Posted on 10/30/2005 10:59:31 PM PST by RWR8189
As President Bush prepares to make a new appointment to the Supreme Court, the lessons of the failed Miers nomination are still being absorbed.
One that deserves study is how a lightning-fast news cycle, a flat-footed defense and the growth of new media such as talk radio and blogs sank Ms. Miers's chances even before the megabuck special-interest groups could unload their first TV ad. Ms. Miers herself has told friends that she was astonished at how the Internet became a conveyor belt for skeptical mainstream media reports on her in addition to helping drive the debate.
The rapidity with which Supreme Court nominations can become full-scale political contests would astonish previous generations. While one out of five previous nominees to the highest court failed to be confirmed, the battles used to be far more gentle. Nominees didn't even show up at confirmation hearings until 1925.
But the role of the Supreme Court has changed since then. Many Americans now view it as a kind of superlegislature, micromanaging the abortion laws of 50 states, declaring state ballot measures invalid, and redefining the powers of eminent domain. So long as the court wields that much power, battles for each vacancy--the only opportunity Americans have to influence the direction of the courts--will be intense and divisive.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
As the power of government increases, so do the intensity of the political wars over who will rule.
Our government needs to become less powerful.
---Former Attorney General Richard Thornburgh, a Republican, laments that the Miers controversy empowered "the bloggers and pundits far beyond the president and the Senate, which should be the ones that decide on the suitability" of a nominee.---
how dare these lowly citizens question what their betters in washington are doing!
---Juan Williams, a National Public Radio and Fox News analyst, compared her critics to "a far-right Donner party. They're eating their own."---
one freeper was using that same language here - hope they enjoy having juan williams on their side.
the citizens are becoming more informed than the senators.
As Chief Justice Roberts said only a few weeks ago, nobody goes to a game to watch the umpire, and judges are supposed to be umpires. When we get our national brain set to rights, that will once again be the case.
The author is wrong when he states that the only avenue citizens have to influence these things is to protest or support via the Internet and through the media. There is a Judge who reigns supreme over this land, and those who believe in Him have been making their case for years before His judgment seat.
The fruit of those years of appeals is now beginning to appear.
Indeed. "Their betters" or their infallible leaders?
True, but hopeless. Our government is destined to become larger.
The question is whether the Republic will raise up the institutions like the internet and particularly, FreeRepublic, adequate to wage the eternal war to control government.
Juan Williams only very rarely has anything interesting to say. He is usually a repetition of DNC taking points.
Trent Lott was repeating the dems talking points yesterday, saying that the White House needed new blood.
Living in Mississippi; I think we need a NEW Republican to replace Lott. Mississippi needs NEW blood too! :-)
LLS
For the rest of the segment, Juan wore the face of the 'bitch-slapped'.
Um, I find this incredibly hard to believe. Transcript? Or at least some context?
The Internet has become a vehcile for truth, popular expression and political power.
It has provided the average person in the silent majority with a means of directly communicating with and confronting the power elites in America and defnaghed the liberally controlled mass media.
And they don't like it.
Dang, I wish I had seen that. I love it when Brit does that, in general.
Hmmm, it may be on the TiVo, I'll have to look.
More than one.
You may want to hold onto this for a few days and maybe even repost it. The Donner Party faithful have the forum tied up in a snit about the Miers nomination and any other newsworthy items aren't going to get far for the next few days.....7 posted on 10/03/2005 11:06:46 AM EDT by deport
Love that name -- the Donner Party -- figured they would be in a snit.11 posted on 10/03/2005 11:11:40 AM EDT by PhiKapMom
I'm a conservative; just not a Donner Party Conservative.21 posted on 10/03/2005 11:22:51 AM EDT by Howlin
Got to #3 before the Donner Party showed up!19 posted on 10/03/2005 8:31:26 AM EDT by OldFriend
When this is over, I'm taking up a collection to buy you bedwetters some gasoline. I'm sure you in the Donner Party will want a BBQ before you start eating each other.
Oh, I'm sure he did. I've seen Brit B-slap Juan on several occassions. This one looks like it was better than average.
Juan looked like he had just been given an atomic-wedgie.
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