aTypical Joe: a gay New Yorker living in the rural South

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Logan Clements domain

When I first heard about Logan Clements idea to build The Lost Liberty Hotel and Just Desserts Cafe on property that currently serves as the residence of Justice David H. Souter I thought it a terrific political statement and that nothing further would come of it.

Last week Clements flew across the country to visit Supreme Court Justice David Souter’s hometown of Weare, NH:

But the California man who wants to seize Souter’s land through eminent domain to build a hotel didn’t knock on the judge’s front door when he stopped by Saturday afternoon.

“I don’t want to go on his property,” said Clements, who is behind the push to punish Souter for being one of five justices behind a ruling that supports government power to seize private property. The June decision allowed the city of New London, Conn., to take several older homes, so a private developer could build a hotel and convention center, office space, and condominiums. “I just don’t care to, but if he’d like to come out, I’d like to talk to him,” said Clements.

Souter, who neighbors said was home, didn’t come to the door.

Instead, Clements left gifts for Souter - he draped a T-shirt across the justice’s mailbox and propped a copy of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” behind it. The book, which promotes a philosophy of free will capitalism, is Clements’ inspiration.

“I think it needs a coat of paint,” he said of Souter’s peeling house.

Clements also was in town for a private strategy session with three local supporters, and to promote his plan to townspeople at Weare’s old Town Hall on Saturday. He and his girlfriend, Heidi Xu, had hoped to recoup travel costs by selling $25 “Lost Liberty Hotel” T-shirts.

But only about half-a-dozen people showed up.

Last night he was on Nightline, in a story that made his effort look more possible than the article quoted above. Nightline noted, for example, that a University of New Hampshire poll found “93% of the state’s residents shared Clements outrage.”

In fairness, it did interview a good number of skeptical folks, along with the five citizens of Weare who have formed a committee in favor of taking Souter’s land.

I’m not sure I’d like or agree with Clements on many things, but I think this a brilliant political act, and I wish him well with it.