Dubya the gambler will enjoy the last laugh

Jewish World Review ^ | 10/7/05 | Tony Snow

[pookie18]

The Harriet Miers nomination has set off one of the most delightful psychodramas in recent Washington history. President Bush, the habitual iconoclast, shattered prevailing traditions and expectations by asking his former personal attorney and now-White House counsel to assume a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Elites hate the nomination. Miers, in contrast to the polymath John Roberts, has little direct experience with constitutional law, and may know less about cases and precedents than such potential inquisitors as Sens. Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer. She hasn't spent time on the federal bench. She hasn't written sage articles for prestigious law reviews. She has little conventional pedigree — and that drives the local elites nuts.

Conservative activists also count themselves unamused. Sen. George Allen told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that of the 100 phone calls his office got on the Meirs pick before noon last Monday, only three supported the president's pick.

Many conservatives wanted the president to duke it out with Senate Democrats by selecting a known and documented constitutional originalist — Judges Michael Luttig, Michael McConnell, Edith Jones and Janice Rogers Brown topped many wish lists. The president, the thinking went, not only could have established himself as the King of Capitol Hill, he also could have killed the recent Democratic tactic of slurring and smearing conservative judicial picks.

[Señor Zorro]

If this is true, I cannot tell you how disappointed/disgusted I will be in my fellow Republicans who will refuse to exercise their voting right because of this issue.

Fine. However, note one huge difference in our terminologies: I said conservatives, you said Republicans. I don't consider the Republican party in and of itself to be a worthy cause. The broader goals (some of which I listed earlier) are. If the Republicans do not advance them, then a pox on the Republicans. To conclude: party loyalty is very often a bad thing as it causes otherwise good people to accept that which they would otherwise (rightly) condemn.

[Kay Syrah]

Just a reflection on the Miers nomination. The reaction of the right reminds me of the old story about the boy who was his father's pride and joy. He was a young man of good character, worked hard, gathered honours in school and made his family proud. When he was ready to graduate his father asked him what he would like for a present and he said "a car."

His dad smiled and on graduation day, the son approached his dad eagerly knowing all his hard work and dedication would be rewarded. Instead his father handed him a Bible. The son was hurt, angry and in tears, broke with his father and never spoke to him again. Years later after his fathers death he was going thru his things and found the old Bible. He finally in tears cracked it open and inside was the title to a car. Corny old story.

But the point is some of the pique coming from the right has that ring of entitled expectation. I'm with you, I'd like to hear the lady and see what she is made of. And some of the comment from the right is pretty snarky. Somewhat along the lines of the kid in the story, waaaaaa, you didn't give us what we wanted. And it is elitist. There is a whiff, of sneering to say the least, perhaps from the Washington bubble, that casts everything in its own exalted light. Of course, I don't just blindly trust the President. Campaign Finance Reform is the reason. But I'm not willing to throw away something that might be valuable indeed. We might at least crack the book and see what's there.

[firewalk]

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