QuagMiers

Sometimes praising Casaer is the same as burying him – but which is which?

© Bryan Zepp Jamieson
10/9/05
http://www.mytown.ca/zepp

When Harry Reid literally put his arm around Harriet Miers and proceeded to praise her to the skies, I was a bit taken aback. Certainly, I expect servile, lickspittle behavior out of elected Democrats in the House and Senate, many of whom seem to believe that if they only act pitiable enough, the Republicans will feel sorry for them and treat them with a little kindness.

Not all elected Democrats, of course, or even a large minority. But gleeful Republicans never minded dragging the more pathetic specimens out into the lime light to give tepid approval of some GOP scheme or another. “OK, Joe, tell the nice people how you plan to have your party thoughtfully consider our new plan to grind old people up for dog food.” The fact that Democrats depend on the same people who pull the strings of the Republican party is what makes such a sorry spectacle possible, of course. Hooray for money as free speech!

So I figured that Harry was there just to signal that his party wasn’t even going to put up token resistance, that they were not only willing, but were in a rush to beat the Republicans to the floor.

And of course, Miers is an abysmal choice. A long time crony of Putsch’s, she would be, at best, another Clarence Thomas: sullen, capable only of spitting out ideology, a judicial speak-n-spell in way over his head and resentful of all those smart talking lawyers who keep trying to confuse the issue. At worst, she would be another Antonin Scalia, with an intelligent and malevolent contempt for the liberal and humanistic principles that are the bedrock of the American democracy, and utterly convinced that only the supremacy of Jesus Christ could save the country.

And chances of her being an honest judge after 25 years association with Putsch and Texas Republicans were next to none.

Nor did it help when James Dobson, the religiously insane leader of “Focus on the Family”, one of the falangist pressure groups trying to herd America into theocracy, went on Faux, and with a literal wink, said he was supporting the Miers nomination: “Beyond that, I do know things that I am not prepared to talk about here.” Wink wink, nod nod. Fuck you, freedom lovers!

There was a rumor, quickly found to be false, that Miers was involved in one of those ghastly gay deprogramming groups, the ones that try to use prayer and shame to make gays be straight. What makes this discredited story interesting is that the response of everyone hearing it was an utter lack of surprise from either side. The right took it for granted that of COURSE the President of the United States might want a brainwasher on the Supreme Court, and the left figured it was typical of the far right.

But she wasn’t. In fact, she was a member of a similarly named organization that worked on prisoner assistance and rehabilitation, an entirely creditable endeavor. That was a bit of a surprise, since you expect anyone associated with the Putsch junta to be corrupt and sanctimonious, sharing a contempt and hatred for those less fortunate, including 90% of Americans.

But Miers’ involvement with a worthy rehab program didn’t make her a moderate – at least, not by normal standards. Jim Schutze, of the Dallas Observer, wrote, “Just about everybody who served or worked with Harriet Miers during her brief political career in Dallas remembers her as a hard-working, fair-minded moderate. When the Dallas political spectrum is properly framed against the national matrix, that means many people elsewhere will view her as a right-wing Christian nut case.” [http://www.dallasobserver.com/Issues/2005-10-06/news/schutze.html]

Yeah. While there isn’t anything resembling a political or judicial record involving this woman, there is enough that any reasonable or even sane person would reject her for the court. Her nomination was a disturbing reminder that Putsch valued loyalty from close associates over ability to do the job and serve the country properly, and nobody was in the mood for another Brown, only this time for life and deciding what the rights of ordinary people would be.

But there was Harry Reid, minority leader of the Senate, with his arm around her, all but proclaiming her the perfect choice for the Supreme Court from the perspective of liberals and moderates. Jon Stewart could spend twenty minutes mugging a reaction to that one!

The religious right, used to Republicans asking the public to accept candidates on faith, found it disconcerting that THEY were now being asked to accept a candidate on faith – even if it was Dobson doing the asking. They just didn’t have enough evidence to assure themselves that Miers was really the sort of inflexible whack job they wanted in a lifetime position of power, and if there is one thing the religious right cannot handle, it is a sense of uncertainty.

So they promptly came unwrapped, and started blasting Putsch and attacking Miers. At first, I thought THEY were gaming us the way Republicans were with Roberts (“But he’s a MODERATE! Waaauuugh!”). But as the attacks became more virulent, and the slams on Putsch things that would make Jesus come down off the cross and slap any loyal Republican silly for uttering them, I realized that this bunch weren’t gaming us.

For one thing, they aren’t bright enough. For another, as mentioned, they can’t handle uncertainty. They are furious that Putsch hasn’t nominated someone willing to promise the death penalty for anyone getting an abortion and decapitation of all atheists.

So Democrats, some barely hiding grins, have taken up praising Miers, careful to do so in places where the religious right can’t help but see them doing so. AP, always ready to help out this administration, smelled a rat, and one writer, Jesse Holland, wrote, “...[A] half-dozen aides to Senate Democrats - speaking on condition of anonymity to protect their jobs - admit that they are enjoying watching the GOP's right wing beat up the president. None will say whether their bosses feel the same way - or might be insincere when they heap praise on Miers and call her critics unfair.” Bet he never wrote any remarks questioning the sincerity of Democrats who supported Roberts, but then, the Prez wasn’t under attack from the demented right.

For Putsch, under fire from a half dozen directions, including scandals that threaten to topple the entire regime, it has to be frustrating. I’m sure he picked Miers because she is at least as much a religious nut as he is (twenty-five years association, and he has no inkling what her views on abortion or gay rights might be?) and followed the old Republican ruse of picking a stealth candidate – one with no background revealing the candidate’s real agenda.

Only this time, it looks like it blew up in his face, because all that’s left of his base are the greedheads and the religious whacks, and the greedheads don’t want a religious whack on the bench (theocracies are notoriously bad for business) and the religious whacks figure she can’t be wacky enough if the Democrats and liberals like her.

Of course, most Democrats and liberals don’t like her. Not one bit. But some of the more visible ones are going to say they do, just to keep driving the falangists nuts. And in turn, they will hand Putsch his most stinging defeat yet.

For anyone who thinks I’m giving away some grand strategy, don’t worry. I’m a known liberal.

None of the right wingers read me, and if they did, would just assume I’m lying about Miers because I think she really is a moderate and want her on the court.

Who knows? Maybe I DO!

Booga, booga!