With all the talk out there focusing on the tabloid aspects of the curvaceous Texan’s life – especially the recent issues involving her son and marriage, poor thing – not much has been made of the fact that the legal battle over her inheritance of her husband’s estate is still ongoing – even though they’re both dead now.

There’s also this largely unmentioned aspect: Never ones to shirk expanding federal reach, the Bush administration sided with Smith in the trial, in order to “protect federal court jurisdiction in disputes.” The trial should be a little weirder now.

This article appears in February 9 • 2007.

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