Posted on 10/10/2005 10:07:19 AM PDT by quidnunc
Editor's note: These are responses to "Miers Finds Few Buyers" in Friday's Best of the Web Today.
• The display of lugubrious thuggery on the right over the past week is the political disaster.
"Yes, dearie, you'll get a fair trial and then we'll hang you in the morning." Decency alone tells an honest conservative to give the nominee her opportunity at the Senate hearings before making a judgment about her. We're demanding up or down votes on the Senate floor from obstructionist Democrats, but trying to slaughter our own president's nominee before she's had a chance to speak for herself.
What this is all about is the inner-circle types expressing their inner Maureen Dowd, who believes that the President is a moron. Do they really expect to be taken seriously again? — Martin McPhillips
• While I agree that I was underwhelmed with the Miers pick, I am of a mind to blame Congress — more specifically, the Senate. They have consistently shown no backbone, even as the party in power. I realize it takes some time to get used to the majority status, but come on. They have always dodged any fight with the Democrats. Even after Tom Daschle lost, you would have thought that they would have at least felt a little more powerful. I mean, he lost on the filibuster issue! Still, the senators forged a compromise. No fight, compromise. The Democrats had promised to bring business to a halt in the Senate. Did anyone but our leaders believe them? If a hog goes on a hunger strike, will he garner much sympathy? Not until he actually looks thinner. Those hogs weren't going on any hunger strike, they like sending money home too much.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
Actually, it doesn't: that's a misapplication of the doctrine of "innocent until proven guilty," which has nothing to do with this case (though some kool-aide drinkers wish it did). Miers isn't being tossed into prison, or hanged--she's being considered for one of the nation's highest honors. The correct standard is that she must be proven fit to be accepted, not that she must be proven unfit to be rejected.
"What this is all about is the inner-circle types expressing their inner Maureen Dowd, who believes that the President is a moron. Do they really expect to be taken seriously again? — Martin McPhillips"
LOL!
Decency leads to ppl like Ginsburg getting overwhelmingly confirmed. I think the GOP establishment needs to understand politics is a cold war. It isn't a parlor game. maybe it is for them, but not for us. All the same, it is about time to just wait for the hearings. That's what I'm doing.
I don't know whether Miers will make a good justice or not. That being said, why does the President start a fight within his own party and among hsi own partisans with this nomination? Why not name a true strict constructionist for the nomination and unite all of us against the left? I have no other way to describe it other than stupid.
Besides, there is no guarantee at all that another nomination will be any better.
Either way a hearing is necessary to determine her fitness. Many would deny her that and that is wrong as well as short sighted.
But if you don't give her the chance to even make it to the hearings, how do you have any idea if she if fit or unfit?
What this is all about is the inner-circle types expressing their inner Maureen Dowd, who believes that the President is a moron. Do they really expect to be taken seriously again? — Martin McPhillips
Maybe, maybe not. If you accept the argument that a SC nominee must prove their fitness to be confirmed, then it becomes perfectly reasonable to say that anyone who is obviously unfit, or obviously not the best choice, doesn't even deserve a hearing. A hearing is mandatory only in a criminal context, where denial of a hearing is the same as a guilty verdict.
By that standard, I also deserve a hearing--how do you know I'm not better than Miers? The answer is that nobody owes me a hearing, and nobody owes Miers one either. She is so clearly not the most qualified individual, that even pushing for a hearing is a waste of everyone's time. In fact worse than a waste of time, because it's virtually certain that getting a hearing means getting a confirmation, even though she isn't the most qualified.
True, but I take umbrage in the blatant anti-originalist list of "qualifications" that currently passes for informed discourse regarding her nomination.
MY FAVORITE READER RESPONSE:
How can you tell if a conservative is pro- or anti-Miers? Based on my conversations with conservative friends this week, here's a good rule of thumb. Ask the conservative to define the following words or phrases and see what he says.
"BLACKBERRY"
Anti-Miers: A handheld device that allows you to get e-mail and access the Internet. The biggest problem is when the battery runs low. You solve the problem by carrying a charger.
Pro-Miers: A delicious berry that you find in the woods. The biggest problem is that bears love them too. You solve that problem by carrying a .44 Magnum.
"FRIENDS"
Anti-Miers: A popular TV show that looked at cultural and sexual mores.
Pro-Miers: People you invite over to your house
"$20 SNIFTER OF COGNAC"
Anti-Miers: Not a bad price for a great brandy at a nice bar.
Pro-Miers: An outrageous price for a drink. Where we people live, you can get a two-pound T-bone steak dinner and a drink for $20.
"MEET THE PRESS"
Anti-Miers: Must-see TV.
Pro-Miers: We are too busy going to church. Besides, who really cares what they say?
"DECEMBER"
Anti-Miers: A period of increased cultural sensitivity when you have to wish people a "Happy Holiday" instead of "Merry Christmas" for fear of offending them.
Pro-Miers: Merry Christmas!
"A LIST"
Anti-Miers: The type of party you want to be invited to.
Pro-Miers: What you don't want to get from your wife on Saturday morning.
"ASSAULT WEAPONS"
Anti-Miers: A class of weapons that anti-Miers conservatives use in their legal arguments concerning the meaning and extent of the Second Amendment. Although anti Miers conservatives favor the ownership of assault weapons, they probably have never touched or fired one.
Pro-Miers: A nice varmint gun, although it doesn't have enough range or accuracy to shoot wary prairie dogs. They aren't as good as Dad's old M1 Garand.
"DEMOCRACY"
Anti-Miers: A Broadway play.
Pro-Miers: One of the things that makes America great.
"ANTONIN SCALIA"
Anti-Miers: A brilliant legal scholar with libertarian tendencies. A good Supreme Court justice.
Pro-Miers: Who? Oh, the guy who hunts with the vice president and belongs to a gun club in Virginia. A good Supreme Court justice.
"THE BUZZ"
Anti-Miers: What "everybody who is anybody" is talking about.
Pro-Miers: What hornets, bees, wasps and yellow jackets do.
"HUNTING"
Anti-Miers: A method for thinning wildlife populations that allows a rural American tradition to continue.
Pro-Miers: A chance to get together with some friends on a weekend and have a good time. We never let the hunting get in the way of having fun, however.
"COWBOY"
Anti-Miers: A metaphor for the American tendency to act aggressively. What makes America a great power.
Pro-Miers: The guy we see at the diner, who works on a ranch or travels the rodeo circuit. A term that is rarely applied, and when it is, is a compliment.
"JOHN DEERE"
Anti-Miers: A riding lawn mower.
Pro-Miers: A tractor.
"PARIS HILTON"
Anti-Miers: A cultural icon.
Pro-Miers: A hotel in France. Although I wouldn't know, because why would I want to go to Paris on vacation when I can go camping?
"BIG BORE"
Anti-Miers: A person who corners you at an A List cocktail party.
Pro-Miers: A rifle that you need for hunting elephant or cape buffalo.
This would have probably worked well at the NR 50th bash.
I find this part to be condescending and calling those who support the President just a bunch of rural farmers, hunters and assorted hayseeds.
There are many suburban types that support this President as well and trust him on his picks.
Fair enough--but that's the situation we're stuck in, because Miers has never made an honest-to-goodness statement about the Constitution. So we're left with making inferences about how she will handle Constitutional questions, and how she will behave in the face of pressure to participate in the judicial activism of the liberal half of the court. This is the fault of Miers (and Bush), because they give us practically nothing to go on.
I'm one of those suburban types.
I LOVE that! I am soooooo sure that everyone but GW has misunderestimated this "sweet l'il thang" I can hardly wait till she has the confirmation committee for lunch AND dinner! LOL!
The reason I want to know, is that if I win the Lottery I am buying tickets for you, Dane , Howlin, MNJohnnie, Grampa Dave, A Citizen Reporter, Carolinamom, etc. and myself.
I would really like to corner John Podhorenz and beat the stuffing out of him.
When the President nominates you, I will also say that you deserve a full hearing so that we may determine if you are qualified.
Make sure you let us know when your nomination comes through.
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