July 21, 2005
It Really Makes Me Sad, You See
It seems that John Roberts will likely sail through his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, unless something really egregious pops up from the oppo-research going on now. And that's as it should be. George Bush is a conservative guy, and he's going to nominate a conservative judge. The only way to stop that is to go back in time and make John Kerry win. I'm pleasantly surprised that Bush went so non-confrontational - think of the reaction to Gonzalez, Pryor, Owens or McConnell.
Naturally, though, it falls to the opposition party to make sure that he does get thoroughly scrutinized. Certainly, I would want to know if he would again feel comfortable granting the Administration unlimited judicial powers over detainees once he's on the Supreme Court. But by and large the Democrats seem to be holding their fire until the confirmation hearings. People are getting along so well that Roberts "headed to Capitol Hill for the ritual of convivial courtesy calls not seen in 11 years." (emphasis mine) Thank god we have the Republicans to maintain the proper level of discourse:
Throughout the day, Democrats stressed that Roberts, 50, could spend 30 or more years on the court and that it is essential to scrutinize his record and philosophies. "A preliminary review of Judge Roberts's record suggests areas of significant concern that need exploration," Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.), the Judiciary Committee's top Democrat, said in a floor speech. "We need to know what kind of Supreme Court justice John Roberts would be. I hope the White House and the nominee will work with us and cooperate so that all relevant matters can be constructively explored."Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said Democrats would not get far with such a strategy. "I'm sure that Schumer and Durbin and the usual suspects, Kennedy, will make a fuss over that," he said, referring to the three Democrats who opposed Roberts's appointment to the appellate court in 2003, Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), Richard J. Durbin (Ill.) and Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.). "But if that's all they've got to hang their hat on, it's not very much."
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) put it more colorfully. "It's a little bit like biblical Pharisees, you know, who basically are always trying to undermine Jesus Christ," he said on Fox News. (emphasis mine again)
Wonderful. Would it be John Roberts or George Bush as the Son of God here? If someone's blood is going to be on me and on my children, I want it to be the right blood.
Posted by ben at July 21, 2005 06:43 AM