Free Republic

And Tom Kean Jr. will be member 15 of the Gang of 14.

And that would be bad ... why? Ever since that deal was brokered, Bush has got his nominees to the floor to a vote, and thence to the federal bench. We've confirmed not one but two conservative Supreme Court justices, when I would have bet big money against one being confirmed 18 months ago. Sure, some conservatives were aching for the "nuclear option", but which would you really rather have -- judges confirmed, sitting on the bench and rendering decisions, or a food fight?

In a Democrat controlled Senate Harry Reid will be majority leader, Chuck Schumer will be chairman of the Judiciary Committee ... want me to go on?

It seems to have passed by a voice vote. No paper trail.

I think Morris is a smart guy -- genuinely. But his newspaper column is strictly fodder for the masses. If you want to know what he really thinks, you have to pay big bucks.

How are you suppose to know what the enemy has planned?

You can't know for certain, although you can make educated guesses. But because you can't know, you are supposed to analyze the enemy's capabilities, and at least consider the possibility that the bad guys might do what they are able to do. Most military disasters in history are a result (at least in part) of disregarding this fundamental rule.

For once, Novak wasn't just projecting.

Yep. Even a blind sow finds an acorn every now and again.

We shouldn't hit the libs too hard here; when a leftist President nominates pro-abortion, anti-family, anti-2nd amendment judges I might want them filibustered too.

And it will be just as wrong then as it is now.

The voices are telling me to stay home and clean my gun collection.

1. Hastert will never accept a demotion.

2. The House will never elect a non-member as Speaker, regardless of the legalities.

3. Dole is very old news. His day is past. Plus, even if point #2 is ignored, proposing Dole for the position would likely lead to a revolt among some of the more conservative members of the GOP caucus.

4. Open White House meddling in the selection of the House majority leader/Speaker would cause great unhappiness in the House.

I notice the $$ gang on Fox is not taking it up.

I believe those Saturday morning shows are taped on Friday afternoon.

Absent the war on terror, I honestly cannot support this President if Miers is confirmed.

That's too bad. It might actually give the writer some leverage -- if it weren't for the fact that Bush doesn't need his (or anyone else's) vote, for anything, ever again.

It is important to remember that a manager cannot lodge a formal protest over an umpire's judgement. Formal protests are only permitted when a manager is questioning an umpire's application of the rules.

Which is an important point: If the Angels really thought that the batter had been called out, and then was allowed to take first, that would be a misapplication of the rules, and grounds for a protest. The fact that 24 hours later no protest has been filed, suggests that the Angels know they don't have a leg to stand on.

What's John Roberts have to do with it? Possibly everything. Remember that Miers led the search team that ultimately produced the Roberts nomination. The committee (and Miers) almost certainly recommended Roberts. Why do I say this? Because you don't overrule someone and then promote them (as the President is doing with Miers). The selection of Miers for the second slot strongly suggests that the President liked what he heard and saw from Miers during the search process that produced Roberts.

My question comes back to this...Out of all the picks, if she wasn't the president's friend, would she have gotten the nomination?

Possibly not. But in politics who you know always matters.

How did both IN Senators get on Panel I?

The Senators from the nominee's home state traditionally escort him and introduce him to the committee members. It's a ceremonial thing. Warner got added on because Roberts lived in Virginia until recently.

Monger has since obtained a seat belt extender from a local Ford dealer.

She'd been pulled over several times for the same thing, but didn't get around to fixing the problem until she was actually fined. No sympathy.

Years and years ago (early 80s, maybe late 70s) SNL did their "Larry the Lobster" schtick. They had this lobster, and had set up two 1-900 numbers -- one number to call if you wanted to save Larry, and the other if you wanted them to eat Larry. Periodically they would break into their "regular programming" to tell you which side was ahead, and to update the audience on how much money the phone company was raking in on all those 1-900 calls.

This case dramatically illustrates the fact that at least in Florida, this is precisely what one is doing when signing on the dotted line of a marriage license.

Anyone who gets married without being aware of these things is an idiot. And anyone who would marry someone who they didn't trust with this power is an idiot squared.

Marriage is a unique institution in our society. It is considered to be so solemn, private and intimate that courts may not inquire as to the private communications between husband and wife. No such "parental privelege" exists. Ironically, it is many of the same people who have championed the uniqueness and sanctity of the marital relationship vis a vis same sex marriages who now are howling that really it ought not to be the spouse who makes life-and-death decisions for those unable to make their own decisions, but the parents.

It's a funny world.

It is doubtful that most people who marry would consciously agree to put their spouse in the position wherein if they are disabled they would grant near arbitrary authority to spend funds allocated for health care on euthanasia lawyers, deny antibiotics, halt dental care, restrict parental visitation, forbid swallowing training, withdraw nutrition when the diagnosis is disputed etc.

I would be unwilling to marry someone who I could not trust in this manner. I suspect most people would agree.

If there was no crater, that would suggest an airburst, which would be possible if the object had significant pockets of frozen gasses within it -- they would heat up faster than the surrounding rock while entering the Earth's atmosphere, and the result could be an explosion close enough to cause widespread damage, but not close enough to leave a crater. Also, iirc, no one was able to investigate the site until somewhere around 1920, due to its remoteness and the distraction provided by WWI, so even if there was a smallish crater, the signs might have eroded away by then.

This is about American jobs.

No it isn't. It's about the safety of the president of the United States, his family and staff.