Miers is the wrong pick (George Will)

Townhall ^ | October 4, 2005 | George Will

[jdm]

WASHINGTON -- Senators beginning what ought to be a protracted and exacting scrutiny of Harriet Miers should be guided by three rules. First, it is not important that she be confirmed. Second, it might be very important that she not be. Third, the presumption -- perhaps rebuttable but certainly in need of rebutting -- should be that her nomination is not a defensible exercise of presidential discretion to which senatorial deference is due.

[TAdams8591]

WOW, a brilliant, powerful and very accurate critique of the President's nomination. No one has said it better.

[irishjuggler]

Clarence Thomas has written two or three opinions in 14 years.

Total lie. Clarence Thomas written dozens of majority opinions and dissents.

By 1995, according to an analysis by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Thomas had become the second most prolific opinion writer on the court. He has authored some of the longest separate opinions in the history of the court, opinions that are sometimes longer than those of the majority.
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/weekly/standard082699.asp

[gcruse]

There's a reason George Will is a columnist for the New York Times.

That would be news to George and the people at the Washington Post.

[gortklattu]

--- They will only embrace you if you bless this nomination and implicitly trust the President. They do not realize it, but they are the true threat to conservatism.----

You sound just like a liberal. Congratulations!

[republicofdavis]

I can't say that there was anything there that was actually wrong.

[sinkspur]

Why the need to put down Thomas as if that advances your case for Miers. He was not only a federal appellate judge, but he was EEOC chairman, a solid conservative in that post, and a well-known entity in the administration. Now, if you have some record on Miers you want to share, do it. But don't dump on Thomas.

OK. Then I'll dump on you.

How come you didn't, in your assigned job in the Reagan administration, vet Anthony Kennedy better than you did? We wouldn't be stuck with this cipher if you had dug a little deeper, Mark.

[jdm]

"I think elites are people who say "trust me."

You succinctly nailed it!

[MikeHu]

Did I spell his name right?

[Chuck54]

Good post.

[DLfromthedesert]

And you would never shine in a spelling bee.

[holdonnow]

Rehnquist was Assitant Attorney General for Legal Counsel, as was Scalia before he went to the DC Circuit. It is the most prestigious position at the Justice Department, short of attorney general and solictor, because he helps develop constitutional policy for the entire federal government. Now, you've dumped on Thomas and Rehnquist in an attempt to justify the Miers appointment. She either stands on her own two feet or she doesn't. Stop ripping our solid folks in a lame effort to defend this.

[TAdams8591]

"Anybody who honestly thinks "Bush picked her and I trust him" is an argument, really scares me."

Agreed.

[GB]

This nomination, for better or worse, and I'm hoping and praying for "better," is going to proceed and IMHO will be approved with very little trouble regardless of anything Mr. Will ... who I've admired for years, BTW ... or anyone here says. And for anyone who wants to stay at home in 2006 out of protest, I have nine words for you: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

[Snoopers-868th]

How come it is a requirement to be a "leading light of jurisprudence" to be on the Supreme Court?

I should have put the above statement in before I said it was because she is a woman. I do believe it is because she is a woman had it been a man in the same circumstance I don't believe you would be seeing such statements. I can understand them but still doubt this would be what you would be hearing if it were a similarly situated man. But as they are saying that man would never have been the pick.

I liked the hook and the scales--too funny.

[nopardons]

Don't you remember what happened when Bork got "BORKED"? Need a refresher course on who we got on the third try? Does the name Souter ring any bells?

[republicofdavis]

"If not- this is an outrageous statement."

It's not that outrageous. Many here criticized the President for the same thing

[olde north church]

I've been aware of and read George will for 25+ years. I've been aware of George W. Bush and voted for him 2x in 5 years. I trust George W. Bush's judgement more than I trust George Will's.

[Souled_Out]

"guess who's list counted the most"

---

Harry Reids?

[DLfromthedesert]

Oh, aren't you the brilliant one? So she's not a youthful beauty; that should disqualify her.