READ MY LIPS: THOMAS AND SCALIA

Me | 10-7-02 | Me

[Urbane_Guerilla]

Don't you remember the utter let-down when elder Bush broke the fundamental promise he made, "No new taxes"?

The promise was not merely a bow to the Laffer curve, it was an emotional and pyschological statement to the many people in this country who still believe in constitutional goverment, and who knew that taxation was the means to undermine constitutional government, liberty and freedom, to put it another way.

The younger Bush promised a Thomas or Scalia for the same reasons: to tell the believers in constitutional government that supporting him would mean a definitive change in the jurisprudence of this country, jurisprudence which adhered to the basic concepts in our Constitution, not to a sort of current intellectual church of what's happening now.

In both cases, there was an even deeper issue, the issue of integrity. Integrity is the first principle of conservatism. Integrity means an unflinching openness to the facts and faithful adherence to principle.

"No new taxes," "Thomas and Scalia."

Unlike the Left, conservatives usually have the integrity to call out their own, regardless of political cost. The subtle political benefit of integrity is that there are so many people (conservatives) who vote for the politician who is actually honest.

Now, it is not a matter of calling out one of our own. It is a matter of calling out a charlatan, who pretended to be one of our own.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Bush has let down a large portion of his base.

Says you. Alot on here will disagree.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

And that number increases daily.

[TAdams8591]

"They did... which means that she agrees with their judicial philopsy."

No, it doesn't. It means she picked out people with a judicial philosophy she thought the President was looking for.

She wasn't the only vetter. She had help.

[KingKongCobra]

"And many agree that Bush threw us under the bus."

We could only hope.

[beyond the sea]

Like I said, Bush has let down a large portion of his base.

They may believe that he has, but he certainly hasn't.

[BigSkyFreeper]

October 18, 2005 is the tentative date.

Cool, my birthday. I'll get a USSC confirmation this year.

[KingKongCobra]

Oh brother, 10 more days of whiners and ignorant vanities.

[Eva]

The anti-Meirs crowd is loaded with DU types. I've checked the posts from several of the posters of these threads and have found nothing but posts opposing Bush's judicial nominations for the past several months (and that's as far back as I went). Nattering nabobs of negativity, all of them.

[Howlin]

25 percent. No matter how many times you say it, 25 percent is not "many."

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

She helped to choose capable, qualified nominees for the federal bench.

However, all that proves is that she acquitted herself well in the role of White House Counsel.

It doesn't speak to her qualifications for the Supreme Court, which as far as I can tell, are rather nugatory.

[Blowtorch]

Thanks for the well thought-out post. A couple points in response.

Who would you rather have ruling on the next partial birth abortion case, O'Conner or Miers?

Yes but we could have had O'Conner vs. almost any conservative candidate and have answered the question the same way. Using O'Conner as a measuring stick, Miers looks better from what we know. But what about the Thomas/Scalia measuring stick? I think that's what was hoped for, and how she measures up to them will not be apparent for quite some time I'm afraid. Are you saying that Bush made the decision to go with a mediocre candidate rather than taking the risk of not being backed up by the Senate? If that's the case, I think it's a bad choice by Bush - I'm not as convinced as you are that it wouldn't be doable.

[CMAC51]

Intelligent people would keep their mouths shut until they did know something. It won't do the party any good if Roberts and Miers turn out to be rock solid originalist because the damage will already have been done by all the fools who are going around shooting thier mouths off when they don't know "jack".

Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and provide proof.

[Howlin]

Actually, it decreases daily.

[TAdams8591]

Exactly.

[BigSkyFreeper]

10 more days of whiners and ignorant vanities.

That is most unfortunate indeed.

[Howlin]

It means she picked out people with a judicial philosophy she thought the President was looking for.

So it turns out that she picked out solid conservative nominees because she knew that's what Bush wanted -- and then he picked her.

Can you not connect those dots?

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

No.

Better to question bad decisions, instead of standing by silently whilst they engulf you.

The Twain quote is inapplicable in this case.

[carton253]

Why do you think that...

Tell me what is it specifically about Miers that has you word.

Not generalities... specifics...

[carton253]

Do you honestly think that she doesn't share the same views?

[carton253]

worry...not word... sorry