Anyone who has had the misfortune of calling an ex after hoisting a few too many can immediately identify with Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who left a message two weeks ago with Anita Hill asking her to apologize and explain herself.

Mrs. Thomas was likely not intoxicated (hey, it was 7:30 on a Saturday morning) but perhaps she was tipsy on moral certainty. She heads a conservative political group, Liberty Central, that has taken positions on legal issues — including President Obama's health care reform — that are likely to be considered by the high court.

Standing by your man is one thing, but even a devoted spouse should recognize that Ms. Hill's sexual harassment charges of two decades ago have withstood the test of time. No one can know for certain what transpired between the two so many years ago, but there is no shortage of people employed at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission at the time who find that the behavior alleged by Ms. Hill is consistent with the Clarence Thomas (then EEOC chairman) they knew. Most recently, that list of corroborators includes Lillian McEwen, a former girlfriend who has written a memoir with such notable details as Mr. Thomas' obsession with porn and affinity for women with large breasts.

Now a professor at Brandeis University, Ms. Hill found the call offensive. Such is the usual reaction to drunken dialing or, in this case, self-righteous dialing. It never goes over well.

Better to add this to the list of phone calls one should not make under any circumstance — up there with telling off bosses and stalking celebrities. Certainly, it's hard to believe that Justice Thomas wanted to see the episode dragged through the media again. But at least it's a lot more entertaining for the gossipers inside the Washington beltway than any episode of the Real Housewives of D.C.

—Peter Jensen