This is simply too much fun.
This whole Harriet Miers nomination to the Supreme Court? It's just one endless delight.
The situation could not be more entertaining if it involved pornography, sexual harassment and an undrinkable can of Coke.
What we're seeing in the Miers nomination is unprecedented for the Bush administration. The president makes an extremely important decision, one of the defining moments of his presidency, and he really blows it. And the result: His devoted army of supporters turn on him, stick to their principles and voice their anger and frustration as loud as they can.
It's wonderful. We - the loyal opposition, the so-called "Bush bashers" - just get to sit on the sidelines, munch our popcorn, take a sip of beer and watch the show.
Many of the real heavy-hitters on the right wing of the punditocracy have come out passionately against Miers, either sadly admitting disappointment or flat-out calling for her to be withdrawn: George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Pat Buchanan, Bill Kristol and The Weekly Standard, Ann Coulter, Robert Bork, Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, David Frum, Michelle Malkin and Joseph Farah and World Net Daily. According to columnist Robert Novak, at this week's 50th anniversary party for the influential conservative magazine National Review, of the 1,000 conservatives there, he "could find nobody there who was not disappointed by the Miers nomination."
I've never had so much fun reading conservative media.
Others within Bush's base - including most Republican senators - seem to be less than thrilled but a bit more open-minded. The phrase that keeps popping up is "trust, but verify," most likely as a response to Bush's claim that they simply have to trust him on the pick.
What's tough to find anywhere, though, is any kind of genuine excitement or celebration about Miers.
Now, she's probably the kind of judge that Bush promised he'd pick, someone in the mold of justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. She's probably an "originalist" and a reliable vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the controversial case that legalized abortion. But the right wanted more.
The situation is akin to a child asking for a new video game system for Christmas. He's on Santa's good list, he has waited what seems like forever, and he comes down, opens the big box, and instead of finding a new X-Box 360, there sits a Gameboy.
The president's base wanted a real rightwing street fighter. They wanted an intense, aggressive legal mind, someone capable of shooting blue fireballs and sonic boom dissents. They wanted a Bork or Scalia - not just in ideology, but in spirit, too.
Now, keeping an open mind regarding Miers is perhaps the most responsible, respectful position for both conservatives and liberals. When it comes down to it, we just do not know that much about her yet.
She might be much more qualified than the pundits think. It might not be the "disaster on every level" that Bork claims it is.
But one thing has to be admitted.
On October 4, according to MSNBC, Bush said, "I picked the best person I could find."
There have been numerous objections raised about Miers' nomination. Adopting the "trust, but verify" position, some have provided rational answers, but this is one that's tough to defend: Is Miers really the best person Bush could find?
An open mind is one thing. An empty mind is another.
Still, there's hope: The Senate hearings should be even more fun than the pre-game. But that's just a guess.
Write to David at
swimminginbrokenglass@gmail.com
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