Can This Nomination Be Justified? (George Will) - Sorry!

[keta11]

Senators beginning what ought to be a protracted and exacting scrutiny of Harriet Miers should be guided by three rules. First, it is not important that she be confirmed. Second, it might be very important that she not be. Third, the presumption -- perhaps rebuttable but certainly in need of rebutting -- should be that her nomination is not a defensible exercise of presidential discretion to which senatorial deference is due.

It is not important that she be confirmed because there is no evidence that she is among the leading lights of American jurisprudence, or that she possesses talents commensurate with the Supreme Court's tasks. The president's "argument" for her amounts to: Trust me. There is no reason to, for several reasons.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/04/AR2005100400954_pf.html

[Renew Deal]

1. Damn

Will slapped him. :spank:

[rodeodance]

4. whow--this is good.

....He has neither the inclination nor the ability to make sophisticated judgments about competing approaches to construing the Constitution. Few presidents acquire such abilities in the course of their pre-presidential careers, and this president particularly is not disposed to such reflections.

Furthermore, there is no reason to believe that Miers's nomination resulted from the president's careful consultation with people capable of such judgments. If 100 such people had been asked to list 100 individuals who have given evidence of the reflectiveness and excellence requisite in a justice, Miers's name probably would not have appeared in any of the 10,000 places on those lists.

In addition, the president has forfeited his right to be trusted as a custodian of the Constitution. The forfeiture occurred March 27, 2002, when, in a private act betokening an uneasy conscience, he signed the McCain-Feingold law expanding government regulation of the timing, quantity and content of political speech. The day before the 2000 Iowa caucuses he was asked -- to ensure a considered response from him, he had been told in advance that he would be asked -- whether McCain-Feingold's core purposes are unconstitutional. He unhesitatingly said, "I agree." Asked if he thought presidents have a duty, pursuant to their oath to defend the Constitution, to make an independent judgment about the constitutionality of bills and to veto those he thinks unconstitutional, he briskly said, "I do."

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. I would call that in Texas, and maybe in Tennessee too

a bitch slap.

LOL

[RethugAssKicker]

10. Good for Will....

even though I can't stand the pompous, boring ass.

[rodeodance]

2. The president's "argument" for her amounts to: Trust me. te he.

[kstewart33]

3. I never read George Will because

he reminds me of my 5th grade teacher, always lecturing, alway condescending and insufferable. I can't stand to read him.

But I did today, because of his standing in the right wing community. It was a slapdown, to Miers and Bush, and it will matter.

But geez, the guy is hard to read.

[atommom]

6. Same here, but I agree that this slapdown will matter to a lot of people.

[SoDesuKa]

7. Will Hates Bush

Will always hated Bush Sr. It may go back to some snub. Who knows? Will has not "seen the light."

[Demeter]

8. Can't Believe I Agree With George Will

and also, I can't believe it's taken him this long to cotton onto the name of the game and call a foul.

[bemildred]

9. Caligula nominates Incitatus for first Consul.

Really reminds me of Clarence T. and Fat Tony a good deal.
Or Rehnquist.

That same lack of understanding, let alone respect, for
experience and achievement in favor of personal connections
and political correctness.

[Jack Rabbit]

11. This is a good example of sober conservative thought

Sober conservatives like Will would have done themselves a world of good to have distanced themselves from this right wing junta a long time ago.

[stopbush]

12. Had Georgie written this in advance of the Roberts confirmation

hearings, he might have engendered a small bit of admiration from me...but he didn't.

Go fuck yourself, Georgie Boy.

[JPZenger]

13. Roberts Was Different Story

Roberts really was a highly respected scholar and attorney. He regularly presented cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Miers is an expert in covering up George W.'s scandals. Most of her experience was with the Texas Lottery. It is a completely different story.

This is a great column by George Will, who is one of the most thoughtful conservative columnists.