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.

[July 4th]

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

UCLA and Virginia are hardly second or third tier law schools, in the legal sense of the words. SMU isn't remotely in their ballpark.

[over3Owithabrain]

GWB chose her and that's good enough for me.

Bush has also chose: runaway spending, CFR, illegal immigration, etc. Are those good enough for you too? He is far from infallible and his feet should be held to the fire as our elected representative. This pick is a dud and perhaps a betrayal.

[trisham]

So disagree with him if you want, but lay off the baseless attacks on his character and qualifications. They cheapen you and this forum.

***************

I agree. Krauthammer has written his usual thoughtful column. He may or may not be correct in his assumptions, but it's one of the better criticisms I've yet seen. I hope that Miers will be the originalist that many of us are wishing for, but at this point I don't see as much evidence of it as I would like.

[bubman]

I don't think it has anything to do with it. Being Canadian does not IMHO add or remove from the debate. If there is anybody suited to size up Northeastern Elitism it is GWB. Son of Maine, educated at Yale and Harvard. He knows that the problem on the bench is not the diversity of sex or color but of the imagination, The rigid hierarchy of ideas that inhabit the Elite Legal profession dueling out among themselves to see whose philosophical underpinnings will win out. GWB concluided that the problem with the bench is less Harvard/Yale and more Rest of America. Here he has again shown an incredible knack of pissing off just about everyone.

IMHO If everyone is not happy with this pick, then she is the most qualified and least polically motivated decision the prez has done so far.

[Miss Marple]

Krauthammer was one of the leaders of the "Bush didn't move fast enough" crowd over Katrina. Apparently he is unaware of how FEMA is organized, and ignored the Preident's efforts to get New orleans evacuated. He couldn't even bring himself to say "Let's wait until all the information is in." He piled on because he was panicked by Geraldo and Shep.

And of course, in failing (along with many of the other consrvative pundits) to defend the President and attack the real source of the problem, Blanco, he aided the trashing of the President by the MSM.

The result of this trashing was lowered approval numbers for the President. With lower approval numbers the squishes in the Senate get weak-kneed. Hence the request by Susan Collins and others for Bush to send them someone who wasn't controversial. The squishes are afraid of the press.

So now, after being part of the media blitz which caused the problem with the Senate, he is now griping because a more famous candidate wasn't nominated. He is griping about this "smallness" of the nomination.

Well, I am griping about the cluelessness and obtuseness of the conservative pundits. Perhaps Mr. Krauthammer can complain about the competence and conservatism of this nomination; I, myself, am going to complain about the competence of a conservative pundit who draws his paycheck from the Washington Post.

[Sabramerican]

Reading some of the Bush supporters I feel I am witnessing the birth of a new religion.

With anyone who questions the deity relegated to the status of demons.

Or maybe just a cult?

[stop_fascism]

Kristol's main claim to fame was teaching Dan Quayle how to spell potatoe. He's a complete intellectual coward. I can think of few people in public life I respect less. If he's agin it, I'm for it.

I haven't read Malkin and Levin, so I don't know what they believe.

I love Ann and respect Will. If they can come up with a better argument than "Miers didn't go to the Ivy league", I'd be glad to listen.

[Mamzelle]

Miers worked a lifetime in practical service in her profession, in a red state, to her church, and is not a Washington insider. I've been dismayed by this appointment, in large part, because Bush presumed greatly on the "trust me" business. But not for the reasons Krauthammer raises-- and his resume really isn't all that impressive.

I made several specific points as to his serious missteps in punditry. You then reply, like a high-school cheerleader whose intelligence has been disparaged, "You're just jealous!" First the pity argument, now "you're just jealous!" Must be what the Ivy League can produce in rhetoric.

I don't appreciate Krauthammer's loftiness. I watch him regularly on Fox, and wish they'd replace him with someone who could get over himself.

[aft_lizard]

A liar? I suggest you read Ann Coulters piece, and after you do come back and kiss m a**, nah a apoligy will suffice.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1497299/posts

"But if we're looking for lawyers with giant brains to memorize obscure legal cases and to compose clearly reasoned opinions about ERISA pre-emption, the doctrine of equivalents in patent law, limitation of liability in admiralty, and supplemental jurisdiction under Section 1367 – I think we want the nerd from an elite law school. Bush may as well appoint his chauffeur head of NASA as put Miers on the Supreme Court."

[bkepley]

What about Krauthammer's excellent point on how Miers will have to recuse herself on so many issues that she was immersed in while White House counsel?

What are they gonna do if she doesn't? Impeach her? Like so many other judges she'll decide which ones she can be fair on which is most likely all of them.

[Sabramerican]

Krauthammer was one

Did Cheney lie?

I heard him heap tremendous praise and honor on Krauthammer.

[Admin Moderator]

It was excerpted because Krauthammer is syndicated by the Washington Post.
Thanks.

[Mamzelle]

I have found Ann a little hard to take over this one. Trying to get the nom overturned (she wants us to call our Senators) is just plain over the top and destructive.

[blackie]

Get a grip 30 ~ she's the perfect pick.

You still have three years and three months to enjoy President George W. Bush's magnificent leadership.

Don't you feel blessed.

Life is great! ;)

[bkepley]

WE know Georgie knows all, sees all and can never be questioned, don't we?

Very impressive.

[over3Owithabrain]

Can you address the substance of why Krauthammer says this pick is wrong, rather than produce a domino theory of how it is his fault as a pundit, that the President of the United States was forced to make a lackluster appointment?

Krauthammer is by far not alone. You can keep working down the ever-growing list, dismissing all as kooks or fools or haters. But eventually you'll run out of invective and we'll still be left with this weak pick.

[Texas Federalist]

If Harriet Miers were not a crony of the president of the United States, her nomination to the Supreme Court would be a joke,

Her nomination is a joke.

[rogue yam]

I love Ann and respect Will. If they can come up with a better argument than "Miers didn't go to the Ivy league", I'd be glad to listen.

They have. You know this. You are a liar.

[Earthdweller]

"Well, I am griping about the cluelessness and obtuseness of the conservative pundits."

If there was ever a time to send our pundits to their room it is now.

Any Senator who votes against this woman is going to have the average American crying foul and elitism.

The beltway and pundits are irrelevant here and it is showing.

[Toadman]

"I think Bush knows what he's doing."

I respect the President and although I don't agree with everything he's done or not doing (ala illegal immigration), I'm going rely on my gut instinct and trust him.

He's never hidden his intentions... he plans on promoting a conservative agenda.