If politicians and others are to be taken seriously, they must have consistent positions.

Moreover, there must be independent research to understand what our laws really mean, the way laws have been interpreted throughout history, and the importance of the all those historical decisions on society. For example, if you argue for the reversal of Roe v. Wade, you must also argue for the reversal of Brown v. Board of Education. I dare say that many conservatives would never advocate for the latter. But I suspect many have not done the research to understand the similarities.

Point being, independent thought and research (not thoughts of pundits or speaking points)should be required of all who seriously want to opine about matters that impact our society. This, I suspect, would limit the inconsistencies that abound.

Are you kidding me?

This William Rehnquist?

>>>”Lito Pena is sure of his memory. Thirty-six years ago he, then a Democratic Party poll watcher, got into a shoving match with a Republican who had spent the opening hours of the 1964 election doing his damnedest to keep people from voting in south Phoenix.

“He was holding up minority voters because he knew they were going to vote Democratic,” said Pena.

The guy called himself Bill. He knew the law and applied it with the precision of a swordsman. He sat at the table at the Bethune School, a polling place brimming with black citizens, and quizzed voters ad nauseam about where they were from, how long they’d lived there — every question in the book. A passage of the Constitution was read and people who spoke broken English were ordered to interpret it to prove they had the language skills to vote.

By the time Pena arrived at Bethune, he said, the line to vote was four abreast and a block long. People were giving up and going home.

Pena told the guy to leave. They got into an argument. Shoving followed. Arizona politics can be raw.

Finally, Pena said, the guy raised a fist as if he was fixing to throw a punch.

“I said ‘If that’s what you want, I’ll get someone to take you out of here’ ”

Party leaders told him not to get physical, but this was the second straight election in which Republicans had sent out people to intellectually rough up the voters. The project even had a name: Operation Eagle Eye.”

http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20001202roddy.asp

And you want ANOTHER clown like that on the Supreme Court?

Hmmm….

Exactly what color robe do you want this next Justice to wear? Black or white?

–Cobra

If there were nothing different about Miers other than that Miers was a male named Harry Miers with exactly the same qualifications and track record, would we be feeling sorry for him right now? Somehow I doubt it; call me cynical. I just hear a lot of people saying they “feel badly” for Miers because it wasn’t her fault Bush put her in this position. Bull – as someone involved in the vetting process for other nominees, she probably knew as well as anyone what she was getting into.

Anyway, I hope Bush finds another nominee close to Roberts’ stature.

It’s time for America to confront this issue head on with no longer looking the other way.

Cheers,
Alan Kurschner

Personally, I was willing to trust Bush. Meirs said she had a “born again” experience, and its hard for me to believe that Bush would have nominated someone who would betray principle, especially considering the mistake his Dad made with Souter. If her religious experince was real (and I have no reason to doubt it) that would have been enough for me.

Once he nominated her I think he should have stuck to his guns. Bush seems to be easily influenced by pressure. I dont think thats a particularly good quality in a President. If he really believed in her, why not stick by her? In the end we may end up with someone worse.

Anyway, time will tell. Maybe we will end up with another Clarence Thomas, and that will be alright by me.

Would *you* set yourself up for all that BS? Maybe she likes her present job very much thankyou.

The “thing” about Miers is that she was so *shocking*. Do we all remember our initial reactions? I honestly think she likely volunteered to be the fall gal (sorta like Rove volunteers to be the evil master-mind) after Roberts ordeal.

The process of Senatorial drama and extended BS is going to limit our Supreme Court to individuals who are primarily enamoured of power because no one else is going to be willing to put themselves through that when they could stay in the nice home they bought, in their influential job, near family, and retain the flexibility of doing something *else* if they feel like it someday.

The truly said thing about today and what has happened the last 3 weeks is that the actions of some in the Republican Party have not just hurt their party, it has hurt the country. It has hurt every one of We The People. This has made the judicial appo…

Harriet Miers gives up and (almost every) Conservative breathes a sigh of relief. Now we’ll see if Bush understands how dangerous is to go against his own electoral base. In RealClearPolitics’ short-list, Camillo chooses Michael McConnell. We don’t …

But, that doesn’t justify ruining someone’s career, and destroying her reputation, just because she doesn’t have a Harvard pedigree.