Like a moth to a flame, I keep coming back to the Miers thing, even though I realize there isn't anything to be said until her hearings. Hugh Hewitt has been on the case for days; go to his site for transcripts of his interviews with Miers boosters, and assorted foes as well. Of the notable foes, to my mind Mark Levin is the fairest --he just wants a slam-dunk Conservative-- but leaves the brains of the President and Miers out of it. Over at The Remedy, Ken Masugi says Levin's standard is impossible to meet (and he plugs our humble blog, for which many thanks).
What gets me hot under the collar (besides the no one but us professionals can read the Constitution argument already addressed in this space) is the "Dumb & Dumber" argument regarding Bush & Miers. Let's just all remind ourselves that George Will supported Mr. Moderate Howard Baker for President over Ronald Reagan. Will even in a column brought the full powers of his Constitutional acumen to bear against Reagan's neck-wattle. He mocked supply-side economics and tax cuts all through the Reagan years (we Elephants have long memories!). What judges would Howard Baker likely have appointed, I ask myself?
Charles Krauthammer is to be respected, but he's not pro-life and his heart doesn't beat to "my" issues. And I love Bill Kristol, but he picked McCain & Powell over George W. Bush for President. Does anyone think that Powell or McCain would have given us better judges than Bush has? (Mark Levin actually says it's McCain's fault Bush picked Miers). The point is, it's a little too rich for me to have these guys claim that they've worked too long and hard for great judges and Bush is too stupid to pick 'em. Not the way I keep score.
I am not a Miers-booster, and if she turns out to be another O-Connor, I'll say it's a colossal Bush failure --perhaps enough to damn his entire presidency in my mind. No one has to trust Bush. But we do owe a record of 200+ great judges some measure of trust, so I continue to wish these folks would settle down until the hearings. Is that too much to ask?
(Sorry, just had to release some of this adrenaline!)
