If a South Dakota mayor can avoid partisan entanglements, why can’t U.S. Supreme Court justices?

We are now seeing ongoing controversy generated by U.S. Supreme Court justices’ open and unapologetic connection to partisan party political activities.

Disclaimer: I am not in any way conflating local elected officials in Aberdeen with Supreme Court justices (including Clarence Thomas, seen above in a federal government photo posted on wikimedia commons). However, the contrasting ethical expectation is interesting.

In 2004, during my first year as mayor, I was invited to speak at the Election Day sendoff for Aberdeen native Tom Daschle’s Senate race. I’ve known him personally for decades. I said no.

In 2008, as mayor of Aberdeen, I was asked to represent the city at a Democratic campaign event featuring a personal appearance by Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, a former first lady. I said no.

In 2012, I was asked to join President Barack Obama on stage for a campaign event in the Civic Arena (one block from my city office). Again, I said no.

Democrats and Republicans occasionally contacted me about representing the city at party events. If it involved fundraising or campaigning, I always said no.

I was able to join some gatherings sponsored by either of the two parties — invited only to explain city government activities.

Refusing to participate was sometimes tough — particularly missing a chance to speak at the event for the president.

Why not join those events? The Aberdeen City Charter says candidates for elected office must not represent connection to a political party. There is no penalty or enforcement specified, but the intent is obvious and the spirit of the charter, in my thinking, carries past the election through the elected term.

That concept precluded my representing the city at any event innately favorable to one group of citizens and thus necessarily antagonistic to other Aberdeen residents. This is not a noble gesture, but is acting in self-interest — it makes the job easier.

This same underlying understanding was evinced by wise council members. Over 15 years and 750 meetings, there was not a single time when party politics intruded into the discussion. Our meetings were cordial, often fun, sometimes contentious and even loudly adversarial, but never political.

We were not even certain of some other members’ party affiliation. With this approach, the council got things done that otherwise would have been tangled in stupid party posturing and talking points. Also, citizens had less fodder for suspicion about motives or conspiracies because their own party biases did not bleed into their judgement of council decisions.

This was a pragmatic decision and an ethical choice that simply made city government work better.

Contrast that with the blatant partisan activities we see tainting the U.S. Supreme Court. Wouldn’t you think the high court should have at least enough respect for the institution to try and give the appearance of impartiality?

Accepting millions of dollars in gifts and benefits from “friends” who later come before the court is different from outright bribery (gold bars!) only in that the former is not specifically unlawful.

It should be, and because it’s not and some choose to flaunt it, the Supreme Court has no more integrity than Congress.

Mike Levsen is a former mayor of Aberdeen