Reppe.com

The Supremes Audition A New Backup Singer!

Wow. The right sure seems pissed about the nomination of Harriet Miers. Really jacked up.

The basic criticisms are pretty easy...no previous judicial experience, no background even arguing cases in front of the Supremes, insider (aka crony), many well qualified conservative jurists out there, etc.

But the subtext, and often the overt in your face text, goes something like this:

We put up with you running up massive defecits thus flying in the face of conservative principle, we put up with expanisve government, thus flying in the face of conservative principle, we do this because you PROMISED to move the court hard to the right and appoint another Scalia or Thomas and you give us...your personal lawyer?

I have read various conservative blogs and editorials in newspapers, written by previously lockstep Bush supporters, who are brandishing accusations of "cronyism", "arrogance", "isolation".

Umm...well...yeah. I mean, we've been saying it all along over here on the left and y'all been saying "uh-uh, you're just liberals who hate America". Seems to me like the only thing that changed this time around is he's doing it to you.

Welcome to the dance.

UPDATE: This is a great line from a pissed off social conservative in an open letter to President Bush...

"...you have proven to me that Republicans treat social conservatives exactly the same way that Democrats treat blacks. Sucker them in long enough to get their vote and then ignore them."

Touche. Quick, someone on the left point out a Democratic policy in the last ten years that has done fuck all for minorities. Come on...I know you can find one. I know it's in there. Even though I don't know it myself.

Filibuster

I'm sure the blogosphere has already addressed this but I've been too wrapped up in the news to surf.

Just in case, though...

Democrats are pushing for an independent commission to investigate the response to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath...to investigate (I hope) the response from all levels of government in the three states hit (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama). Republicans (read Bush) want a "bipartisan" commission. This is a less than credible offer since Frist and Hastert announced this bipartisan commission without consulting, or even informing, a single Democrat. As the majority party in both houses this panel would be entirely under the control of the administration via their flunkies in the House and Senate and unlike the 9/11 commission would not have subpeona power.

My, how powerful and probing they are.

This isn't new. You'll recall that President Bush and his house and senate flunkies initially opposed, agressively, the creation of the 9/11 Commission.

Dems...you ain't gettin' an independent nothin' if you don't play as hard and, frankly, as smart as your brethren on the other side of the aisle. The reason you keep getting your asses handed to you by the Republicans is because they are better at strategy, operations, and marketing than you are. Truthfully, I don't think they're alot better at ops and marketing, just a little. But they absolutely kill you on strategy (see also: Mid-Census Gerrymandering in Texas).

Filibuster John Roberts. Trade it for an independent commission.

Personally, I think Roberts is as good as you're ever going to get from this President. He is nowhere near as scary as many of the prospects mentioned and even my fellow lefties are sort of limp in their attacks on him. Me? I'd save the money on those ads and put it toward a fight you actually care about and think you can win. The one thing I haven't heard from MoveOn et al, who they'd like to see in lieu of Roberts. The reason, I suspect, is because they know full well that Roberts is about as moderate (and, yes, that tortures the definition of moderate) a nominee as they'll ever get from President Bush.

BUT...

You don't get what you want in Washington based on the merit of your cause. You get it because you can get things done or keep something from being done. Block Roberts and make sure 41 of you have the cajones to support a filibuster and cut a back room deal agreeing to close debate in exchange for an independent commission on Katrina. Dictate the terms and parameters of that commission. Make sure that vote goes through first.

I'm not kidding. Unless Harry Reid is willing to throw the high heat he's just showing off in the bullpen.