The Tease of Things I Don't Need

The People's Court

(With a link added on the 4th)

The National Review's David Frum has been quoted as saying that Harriet Miers once told him that the president was the most brilliant man she had ever met. There's something to mentally chew over as we consider in the weeks ahead this woman being installed in the Supreme Court. Speaking of Frum - not someone I find particularly palatable and worth my time - I'm nonetheless interested in gauging how much his comments on this nominee will end up reflecting the conservative mainstream... whatever that is. While I'm sure it rflects the thoughts of many, part of me can't help but wonder if some of this is a little public grumbling meant to appease Liberal elements who will hear this and relax with "well, it could be much worse" in mind.

While the Supreme Court begins a new session, the first with John Roberts not only on the court but in the head seat, everyone's running around trying to make heads and tails of the Harriet Miers nomination. Choosing someone who has no judicial record, never having been a judge - whose work has only been as a paid advocate - Bush has chosen someone he knows well after over a decade of close association, but the public really can't.

This will be a difficult winnowing project, and with the Democrats' only weapon in this minority position being the filibuster - which has been unfairly demonized - my prediction is that unless Miers is discovered sacrificing muslim infants to God many Democrats will just roll over and let this one pass with nothing more scathing than a Nay vote, which the opposition will simply label "partisan" while their superior numbers move her into place.

An attempt to gauge the buzz on both sides and gain some objectivity on Miers can be found at The Moderate Voice (this one's new to me, so this isn't a strong endorsement from me), which along with the SCOTUSBlog I'd linked to earlier in the piece seems to be a good place to start.

Oh, Hell. I want to add this, too.