Saturday, October 08, 2005
I am Paranoid about Harriet Miers
This is a confession of my mental state, not an assertion of fact about the lady. She appears to be on the way toward confirmation to the Supreme Court. My paranoia is triggered by the opposition of such conservative stalwarts as Senators Lott and Brownback.
Here is my suspicion: Bush and his Christian Conservative allies know that he can not expect to have an overtly conservative or reactionary candidate confirmed by the Senate and accepted by the American public. Trying to appoint another Scalia or Thomas would stir up more public opposition than Mr. Bush could stand, considering his low approval rating. Hence, in my conspiracy-prone thinking, he has nominated a “stealth” candidate. However, this time, unlike the time when the previous President Bush nominated David Souter, the candidate is masquerading as a “moderate” in the mold of her predecessor, Sandra Day O’Connor. Bush allies like Lott and Brownback are keeping up the pretense by publicly and noisily opposing the nomination of Ms Miers. Their opposition is supposed to persuade the rest of us that she is a “stealth” moderate.
Actually, she is a born-again Christian. She believes that George W. Bush is the smartest man alive. Once confirmed, she will be a reliable vote for anything that Mr. Bush wants to do. For a generation or more, she will also be a reliable vote for the agenda of the Conservative Christians. Down with equal rights for gays! Down with women’s reproductive choice! Down with coddling the atheists and agnostics and up with the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer in schools and other public places! Down with doctor assisted suicide! Make all pregnant women give birth to their unwanted babies and make the dieing suffer in agony during their last days!
Such is my paranoia this morning.
Here is my suspicion: Bush and his Christian Conservative allies know that he can not expect to have an overtly conservative or reactionary candidate confirmed by the Senate and accepted by the American public. Trying to appoint another Scalia or Thomas would stir up more public opposition than Mr. Bush could stand, considering his low approval rating. Hence, in my conspiracy-prone thinking, he has nominated a “stealth” candidate. However, this time, unlike the time when the previous President Bush nominated David Souter, the candidate is masquerading as a “moderate” in the mold of her predecessor, Sandra Day O’Connor. Bush allies like Lott and Brownback are keeping up the pretense by publicly and noisily opposing the nomination of Ms Miers. Their opposition is supposed to persuade the rest of us that she is a “stealth” moderate.
Actually, she is a born-again Christian. She believes that George W. Bush is the smartest man alive. Once confirmed, she will be a reliable vote for anything that Mr. Bush wants to do. For a generation or more, she will also be a reliable vote for the agenda of the Conservative Christians. Down with equal rights for gays! Down with women’s reproductive choice! Down with coddling the atheists and agnostics and up with the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer in schools and other public places! Down with doctor assisted suicide! Make all pregnant women give birth to their unwanted babies and make the dieing suffer in agony during their last days!
Such is my paranoia this morning.
