I've waited a few days to post thoughts about the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court. Although this was primarily due to my cable modem being fouled, it also gave a chance to let the dust settle a bit.
So, here goes - in no particular order:
* I guess Bush said "Fuck all that noise" about nominating another woman or the first Hispanic to the Court. John Roberts is W-H-I-T-E!!! And I'm getting real tired of people talking about how "sexy" he is - puh-lease!!! I guess if you compare him to the other bags of decay sitting on the bench, he's friggin' David Hasselhoff, but otherwise - well, let's just say I won't be fantasizing about what's under his robe any time soon.
* Let's get something straight right away - I don't hate John Roberts. I don't think I agree with a LOT of what he does, thinks, or says (from what we've been able to find thus far - he's only been a judge for two years now), but he didn't nominate himself to the Supreme Court. Right? If you want to attack anyone, attack Bush and Rove (more on Rove to follow).
Quick aside - I once worked as an Assitant Director for a show on Broadway. The show ran downtown in NYC and was received VERY well. They were supposed to get a permanent home for their show off-Broadway, and become the next Blue Man Group or Stomp or something, but the space never panned out. They thought they were dead in the water, until a producer came to them and said "Hey, there's a theatre that just opened on Broadway. What would you think about taking the show to Broadway?" Of course, the group leaped at the opportunity - how many chances does an artist have to appear on Broadway, unless you're Jackie Mason, in which case the answer would be "too many." The show, however, didn't have a "Broadway sensibility" and really BELONGED downtown, and as such, it closed in two months.
I bring this up for a reason. John Roberts, like most motivated people, has probably aspired to reach the top of his chosen profession. For him, arguably, the top would be the Supreme Court. So, if someone comes to him and offers him this opportunity, is he wrong to accept the nomination? So, attack the White House, if you like...
* Then again, don't attack The White House, either. Democrats and the large grassroots machines have largely started to settle down and at least wait until the hearings to begin whining again, and I think that's smart. Look, WE lost, remember? Of COURSE Bush was going to nominate a conservative to the Supreme Court. Of COURSE I don't like Robert's views on civil rights, abortion, or the environment, but we supported Kerry, or Nader, or... well, a lot of us just couldn't find the time to get out the vote, or financially support a candidate, or work on a local level to support a candidate... or maybe even vote, could we? Maybe this will serve as yet another wake-up call and we'll get it right in 2008. Then again, how many wake-up calls do we need?
* Democrats DID win with this nomination, in a sense. There was a LOT of talk about Bush trying to place a Miguel Estrada or Priscilla Owens on the Bench. I'm not saying that we should be thankful that we got hit with a hand grenade rather than a Daisy Cutter, but I do believe that there is the potential for John Roberts to become Souter-esque in his opinions. Only time will tell. I do believe, however, that Democratic senators will be smart not to allow the John Roberts hearings to turn into a coronation, but to hold on to their filibuster attempts for the next nominee that comes up. Oh... what... you don't think there's going to be ANOTHER Supreme Court vacancy between now and 2007?? Time for that wake-up call again.
This is tough medicine, ladies and gentlemen, but we knew this was coming. Don't like the way it feels? Good... the 2006 elections are only a Supreme Court vacancy away.... if we wake up, we can change the make-up of the United States Senate prior to the next round of hearings, and THEN maybe we can play it differently.
Meanwhile, let's all do our best to put the focus back on Karl Rove. THIS is where our efforts should be, and where the MUCH larger change can come.
