KRISTOL: Bush Rises to the Occasion The Roberts pick is courageous and important.

The Weekly Standard ^ | 07/19/2005 | Bill Kristole

[tellw]

WITH THE SUPREME COURT PICK of John Roberts, George W. Bush rose to the occasion.

The occasion was an opportunity to reshape the Supreme Court. Bush seized the opportunity, in two ways: He moved the Court a solid step to the right (to speak vulgarly), and he elevated its quality. It's true that Roberts is a Rehnquist, not a Scalia or a Thomas. He'll be a little more incremental, a little more cautious, than some of us rabid constitutionalists will sometimes like. But he is a conservative pick, and a quality pick--and, to my surprise, a non-PC, non-quota pick.

I had expected Bush to choose a woman. Indeed, I pointed in last week's editorial to several competent and qualified conservative woman. But in preemptively yielding to gender quotas, so to speak, I made a mistake--and earned a well-deserved and well-argued rebuke from Charmaine Yoest at National Review Online, who said I (and others) had "conceded too easily" to the pernicious claims of identity politics. She was right. And the president, weighing a truly important decision for the country's future, agreed with her. By simply going for the best person, by not worrying about walking out to the podium last night accompanied by a white male, Bush did something important and courageous. He showed that he knows that on really significant matters, one has to ignore political correctness and political pandering, and even political convenience. For this lesson, as well as for an intellectually impressive and politically sound choice, Bush deserves a lot of credit. I unreservedly give it to him.

William Kristol is editor of The Weekly Standard.

[tellw]

This is a preview of a longer editorial Kristol is writing.

[newgeezer]

to my surprise, a non-PC, non-quota pick.

That, too, was my very first reaction. A white man? Who'da thunk it?! Not me.

[Rokke]

Hmmmm. If Kristol is happy, I'm a little worried. Maybe this is one of those rare times when he might actually see beyond his own ego and be satisfied with a decision that he didn't have a direct influence on.

[USS Alaska]

I went to the du to see what the crazies were saying and man are they going nutzo. Every foul word known to man is posted and re-posted, which is what they do when they are upset. I don't know too much about Roberts, but it is making the nuts over at du even nuttier {if possible} and that works for me.

[tellw]

Bush picked great people for his administration. No surprise he'd do the same for the SCOTUS.

[Echo Talon]

Dubya tricked all of us! :D
He really is a good poker player!
Thank you President Bush!

[A. Pole]

Hmmmm. If Kristol is happy, I'm a little worried.

Me too. Actually I am more than a little worried.

[sirthomasthemore]

Roberts is a hit into the gap in right/center field- whether it ends up being a double, triple or a long single waits to seen.

Luttig and Brown would have been home runs off the right side edge of the right field foul pole. Brown would have eviscerated the Dems politically.

Dubya compromised with the Dems. He wouldn't swing for the fences, in exchange the Dems accepted the "gapper" into right center. How far Roberts goes round the bases will be the ultimate factor in determining who got the best of the trade.


TAGLINES

Pzifer: “Viagra won’t cause dementia or blindness". (Except if one wears a Black Robe)

Clean your muskets and sharpen your pitchforks and get ready to ride to the sound of the guns.(KELO) :o}-

Dems, hello??? We could get out of Vietnam; we can’t GET OUT of terrorism.

[Southack]

"Maybe this is one of those rare times when he might actually see beyond his own ego and be satisfied with a decision that he didn't have a direct influence on."

Kristol seems to follow McCain's lead, and McCain and most of Washington is estatic at GWB's nomination of Judge Roberts...which is to say, most of Washington is trying to warn the Dems to not get slaughtered in this fight. Roberts is untouchable.

Moreover, most of Washington knows that President Bush picked this fight deliberately; the Prime Time announcement of a young White male gives that fact away. The radicals may still take the bait, of course, which would give us an end to the filibuster...because Judge Roberts *will* be confirmed.

[A Citizen Reporter]

"This is a preview of a longer editorial Kristol is writing."

Who cares. Kristol was wrong about who the President would as Homeland Security Chief, and he was wrong again.

Kristol is a has-been.

[Dog Gone]

Having followed Bush's career from the start, he's always done what he thought was right regardless of what the conventional wisdom expected him to do.

I don't know him well enough personally to know whether he delights in confounding the press. My hunch is that he doesn't. I think he just doesn't care what they think at all.

[Alberta's Child]

Good post, Southack.

I think Roberts has two attributes in particular that make him an intriguing selection: 1) he's got an exceptional legal background but hasn't been a judge for very long; and 2) he's earned a reputation for his legal career arguing cases successfully before the U.S. Supreme Court.

[Dog Gone]

You're worried about everything Bush does. We know.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Every foul word known to man is posted and re-posted, which is what they do when they are upset.

They love to talk dirty, don't they? I guess they've never gotten over the stage where publicly using bad language was seen as a sign of liberation.

[tflabo]

"Roberts is a hit into the gap in right/center field- whether it ends up being a double, triple or a long single waits to seen."

Sure.... but whats important here is if Roberts stays true to his conservative convictions and originalist interpretations. There is no reason to doubt that at this point. So whether a base hit or a home run brings in the win is less important. JUST RESULTS in the end.

[Texasforever]

he's earned a reputation for his legal career arguing cases successfully before the U.S. Supreme Court.

That's a good point. I think I read on another thread he has about a 70% win rate before the court.

[tomahawk]

This is one of Pres. Bush's finer moments, and I believe this decision will leave a good legacy for the nation.

[dangus]

Heheheh. They were so busy guarding the windows and the back door, they left the front door wide open.

[Waco]

Military record? Dirty Dan needs to know.