Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Suck-Up Watch

Serial flattery is never a one-time offense; suck-ups have an incredibly high rate of recidivism. So after seeing Harriet Miers's gushing about George W. Bush's brilliance, today's New York Times story comes as no surprise. But still: Whoa. Highlights:
* "You are the best governor ever - deserving of great respect," Harriet E. Miers wrote to George W. Bush days after his 51st birthday in July 1997.

* A few days later, Ms. Miers wrote to thank the Bushes, saying, "Texas has a very popular governor and first lady!" She recalled a little girl who collected Mr. Bush's autograph and said, "I was struck by the tremendous impact you have on the children whose lives you touch."

* On March 25, on the letterhead of her Dallas law firm, Locke Purnell Rain Harrell, Ms. Miers wrote to thank him "for taking the time to visit in the office and on the plane back - cool!"

"Keep up all the great work," she wrote. "The state is in great hands. Thanks also for yours and your family's personal sacrifice."


* In October 1997, Ms. Miers sent Mr. Bush a flowery greeting card in thanks for a letter that he had written on her behalf. In it, she said of his daughters: "Hopefully Jenna and Barbara recognize that their parents are 'cool' - as do the rest of us."

She added, "All I hear is how great you and Laura are doing," and ended, "Texas is blessed."

You can pick your own favorite, but personally I can't decide if I'm more horrified by Miers invoking "the children" whose lives Bush has touched (Hey, I hear they're our future!) or her putting quotes around the word "cool."

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Lord...

That Dude said...

I don't feel I can muster up the strength to mock this, it's so depressing. And Laura this morning on Today? OMFG.

Anonymous said...

What's the big deal about her fawning over Dubya? Just makes her sound like Fred Barnes or Tony Blankley. Or, well, the entire Republican establishment 1999-2005. After all, we're talking about the man Republicans nominated for president after casting aside war heroes, business leaders, and conservative intellectuals. A little late now to pile on someone for praising the man beyond his merit. The moral universe in which reasonable people even consider George W. Bush for president is a moral universe in which it is not possible for Miers to praise him overmuch, so beyond his caliber in terms either of virtue or competence is the presidency.

Of course, the actual wording of Miers’s praise makes me suspect that she dots her is with smiley faces or hearts, which ought to be disqualifying on its own.

Anonymous said...

Something tells me Miss Miers has a poster of a kitten dangling from a table with the caption, "Hang In There!"

If she gets confirmed I just hope she likes Italian men and thinks Scalia is cool too.

Anonymous said...

Wow, the Times did a cheap hit piece on a conservative. Knock me over with a feather. I suppose all other Supreme Court justices got ahead by pure ability, never interacting with the outside world unless there were let outside their special Constitutional thinking chambers to do so. Unfortunately, Ms. Meirs worked in the real world, and in the real world, you suck up to get ahead, particulary if your law firm is looking to get business from the gov't, and especially if you are partner of said firm, where your main job is to get new business. Of course, Mr. Last is above all that, since we know the world of journalism depends in no way whatsoever upon flattery, nepotism, or any of the other baser aspects of the business world, but is instead a pure meritocracy, where excellent wordsmithery wins out every time.

BTW - Firefly and Serenity suck. The marketplace has spoken. Get used to it.

That Dude said...

Serenity rocked and I'm not a scifi/buffy nerd.