Krauthammer: Retreat (on Miers' nomination to SCOTUS)

Townhall.com ^ | 10-7-05 | Charles Krauthammer

[cgk]

WASHINGTON -- When in 1962 Edward Moore Kennedy ran for his brother's seat in the Senate, his opponent famously said that if Kennedy's name had been Edward Moore, his candidacy would have been a joke. If Harriet Miers were not a crony of the president of the United States, her nomination to the Supreme Court would be a joke, as it would have occurred to no one else to nominate her.

[right right]

There will be a lot of retreating and dining on crow.

[Revolting cat!]

Another "pro abortion" "elitist" "snob" who "haven't taken his meds" in the Free Republic doghouse!

[Rodney King]

If Harriet Miers were not a crony of the president of the United States, her nomination to the Supreme Court would be a joke, as it would have occurred to no one else to nominate her.

Yup.

[Aetius]

He's right that the nation needs a robust debate about the proper role of the judiciary. A more 'controversial' candidate would have a much better chance of sparking such a discussion.

[ClearCase_guy]

For a man whose presidency is marked by a courageous willingness to think and do big things, this nomination is a sorry retreat into smallness.

Years from now we will look back and we will know which commentators were right on Miers. Right now, everyone is just taking their best guess.

The Bush presidency is indeed marked by a courageous willingness to think and do big things. And he has consistently out-smarted the Democrats. Right now, Bush has Senator Reid basically endorsing his Supreme Court nominee.

I think Bush knows what he's doing.

[Rodney King]

Before anyone brings up the elitist argument, it is demonstratably false:

The two conservative favorites, Brown and Lutting, both went to second or third tier law schools.

[RockinRight]

Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton presidential alternations from 1989 to 2017

Don't you mean Bush-Clinton-Bush-NOW_I'M_DREAMING??

[Pondman88]

Thank you Charles. I wonder what the rest of the ivy leaguers say...oh wait...there esteemed opinions have been broadcast far and wide. I guess the Dolt in Chief should have consulted with them.

[dirtboy]

But constitutional jurisprudence is different. It is, by definition, an exercise of intellect steeped in scholarship.

Krauthammer, you make sense from time to time, but what you just mentioned is exactly the problem with SCOTUS, not the solution. It takes a exercise in intellect to find penumbras where none existed. It takes intellectual honesty and humility to rule that the words of the Constitutuion mean nothing more than what is written.

Otherwise it is nothing but raw politics.

Gawd, Krauthammer, on what planet have you been living? SCOTUS has been the source of the most naked and raw politics ever since judicial activism became fashionable.

It's one thing to argue that there are others more qualified than Miers. It's another to base that premise on supporting the very pathologies that a strict Constructionist will hopefully help cure.

[Patti_ORiley]

If I heard this correctly, Miers name did come up in regard to this position -- she was on the DEMOCRATS list of acceptable candidates!!!

[blackie]

Charles is being an elite Ivy League snob.

The East Coast doesn't get it ~ Bump!

[stop_fascism]

I'm convinced. We need a constitutional amendment that only someone from an Ivy league (well maybe Stanford is ok) law school is illegible for the Supreme Court.

The constitution is an amazingly simple document. The purpose of most "constitutional scholars" is to complicate it, to the detriment of the American people.

[martin_fierro]

When in 1962 Edward Moore Kennedy ran for his brother's seat in the Senate, his opponent famously said that if Kennedy's name had been Edward Moore, his candidacy would have been a joke.

A more apt Kennedy cronyism comparison would've been JFK appointing RFK as Attorney General.

[devane617]

>>Another "pro abortion" "elitist" "snob" who "haven't taken his meds" in the Free Republic doghouse!<<

Or the other possibility is that he is not a FR BushBot that sees what this nominee will do to the future of the Conservative movement. W is hurting our future severely with dumb moves like this.

[Mamzelle]

Well, y'know, Charlie?

If you hadn't had all those nice connections with the NYC literati and Partisan Review, no one would take seriously a Canadian shrink who liked to write political opinions and make everyone think he was so gosh-awful smart. I don't really take you at all seriously, myself, since I heard your hysterical ranting when "Passion of the Christ" hit the theatres.

Someone really smoothed Krauthammer's path, not too different from a lot of people who end up with really cushy jobs. You've got lifetime pundit tenure--and you earned it---how?

You didn't exactly carve your place out of the wilderness the way Rush did, now did you?

And without the elder Partisan Review friendships, you wouldn't be the ersatz "resident expert" to try to get John McCain into the Whitehouse, or the US military involved in the BALKANS.

The more I hear from these patronizing Northeastern bozos, the more I like Miers.

[Apercu]

I agree. Bush and his "Brer Rabbit" Briar Patch strategy strikes again.As you intimate, we have trusted Bush this far & I do so now with some reservation.No matter who is nominated, someone will take offense. Time will tell.

[BadAndy]

I guess the Bushbots will now add Krauthammer to their "moonbat" list.

[Bigh4u2]

"she was on the DEMOCRATS list of acceptable candidates!!!"

A list compiled with names submitted to them from the President!

[CarolAnn]

I agree with you. W has always said what he meant and did what he said he would do. Why is it so bad that Miers has no experience on the bench? Neither did Renquist. I think it's a plus. I'm a little disappointed in Krauthammer on this one. I usually agree with him.