Maureen Dowd: The Trouble With Harry (10/8 column)

[highplainsdem]

Free Link


Great commentary on the conservatives "Borking" Harriet Miers, with MoDo wondering, since conservatives seem to consider Miers the last straw, what Miers will consider the last straw with conservatives.


The Trouble With Harry
The New York Times
October 8, 2005
Author: MAUREEN DOWD

<snip>

Conservatives are shocked to discover that President Bush has been stuffing his administration with cronies and mediocrities in important places? If Ms. Miers were a sworn foe of Roe v. Wade and an ardent advocate of originalism in constitutional jurisprudence, would the same conservatives be so sick about her qualifications? Clarence Thomas, after all, was anything but a leading light of American jurisprudence.

<snip>

W. is so loath to leave his little bubble -- where caretakers tell him how brilliant and bold he is -- that he keeps selecting the people in charge of the selection committees. It's just so much easier to choose a sycophant who's already in the room than to create one from scratch.

<snip>

While the Bushies have been trying to reassure the right that W. knows Harry's heart, that she's a good Christian church lady who will vote in a way that will please them, Harry is probably working herself up to a good grudge against all those meanies who are savaging her as a lightweight apple polisher. Imagine! After she rechristened herself midlife as born again and Republican for them.

Even if she was going to be a loyal conservative jurist before, why should she be now, after all the loathsome things they've said?

<snip>

[diddlysquat]

1. Thanks for posting.

I didn't know how to get to this via free link.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. What God-fearing person would want to align themselves with the Right

once they figure out just how Godless they really are?

[Skink]

3. So what she'll legalize gay marriage just to piss off the right.

No trouble at all.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. Did anyone know this? This is news to me..From Dowd's column.

But there is some sign, at least, that there are limits to cronyism, even for the Bush administration. The president had nominated Timothy Flanigan to be deputy attorney general, a job where he would oversee all U.S. attorneys, the criminal division of Justice and the F.B.I. His qualification for this was a stint as Alberto Gonzales's deputy White House counsel, where he helped write the torture memos. In Congressional testimony at one point, he said that waterboarding was a good thing, because it doesn't leave visible or permanent marks. After his White House stint, Mr. Flanigan was a senior executive at Tyco International, where his main contribution was hiring Jack Abramoff, the Republican influence peddler, to protect Tyco's offshore tax shelters. Yesterday, Mr. Flanigan withdrew amid growing questions.

[leftchick]

5. yes I read it yesterday

Someone needs to make a mafia type chart for Abramoff and his repuke inner circle.

[malaise]

6. Yep

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1835034

I haven't seen anything on this on MSM

[SpiralHawk]

7. This is a Big Item (Flanigan) but mody corporate media ignores it

Thank you MoDo.

The citizens have a right to know. It's our government.

[annabanana]

8. now THAT'S a bit of good news

They've drawn the line at someone who condones a particular style of torture because it doesn't leave marks.

I guess they're ok with the disfiguring stuff

Everyone within sniffing distance of Abramoff is going to stink from now on.

[Mr_Spock]

11. Flannigan withdrew??

Wow, that's a big deal - how come I'm reading about it as an aside in a thread on a different topic? I guess there's so much crazyness going on that another crony appointment gone bad was able to slip through the cracks. I'll be sure to point this out to the Freepers though ;)

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

12. It made LBN and Malaise supplied the link in post #6, and yes, it deserves

its own thread on GD and I'll do that right now.

[roseBudd]

13. Saw it on WaPo yesterday in the politics links n/t

[progressoid]

14. Wow - completely missed it. Maybe there is hope afterall.

[emulatorloo]

9. kick n/t

[Pirate Smile]

10. Thanks for the free link. Keep posting them!

:)

[texpatriot2004]

15. Kick it for MoDo. nm