“We’ve had quite enough dynastic politics over the past decades… But nominating a constitutional tabula rasa to sit on what is America’s constitutional court is an exercise of regal authority with the arbitrariness of a king giving his favorite general a particularly plush dukedom. The only advance we’ve made since then is that Supreme Court dukedoms are not hereditary.” – Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post today. Has Charles heard of Alberto Gonzales at Justice?
QUOTE OF THE DAY II: “The idea that one is supposed to sacrifice both intellectual distinction and philosophical clarity at the same time is just ridiculous.” – Bill Kristol, Washington Post, today.
QUOTE OF THE DAY III: “The president’s ‘argument’ for her amounts to: Trust me. There is no reason to, for several reasons. He has neither the inclination nor the ability to make sophisticated judgments about competing approaches to construing the Constitution. Few presidents acquire such abilities in the course of their pre-presidential careers, and this president particularly is not disposed to such reflections.” – George Will. Is that a somewhat circuitous way of saying that this president is too stupid to do his job?
The president is left with little Hughie Hewitt chirping loyally on his shoulder. I’m beginning to think that this appointment was an expression of the president’s contempt for the conservative intelligentsia. They are now returning the favor.
DOBSON AND CATHOLICISM: Here’s an interesting remark: “I know the person who brought her to the Lord. I have talked at length to people that know her and have known her for a long time.” That’s James Dobson, talking about Harriet Miers’ conversion to evangelical Protestantism from Catholicism. Isn’t he implying that baptized Catholics have not been “brought to the Lord”? Just asking.
HEADS UP: I’ll be on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher tonight. I’m on a panel with Salman Rushdie and Ben Affleck. I’m not making that up.
The Dish 