David Frum's Diary for October 24, 2005: NEXT STEP

National Review ^ | October 24, 2005 | David Frum

[Cautor]

The campaign to urge the withdrawal of Harriet Miers has moved to the next level. Two new groups have stepped forward: WithdrawMiers.org (http://www.withdrawmiers.org/) is a consortium of social conservative groups that will encourage members to write directly to their representatives in Congress.

Some friends of mine and I meanwhile have organized Americans for Better Justice (http://www.betterjustice.com/default.php?page_id=1) which has raised money for a national television and radio advertising campaign to urge the withdrawal of the nomination of Harriet Miers. You will be able to see our spots very shortly on the site. They will be airing this week on "Special Report with Brit Hume," "Fox and Friends," the Rush Limbaugh program, the Laura Ingraham program, among other places.

[snip]

There is a very great deal at stake. The seat to which the president has nominated Harriet Miers has been the court's swing seat on a range of issues from same-sex marriage to racial gerrymandering, from religious liberty to federalism. It is too important to be shrugged off - and it is reckless to suggest (as some of my email correspondents are suggesting) that this is a job that can be done by pretty much anybody with a tablespoon of common sense. On the contrary, reversing 4 decades of bad jurisprudence will take very uncommon levels of courage, ability, integrity, and independence. Conservatives have worked too hard for too long to settle for anything less than our very best on the Supreme Court. Please join me and BetterJustice.com in pressing the president to reconsider and do better.

[Oklahoma]

I first subscribed to National Review when I was 18 and Nixon was in the White House. I will not resubscribe as long as Frum is associated with the publication. It's just one subscription and won't have any bearing on any of their positions, but it makes me feel a lot better about myself.

[Cautor]

"There was a time in history when conservatives believed one should be judged on their judicial philosophy"

Ah yes, and that's the rub isn't it? Miers has no judicial philosophy. She hasn't been a judge. In fact, she has what many Miers supporters consider her greatest asset: a stealth record also known as a blank sheet of paper except for a few "I think you're the greatest" notes to Bush. Judging her on no record is tricky business. Many of those who voted for Bush expected better--someone with a proven conservative record.

Here, Bush tells us he searched the entire universe of candidates for this job and, guess what, the best of all was just an office or two down the hall.

[ez]

You'd be supporting Miers if you held to the Conservative belief that all judges deserved fair up or down votes and hearings, but you're not.

To think that just two years ago we railed at the Dems that the nominee deserved an up-or-down vote.

Now we torpedo our own nominees before they get a hearing. Great.

[Cautor]

"All in all, 3 out of four stars."

I guess the EZ verdict is in.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Miers has no judicial philosophy

Sure she does. We all do. She has a set of ideas or beliefs, just like any other living breathing human being.

[ez]

"All in all, 3 out of four stars."

I guess the EZ verdict is in.

I support Miers. But my verdict doesn't matter any more than yours...

[sinkspur]

Yes, whatever you think. If you think he has cost NR as you say "a plethora of subscriptions" then you must be right--the all knowing, all seeing, Sinkspur.

Another uber-conservative, heard from.

I don't know if I'm right or not. I've reached the point where I no longer care what happens to this Miers nomination.

I'm waiting for you ubers to start digging into the new Fed chair nominee's history. Maybe you'll find he goes to cocktail parties with people who voted for Kerry, and you can start demanding that Bernanke withdraw his nomination!

[Stellar Dendrite]

ping

[BigSkyFreeper]

Now we torpedo our own nominees before they get a hearing. Great.

Not only that, but the leftist dingbats who once were doing that themselves, all of a sudden feel compelled to give anyone a chance to be heard.

[Cautor]

"Funny how Miers supporters talk like royalists."

Is this a variant of the "elitist" charge?

BTW, You write great lyrics.

Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs

WOOLY BULLY

Uno, dos, one, two, tres, quatro
Matty told Hatty about a thing she saw.
Had two big horns and a wooly jaw.
Wooly bully, wooly bully.
Wooly bully, wooly bully, wooly bully.
Hatty told Matty, "Let's don't take no chance.
Let's not be L-seven, come and learn to dance."
Wooly bully, wooly bully
Wooly bully, wooly bully, wooly bully.
Matty told Hatty, "That's the thing to do.
Get you someone really to pull the wool with you."
Wooly bully, wooly bully.
Wooly bully, wooly bully, wooly bully.

[Cautor]

"To reiterate: Frum is a Canadian. He is pro-abortion. He is a no-talent @ss clown."

You seem to be stuck on stupid. Virginians would have expect far more from the real Peyton Randolph.

[Cautor]

"Frum is a drama queen merely for advocating the abandonment of the Constitutional process of appointing judges."

He has, and just how does Frum advocate the abandonment of the Constitutional process of appointing judges? I want a full explanation too, or at least the "ConLaw Made Simple" version.

[peyton randolph]

Great tactics you're using. The folks at DU would be proud.

I don't support Miers. However, I take offense to a Canadian pro-abortion whacko defining U.S. conservatism. He should STFU or go rant about Canuck politics.

[Cautor]

"So anti-Miers are elitists and pro-Miers are obtuse. Great debate."

I'm sure we would prefer a debate over Miers' credentials, but since she has none that's out of the question. It's not that EZ is it?

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

It seems that those that support Harriet can discern her philosphy from her politics or from her religion. Both approaches are terribly dangerous. In the end, the pro-Miers crowd is reduced to labeling the ant-Harriet crowd as Bush basers in some form or another.

An appeal to let the constitutional process by letting her go to hearings is valiant but unpersuasive to me. The outcry of conservatives about this nominee has done much to inform the Senate of this nominee. That is part of the advise and consent process. I

t has become clear after three weeks that Harriet is a dud. What are we going to discover from the hearings? They will be characterized by platitudes and bolierplate.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I want a full explanation too, or at least the "ConLaw Made Simple" version.

Read Article III.

[Cautor]

"It's just one subscription and won't have any bearing on any of their positions, but it makes me feel a lot better about myself."

Folks like yourself will have few places to turn in the future for conservative comment now that Rush, NRO, Ingraham, Will, Coulter, Krauthammer, and so many others are off your future reading list. There's always Fred Barnes I guess.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

Frum is a Canadian.

Seriously, is this the best you can come up with?

[ez]

I'm sure we would prefer a debate over Miers' credentials, but since she has none that's out of the question. It's not that EZ is it?

It's EZ for me. Bush said he would only appoint originalists to the court, Miers says she'll rule as an originalist. I'm taking these two Christians at their word.

[Sam the Sham]

You'd be supporting Miers if you held to the Conservative belief that all judges deserved fair up or down votes and hearings, but you're not. What you're position is, is nothing short of a Democrat filibuster.

Well, we can't have the hearings any time soon because Harriet is cramming with her Cliff Notes on constitutional law. Every time she opens her mouth she digs a hole for herself so they have kept her away from the Senate.

I wonder what conservative principle embraces cronyism and mediocrity. The only 'conservative principle' I see the Miers supporters embodying is absolute monarchy. The Emperor has commanded and we must kow tow and obey. To hear is to obey, O Emperor.

What's next ? The proskynesis ?