have had with the Atwater/Rove philosophy of democracy.