FRUM: A SINKING NOMINATION

NRO ^ | October 11, 2005 | David Frum

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

What was Miers' position on that landmark ruling?

[mountainfolk]

Checked on Google this AM and got the following numbers for the circulation of National Review and The Weekly Standard. For the year 2004, National Review readers comprised 154,800 of the population. Weekly Standard numbers were 69,700. This according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Weekly Standard delivers 3,700 FREE copies throughout DC each time they publish. Leaving perhaps 66,000 who actually pay for subscriptions. That gives us a combined 220,800 approximate subscribers to both of these conservative magazines. I bring this up only to point out that the opinion writers being sent out to kill the Miers nomination are putting themselves forth as being the spokesmen for the conservatives throughout this country. Frum is particularly vicious. He likened Miers nomination to the performance of FEMA director Brown in that he considered Michael Brown as incompetent etc. Frum himself has no record that I know of that qualifies him to judge either Brown or Harriet Miers. He is an opinion writer, like most of the posters on Free Republic. He has a bias against Miers that he is paid to promote. If Miers is defeated, who do these writers think Pres Bush will nominate next? They have poisened the atmosphere with their venomous, twisted, rantings to the point that whatever they say and whoever they back for the Supreme Court from here out will be suspect.

[GB]

Man, this guy is an optimistic vote counter. I'm sorry, but I still think we missed our chance before and I don't see those kind of RINO defections toward the constitutional option. Plus you've got a weaknened president ... not by this so much, although it's not helping ... and a severely weakened Senate Majority Leader. I simply do not see it happening. The circumstances on Oct. 12, 2005 are simply not the same as they were before.

[indcons]

You'r right....this nomination is a disaster. This nomination has to be withdrawn ASAP and be replaced with somebody with a known conservative judicial philosophy.

[maryz]

That gives us a combined 220,800 approximate subscribers to both of these conservative magazines.

I think you're being overly generous in your estimate. I would bet that many (most?) who subscribe to the Weekly Standard also subscribe to National Review.

[Miss Marple]

Well, first of all she doesn't have judicial rulings. Secondly, yes I do think things will come out, whether pro or con.

We will get to hear her judicial philosphy in her own words. I think everyone felt more confident in Roberts after hearing his ideas on how the court should work, and his explanation of how he felt the Constitution should be the deciding factor, not whether it was the little guy or the big guy.

I intend to watch those hearings intently. If she is not a good candidate, it will be shown.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

There's probably some overlap.

I've had subscriptions to National Review and The American Spectator-before that turncoat RET sold it to that oddball techno-wizard/business tycoon turned bankrupt white collar criminal George Gilder-but have never subscribed to The Weekly Standard.

Although, I do read it on occasion.

[GB]

Or maybe Maureen Mahoney or even Consuelo Callahan, who was supposedly the runner-up to Miers. I had put my money on Callahan ... am on record with it here ... before the president picked Miers, because she was a woman and Hispanic and the president has expressed a desire to have a Hispanic justice and I figured he'd take care of two birds with one rock. Novak called Callahan a liberal in his column the other day, but I simply don't see it in her record. Although I agree with you, if this has to be a female seat ... and I don't like quotas, but it really doesn't bother me if this needs to be a female seat, there's something to be said for Ginsburg not being the only female face on the court ... and they're not going to send up Brown or Owen, Clement is probably the best choice.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

I'd prefer Mary Ann Glendon, myself.

Boy, if they thought Janice-Rogers Brown was controversial...

[Iscool]

We will get to hear her judicial philosphy in her own words. I think everyone felt more confident in Roberts after hearing his ideas on how the court should work, and his explanation of how he felt the Constitution should be the deciding factor, not whether it was the little guy or the big guy.

That to me, is the major concern...Maybe I misunderstand the process but it seems to me that if H Miers comes out in the hearings as way too liberal for many of the Republicans, the liberal Repubs as well as all the Dems will vote her into the court...The liberals have the majority...

[deport]

Second, Gonzales is, apparently not a strict constructionist and Bush didn't name him for the courts.

---

Maybe true about his constructionist views. Gonzales has been maligned by many on this forum and elsewhere becasue he chose to follow the law as written by the TX Leg in a Parential Notification case. Many wanted him to rewrite what the Legislature had enacted but he chose not to. I prefer that type judge as opposed to one that will rewrite what the Legislature enacts such as Owen wanted to do.

But Gonzales may still be in the pricture if'n a 3rd position becomes open on the Court.

[mountainfolk]

I agree. And undoubtedly many more FREE copies of both magazines are distributed. Both are in the business of promoting their view of conservatism and the Miers nomination has them fighting for their relevance. They want the bloody fight regardless of defeat and a prolonged vacancy on the court . President Bush has said a number of times that Harriet Miers will not legislate from the bench. That is the core of what these conservatives have said they wanted. I know more about George Bush than I do about any of these self appointed opinion molders. Why should I trust them over him?

[mwl1]

I am not happy with the Miers pick but will give Bush the benefit of the doubt. The hearings will be determinative; give the woman a chance.

Frum should shut up.

[maryz]

I didn't care for TAS when Gilder had it either. But he's out now, and it's more like it used to be.

[GB]

You got that right. That would certainly liven things up.:)

All this stuff about Miers ... I wish the president had picked somebody else but he didn't. And I've been sitting here torn between being as PO'd as everybody else is, and understanding the political realities of Washington. Not the political realities out in the heartland where the base is, but the political realities of Washington. They're two different things. I've always said that Washington would be improved greatly if somebody got the world's largest enema nozzle and inserted it with Capitol Hill primarily as ground zero, and hooked it up to the world's largest suction truck, and in most cases I wouldn't differentiate between parties as far as who got caught in the suction.

Anyway, even if I don't like it, I understand why, given the political realities in Washington, that the president didn't nominate somebody like Janice Brown, his political capital is going to be declining with every day of his second term and it's understandable that he wants to pick his spots as far as where to use it. I just think he badly misjudged how much fixing the SCOTUS means to the base, how much of a motivation that has been for the past two generations to the conservative movement.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

Except more expensive!

:0)

[daviscupper]

Clarence Thomas got his Supreme Court appointment after a brutal, ugly, vicious, nasty, down-in-the-gutter, "high-tech" lynching fight. But remember we won. We won because we fought tooth and nail. And guess what, we have a reliable conservative vote on the Supreme Court until Thomas breathes his last breath of air above ground.

I think Janice Rogers Brown could get appointed under such a scenario and achieve an overwhelming 51-49 approval vote in the Senate. She would be so steeled by this process she would vote conservative until she was 110 years old.

[flashbunny]

"I'm really tired of hearing this. If there's one thing everyone should've learned about Bush by now, it's that he NEVER withdraws."

And the michael brown resignation was all michael brown's idea, right?

There are resignations, and then there are resignations.

[Miss Marple]

You make some very good points. One of the most interesting is that of Roberts and Roe. We honestly don't know; but we honestly wouldn't know about anyone, including those who are the preferred candidates. We didn't know how those who are already on the bench would vote, either.

As I said, I am waiting for the hearings, although my inclination is to trust the President.

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>Anyway, I hate to see conservatives whine. Leave that to the DU crowd.<<<

I will add that to the list. Now conservatives are elitist, sexist, mentally challenged, cry-baby whiners.