Posted on 10/07/2005 12:02:21 PM PDT by Betaille
They are angry, dismayed and disheartened, but, more importantly, concerned for the fate of the Supreme Court.
The conservative reaction against President Bush’s nomination of untested White House Counsel Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court was so universal and intense that it erupted at each of the two separate meetings of activist leaders held Wednesday by Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist and Free Congress Foundation Chairman Paul Weyrich.
At the Norquist meeting, conservatives targeted their ire at former Republican National Chairman Ed Gillespie, who is working with the White House on Supreme Court nominations. At the Weyrich meeting, Republican National Chairman Ken Mehlman and Tim Goeglein, White House liaison to the conservative community, found themselves in the crosshairs.
(Excerpt) Read more at humaneventsonline.com ...
Wrong.
Religion is the only qualification that has been offered.
Wrong.
So yes, the religious faith of the Gang of 14 (or lack thereof) is a factor.
False premises lead to false conclusions.
"It is not clear that, after Mr. Robert's hearing, a better qualified nominee would have been rejected."
Exactly! The assumption that the senate would have rejected a well-qualified conservative is an absurd rationalization. We just passed one with 78 votes!!!
And he still has to get them CONFIRMED. You can spout off candidates without having to worry about that.
I wonder how many senators have voiced vocal support since this whole thing has broken? How many of the gang of 14?
If anybody has a quick list for us that'd be great.
Oh, the rumblings were all out there from various key Senators if you bothered to look. Just about every pundit, left and right, agreed that the Dems would give this nominee a harder time than Roberts.
On the contrary. I am quite aware of the confirmation process, but I am unwilling to surrender to an unproven generalization. The Gang of 14 has never been tested in the heat of a SC battle. I think there is a reasonable chance they might fail. But we may never know.
I imagine there were some trial balloons sent up beforehand, but that kind of stuff often stays secret.
I wonder how many senators have voiced vocal support since this whole thing has broken? How many of the gang of 14?
I have read that all the members of the gang say she is acceptable. Which means if that holds, no filibuster.
Precisely. If another Roberts had been chosen the Dems would have had the same problem of independent voters vs their activist base and they would have gone with independent voters.
Most Americans accept that the Supreme Court is supposed to consist of first rate legal minds, not cronies trusted for their loyalty. Roberts was a first rate legal mind. Another Roberts would have gotten the same level of independent support.
All of you Constitutionalists might stop and consider this another way. It has occurred to me that Bush met with Senate leaders and devised a strategy to return the appointment and confirmation of the judges to the Constitution and take away the influence of the interest groups. After all, they have no role under the constitution, at all.
The question, however, it not one of a "harder time," but of confirmation or not. I think there are some who would have made it and many who would have been willing to try.
Really ?
The only reasons that have been given to support this nomination by the administration is that she is "a good Christian". They have not had the nerve to try to tout her experience and credentials. Is that going to appeal to independent voters ?
In my opinion, Bush should have picked a nomination to unite his base. Even if we would have lost in the Senate, sometimes it's important to fight the fight. Who knows? We might have even won the fight, but you'll never know since he picked a lackluster crony instead.
***
Exactly! And the nutjob libs would finally show their true colors.
"said he's glad President Bush chose a "qualified woman" to succeed Sandra Day O'Connor"
I wonder if Stevens has said anything else, or even repeated that statement since the mierda has hit the fan.
Oh, the rumblings were all out there from various key Senators if you bothered to look. Just about every pundit, left and right, agreed that the Dems would give this nominee a harder time than Roberts.
On the contrary. I do know who was "rumbling." And having listened to "rumbling" before, it does not frighten. The question, however, it not one of a "harder time," but of confirmation or not. I think there are some who would have made it and many who would have been willing to try.
"Current" loyalty? More like a decade of loyalty.
It all comes down to whether or not you think President Bush is a good judge of character. How have his other judicial picks turned out? How have his executive picks been? Given his track history, I will trust his judgement in this case.
How did you get to this idea?
I don't trust men as much as track records - in this case hers (or lack thereof), not his.
I'd say that character is a necessary, but not a sufficient, virtue in SC justices. It takes far more than character to write and persuasively defend lasting opinions.
But your point does remind me of Leonard Leo's remark that Ms. Miers would likely move the court to the right but have no desireable impact on the national legal culture.
Of course it's a guess if she'll bit from the apple. But if you were to write down qualities of those least likely to be tempted what would they be?
Would an insider or outside be more tempted? I think an young insider would be.
What bothers me is people misstating facts like this.
They are not saying that is her most impressive accomplishment, they are saying correctly it is one of her accomplishments.
I also am bothered by people who mock and deride her experience with the Texas Lottery when they clearly have no idea what her responsibilities and achievements there were. It's another of her accomplishments.
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