He probably has excellent table manners and I'm sure the food will be good . . .
Actually, I used to live near one of his sons, who was a really kind and down to earth person. We never really talked about his father, but I think having raised a really decent kid speaks well for him, even if his judicial politics are not good. It seems like the invitation is supposed to be an honor so if I were you I would accept it as such because it is the kind of event where you will probably be able to network some and it could be a good thing for you professionally. So I guess I would say don't let his politics get in the way of something that could be good for you professionally, if that makes any sense? (That said, I could not do it myself but that is because any kind of formal occasion tends to bring out the absolute worst in me, no matter how much I like the people involved. I am sure you have more charm though.)
"Like dear St Francis of Assisi I am wedded to Poverty: but in my case the marriage is not a success." Oscar Wilde

you're not really sharing what the purpose of said dinner is, what is the premise? if it's possible that you can accomplish your purpose, then don't let hating the man's rulings and opinions stop you. but if it's like a sit there and eat whilst hating the man and watching smoke get blown up is ass, i'd pass. but it all depends on why the invite was extended in teh first place.

Find out who the man is that you hate.

I would definitely say go, sit there and seethe. Or, you could do what I heard Grace Slick planned on doing when she was invited to the White House during Nixon's administration, but was uninvited before she could carry it out. She was going to put LSD under her fingernails and dose Nixon with it when she shook his hand...

Sunflower the unflower

Mom's Tinfoil Hat
Foodie loves Picky

when I was in school I had the opportunity to join a few clssmates in a private meeting with justice Souter. While I did not personally like him, I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that this was an opportunity for me and for him. These justices are on that bench till they keel over if they so chose & they answer to nobody. I think they lack informal personal relationships and having people in their lives that regard them as humans instead of justices. Every experience we have resonates with everyone we meet. Perhaps just by sitting at dinner with him, You will have an opportunity to express something that he finds to be utterly profound, something that may reaonate with him & stick with him. Something that sparks his imagination. Surely things rub off & if he needs anything... It certainly is your stardust.

as I was thinking:
would someone else be cooking dinner and cleaning up? Would there be none of my kids there and nobody spitting up on me? Then yes.

I am pretty interested that you have the chance.

Not sure, how much do you despise him?

if i thought i could keep my cool while being coldly rude and calling him on his unsupportable bullshit jurisprudential stances - not that he'd have the nads to actually engage said challenges, i'm sure, the pompous patriarchal shitball of a hypocrit. if i thought my blood pressure couldn't take it, though, i'd just stay away . . . or possibly concoct some impossibly juvenile and satisfying anonymous grossness to inflict on him.

"if i pass for other than what i am, do you feel safer?" ~ lani ka'ahumanu

dragon knows dragon