G.O.P. Asks Conservative Allies to Cool Rhetoric Over the Court (No Complaining About Gonzales)

NY Times ^ | July 6, 2005 | DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and CARL HULSE

[TAdams8591]

"HE IS NOT THE NOMINEE! Do you think the President would have nominated Gonzalez to the AG position (very important in the War on Terror) when he KNEW there would be a vacancy on the court and he was going to nominate him? For what possible reason would he have put Gonzalez through one confirmation hearing, only to have him undergo another one less than 6 months later, PLUS having to find another AG?"

If Gonzalez wasn't being considered, the President would have publicly expressed some of the points you made above, or simply stated that AG Gonzalez is happy in his present post and is not interested in a spot on the SC at this time. He hasn't.

[Clintonfatigued]

Gonzales is more conservative than O'Conner. How much more is uncertain.

[southernnorthcarolina]

My theory (every bit as uninformed, undocumented, and speculative as anyone else's, but it's by damn my theory, and I'm sticking to it) is that the public defense of Gonzales doesn't indicate that he will be the nominee; if anything, I see it as a sign that he's not the guy.

President Bush has to defend Gonzales to some extent, even if only to preserve his effectiveness at his AG post. No way the President can stand idly by while his newly-confirmed Cabinet Officer is savaged, no matter the source of the savaging.

Moreover, the public defense of Gonzales affords the President political cover. He is now more free to bypass Gonzales (which, my guess, he was going to anyway); for one thing, he'll be able to say that those "crazy right-wingers" didn't intimidate him -- and then nominate a "crazy right-winger."

Works for me.

[editor-surveyor]

So we're not even to complain when they kick us?

[Badray]

We have GOP senators up for re-election next year from blue states. Rick Santorum is one and he's in for a tough battle. There is no reason to award that seat to a Dem by letting him be painted as an extremist.

Ricky has done his best over the past few years that he isn't even a conservative, let alone an extremist.

BTW, Ricky is going to lose because he has shifted to the left.

[TAdams8591]

Much agreed. The time to be pro-active and speak out is NOW. Not AFTER Gonzalez or someone like him is picked.

[bill1952]

bashing of the Senators including my two conservative Senators Inhofe and Coburn is beyond pale

I must have missed that post. point to it.

BTW, my past fund raising and political works far exceed the time since I found this forum.

[Miss Marple]

Why should he make a statement that he ISN'T considering Gonzalez? Should he also make a statement that he isn't considering Condi Rice or Donald Rumsfeld?

I guess since he hasn't made a public statement that he isn't considering Miss Marple I should start preparing for the confirmation hearings.

[editor-surveyor]

Wow, you're a real wizzz on politics!
/sarcasm

[B Knotts]

Planned Parenthood v. Casey, for one.

[bill1952]

Well, the concern isn't about Condo or Donald, is it?

[Wolfhound777]

"The WOT is progressing just fine according to military on the ground."

You missed the point. I'm not talking about the shooting war or the military. I am talking about our loss of rights at home (secret accusations and charges, warrantless searches with no judicial review, etc.)

I have a different opinion on the court.

[jveritas]

Welcome to FR. There are some knee jerks conservatives here that will make an Everest of doom and gloom not only from a mole hill but also from absolutely nothing.

[linn37]

I only want a conservative judge .....bump

[Soul Seeker]

Ah, well I don't happen to feel my rights have been stripped away by the Patriot Act so I'd still disagree.

Whereas my rights have been stripped away in, say, the recent KELO decision.

[B Knotts]

Well, whatever he deserves, it seems to me a fool's errand to try to control the public debate once the horse is out of the barn.

The insider reaction is feeding the sense of unease in flyover country.

[jveritas]

So you are absolutely sure that the General Attorney of the United States is not an American?! My advice that you go early tomorrow morning and ask your doctor for a different prescription

[Miss Marple]

Reasonable people wouldn't be concerned about Gonzalez, either.

[Wolfhound777]

Your not hurting my feelings by disagreeing :) I just happen to think it's unecessary and the potential for abuse is just not worth it.

[TAdams8591]

My comment was directed to your comment. If it is the case that the president isn't considering Gonzalez for the SC because of all the reasons you suggest, he should say so because it's the TRUTH and it would end the discussion.

However, I suspect that you are wrong. Gonzalez IS in the running and that' s why the president has refused to deny it. Thus, now is NOT the time for conservatives to be "quiet".

"Should he also make a statement that he isn't considering Condi Rice or Donald Rumsfeld"

In the context of the conversation on this thread the above comment makes NO SENSE, sorry. Neither Rummy or Rice appear to be in the running for an SC position, there has been no discussion among conservatives about them either way and thus no reason for them to be mentioned by the president. The same cannot be said for Gonzalez.