Whitehouse announced that he has filed with Chief Justice John Roberts what he styles as an “ethics complaint” against Justice Samuel Alito. The main thrust of the complaint is that “Justice Alito expressed an opinion on a matter that could well come before the Court” by speaking publicly about his view that Congress does not have the power to impose a code of ethics binding upon the justices. (Whitehouse also recycles flimsy and pretextual ethics allegations against Alito himself).

This is a curious stance. Back in April, Whitehouse supported Judiciary Committee chair Dick Durbin in asking Roberts to come testify before their committee about their proposals for such legislation.

[Consistency, thy name is *not* Sheldon Whitehouse. (Does he still belong to that whites-only club in Rhode Island? Just asking …) — Ed]