Having just been stripped of her endorsement by the national Democratic Socialists for not hating Israel enough, AOC has introduced Articles of Impeachment against Justice Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito.

Justice Thomas and Alito’s repeated failure over decades to disclose that they received millions of dollars in gifts from individuals with business before the court is explicitly against the law. And their refusal to recuse from the specific matters and cases before the court in which their benefactors and spouses are implicated represents nothing less than a constitutional crisis. These failures alone would amount to a deep transgression worthy of standard removal in any lower court, and would disqualify any nominee to the highest court from confirmation in the first place.

On the one hand, Ocasio-Cortez is opening up a dangerous can of worms, as the same complaint about gifts can be made about other justices as well, some of whom are favored by the left. On the other hand, holding husbands responsible for their wives’ political or business activities is rather anti-feminist. Are women not allowed to have their own views. regardless of what their husbands do?

It’s frankly rather surprising that this didn’t happen months ago given the nature of press coverage of Thomas’ and Alito’s shenanigans, and shenanigans they are. Whether or not they constitute bias worthy of recusal or impeachment, they reflect exceptionally poor judgment. Judgment is pretty much a Supreme Court justice’s stock in trade.

Not that impeachment is going to get anywhere in a Republican majority House, which AOC and her cohort know.

Impeachment resolution cosponsors included Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), and Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas).

Curiously, Jamie Raskin, former con law prawf turned congressman and erstwhile ally of AOC on this issue, did not sign on as co-sponsor.

Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), wrote to Chief Justice John Roberts on June 20 urging him to investigate Thomas and Alito. Democratic senators have sent similar requests to Roberts.

Ocasio-Cortez and Raskin also introduced a bill June 25 to prohibit justices from accepting gifts of more than $50. That proposal also is likely to go nowhere.

As an aside, the bill limiting gifts to justices of more than $50 seems like a conceptually good idea, even if it will be impossible to enforce. There is simply no justification for “new buddies” to be giving gifts of great value to justices, and the stench of impropriety is overwhelming, whether it influences their performance of official duties or not.

But why is Ocasio-Cortez introducing articles of impeachment now? Granted, it comes on the heels of Loper Bright and Trump v. US, two decisions that have made Democrats’ heads explode. It also comes at a time when many eyes are focused on Joe Biden’s quest for the presidency in his dotage. Is this a gambit to deflect attention, like the New York Times obligatory “Trump Is Unfit” editorial, demanded by progressive rules to counterbalance its call for Biden to “do the right thing” and walk away?

Granted, the Republicans have not covered themselves with glory in their abuse of impeachment as a weapon for political purposes, but thus far, it’s been limited to the executive branch, a political branch of government. Firing this salvo that has no chance of success at the Supreme Court, however, opens a new arena for potential abuse. Does anyone doubt that MTG would not be shy about trying to impeach Justice Sotomayor, for example?

This should not be taken as approval of what Thomas and Alito have done. It is, frankly, a case of stunningly bad judgment, at best. But the “Least Dangerous Branch” is essentially defenseless from political attack, and that’s a two-way street. Much as the Dems bemoan the conservative majority now, they might do well to consider the chaos that would ensue in a nation without a viable Supreme Court.