The Coming Explosion Over Miers – Redux (Too many conservatives going off half-cocked.)

The American Thinker ^ | October 3, 2005 | Thomas Lifson

[quidnunc]

Rush Limbaugh has found the information that Harriet Miers is an evangelical Christian, a member of a church in Dallas that most would describe as "fundamentalist." I believe that this vindicates my earlier analysis based on mistaken information about a Ministry supported by Ms. Miers.

Blue state fundamentalists tend to hate evangelicals the way that Islamists hate Jews: viscerally. It will take enormous willpower for many of them to avoid saying that one who believes in the literal word of the Bible should not be allowed a place on the Supreme Court. They played footsie with the position that a devout Catholic would be disqaualified.

To partially quote my earlier post: this is a battle the Democrat left can't win with a majority of the American public, which sees religious faith as a good thing. As far as I am concerned about the coming attacks, Dirty Harry summed up my feelings: "Go ahead — make my day."

-snip-

[Republican Red]

Stephens is an old fart and could drop dead tomorrow

He stumbled down a flight of starirs today and if not for Judge John Roberts grabbing Steven's arm we would have had another pick today.

[Right_in_Virginia]

"If you had to go to war, would you want the Senate Republicans as your army?"

Wouldn't that depend on how strong the leader at the top of the Party is?

Bush's weakness is that he appears to have forgotten he holds a political office. His will to fight or even appear to start one seems to have dried up.

If I'm wrong, I'll happily eat crow for the next week.

[andy58-in-nh]

They demand a fire-breathing, in-your-face, old-time-religion-preaching conservative.

Not exactly. I'd settle for a qualified conservative. Not that the Senate would approve such a person, but they'd be worth fighting for in advance of settling for an unknown mediocrity.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Because we have so many RINOs in the Senate who have threatened to vote against strong conservatives like Janice Rogers Brown or Michael Luttig, Bush's options were limited.

I think a lot of people forget that there are politics involved in this.

Additionally, I know a lot of people "punished" the first George Bush for his apostasy by getting Bill Clinton elected in 1992. I don't know about anyone else, but somehow I got the impression that I was the one who got punished the most for the sins of Bush Sr.

[Right_in_Virginia]

First of all, I think Miers is a good conservative pick.

Do you have any facts to support your assertion? If you do, please...share them. Many of us would like to rest easy tonight.

[DC Bound]

The President knows her well and if he likes her, I like her.

Yup. We voted him into office because we trusted his judgment and his values. After 8 years of Satan in the Oval Office, he's been a refreshing change. I don't think there is a single Bush basher around (myself included) that can guarantee we wouldn't have taken the same action, presented with the same information. I sure wouldn't trust the Senate Republicans with a nomination of Luttig. I trust his long term goal is to get a conservative on the supreme court, and if he fails, duh, I voted for him.

[ottersnot]

Not the first time we've seen this kind of overreaction of FR.

why is it overreaction? Maybe it's just a basic disagreement on the choice, strategy etc..

I feel it's defeatism to just say "we couldn't do better" "oh the senate RINO's".

It only takes 51 to pass. There are plenty of qualified female candidates with more experience, that would also not raise such a stink, that could get through a nomination.
Yes, a firebreather, may not get through. I'd be satisfied with someone who I knew wasn't going to legislate from the bench. An originalist. I don't know if she is or isn't. Knowing what Church she goes to doesn't answer that question.

So yes,whatever, overreaction, disagreement, dissapointment.

Half cocked in VA.

[rottndog]

Blue state fundamentalists tend to hate evangelicals the way that Islamists hate Jews: viscerally.


This is the most accurate analogy I have ever seen about how the left feels about the "Christian Right".

Now back to the subject at hand: Bush has given us conservatives good reason to be very suspicious of actions as POTUS. He has not acquitted himself well, as a conservative. So if it seems that many of us are highly skeptical of his choice for SCOTUS, being that this is the most important decision he will ever make, that is because he has provided us ample ammunition.

[andysandmikesmom]

Great post....some folks need to take a breather, and get the facts...

On one of the threads on FR running, people are whining about Miers not being married and not having children...I could hardly believe that argument for her not being acceptable to be on the Supreme Court...and there were the usual nut cases who want to make her out to be a lesbian, because she is not married to a man..does it never enter some folks minds, that some women chose not marry, instead chosing to devote themselves completely to their career?...or that some women have never fallen in love?...

Believe me, if Miers was married and had children, there would be those who would claim she was a bad mom, (and therefore unacceptable to be on the Supreme Court) because she dared to have a career, along with a husband and children(oh, the horror of that)...but there are those on FR, who do think exactly along those lines...sad...

One can certainly disagree with Pres. Bush...certainly nothing wrong with that at all...but I think we should stop the hysterics, get the facts,(real facts, not gossip, not rumors), and then make a decision in our minds, based on the facts...

[DC Bound]

He did alright picking Cheney didn't he? And how do you know he's abandoning the battle? He's spent ten years learning this woman's character and values. She'll be fine. If not, look me up in two years and I owe you a beer.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

How can you like her? You haven't even talked to her.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

Strong on RKBA, crunch here for details:

http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2005_10_02-2005_10_08.shtml

[Hildy]

Tell me about it. It's been appalling here...really.

[andy58-in-nh]

"If you had to go to war, would you want the Senate Republicans as your army?"

Only if we were at war with France.

[Harrius Magnus]

"What they don't seem to understand is that the GOP is by no means assured of winning such a fight.

---

It is called Principle, something the GOP used to know something about. There may be a better word, but those who have it know exactly what I mean. It is related to "Right And Wrong" and other banalities we teach our children. Its offspring are Courage, Loyalty, Humility and Responsibility. We gladly offer Self-Sacrifice as ransom for her. Alas, She is going the way of the Dodo bird in DC-land. If you do not know that to which I am speaking, you are unlikely to in the future, and I am very, very sorry.

[McGavin999]

Perhaps, but this is GW's last good chance to get a conservative judge on the court.

No, it isn't. I think Stevens will be retiring before his term is out.

Besides, I think she's plenty conservative. I keep hearing that she isn't qualified. Those who make those comments don't happen to be strict constructionists because if they were, they would know that our constitution was not written to be "interpreted" by "experts". It was written to be understood by the common man. The legal elitiests seem to require some kind of track record. So, how's this for a track record. You know all those judges everyone has been saying they wish had been nominated? Guess who found them, vetted them, and recommended them for Dubya to nominate?

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Meiers is Bush's faith-based initiative. We've got to believe in him.

[dc-zoo]

Miers will be fine. She'll get 90 votes to confirm and will do us proud. She's no Souter.

[Ninian Dryhope]

I haven't talked to the President, either, but I like him and trust him and his judgment. As I wrote, if he likes her, I like her.

[Soul Seeker]

Granted.

Some conservatives want a fight.

I don't think they are wrong in wishing one. But, I personally do not need a fight.

What is your response to those, such as myself, disappointed instead with the qualifications of Miers absent known ideology?

That has been the brunt of my disppointment today, not that she is a "stealth" nominee.