For doing the right thing and withdrawing the Miers nomination.
Let this be a stern rebuke in the future to all those who insist that opposition is wrong because it has no chance of changing an outcome. Standing up for principle is always its own reward and besides which, one of the immutable laws of life is that Things Change.
Conservatives who opposed Miers--some at real personal and professional cost to themselves--have kept an unqualified person off the Supreme Court, defended the intellectual honesty of conservatism from rank partisan politics, and, ironically enough, protected President Bush from a mistake of his own making. If the president defers to quality for his next nomination, then memory of Miers will fade quickly and the president and his party will find themselves in much better political fortunes, to boot.
Bonus speculation: Does this suggest that Rove isn't going to be indicted?
2 hours ago
15 comments:
defended the intellectual honesty of conservatism from rank partisan politics,
You HAVE got to be joking, right?
So now the folks at NRO are MARTYRS who have only saved us from ourselves?? Give me a break.
Kathleen,
Partisan politics means party politics - i.e. "my party, good or bad". Those conservatives opposing the Miers confirmation did so on principle, not because they were favoring the Democrats. You can argue that they were wrong, or made a political mistake (by harming the GOP), but you can't argue they were engaged in rank partisan politics. Which political party were they defending/fighting for?
If this were really about intellectual honesty then the conservatives wouldn't have taken 5 years to stand up to a President that hasn't show much interest in true conservatism.
The 'movement conservatives' have shown their hands recently when they have talked about betrayal from this President. What has become obvious is that the MCs thought they had a quid pro quo with this President whereas they would tow the White House line on Bush's non-conservative actions, but they would get their Supreme Court nominees. It didn't work out and now they feel betrayed.
What is really going on is that MCs know that the American people don't really want what they are selling, so they had to put up with a neo-conservative President who will give excellent lip service to being a conservative, but won't make the necessary sacrifices and reduction of government quality to make it happen. Remember, even Reagan couldn't sell the American people on cutting the government. The 10 countries with the highest standard of living in the world have mixed capitalist/socialist economies. That is quite a lot to ask the American people to give up.
And no the Meirs nomination withdraw doesn't stike me as indicating that Rove won't be indicted. It strikes me more that this President having been betrayed by his closest advisors has decided after 5 years to take charge of his own administration, and it is going to be scary to see if he is up to the task.
Regading a couple of the comments above, nobody told me it was "Idiot Lefty" day at Galley Slaves. Was there a formal announcement that I somehow missed? Did Kos link?
Kathleen and "khawk" should consider reading blogs where the content is easier to follow. Oliver Willis still writes (or at least produces copy). That might be a good place to start.
After the blind eye so many conservatives seemed willing to turn to the flaws of the Bush Presidency last year, it's nice to see the Republican party starting to police its own mistakes.
A GOP that doesn't automatically circle its wagons whenever there's a problem (Miers, DeLay, out of control spending) is a much stronger party for 2008.
Hopefully, spending will be the next battlefield. It's nice to see Republicans show some actual leadership when they disagree with the President. I just wish the Democrats were capable of it.
It is funny that for all of Dean Barnetts whining about lefties posting on this blog, he left here incapable of posting a response that consisted of anything but insults.
Nice showing Dean.
Eloquent words JVL, eloquent words.
Well said.
To Dean Barnett: I am personally offended; I've been following this blog since JVL mentioned it on the weekly standard mailing list last year, and since then, usually once or twice a week has been idiot lefty day. I will not be overlooked.
. . .
Seriously, this blog's a good read. As a liberal, I like it because I don't get much right wing perspective in my life, and I'd spotted that this group doesn't have the intellectual laziness / selective amnesia that I see in a lot of the right wing publications that make me so angry - ironically, the weekly standard itself is often in this latter category. I got added to the mailing list after sending a complaint about one such piece.
Also, I don't get what Kathleen Nelson was trying to say (anon 10:49 has the right idea), but Kwawk said more or less what I was thinking. To put a fine point on it, No one on "the right" seemed to notice how bad GWB's appointments were until Katrina hit New Orleans. So yes, with regards to the Miers situation, the right thing is happening, but I would say "Finally!" rather than use this example as a widescale vindication of the conservative community.
In fairness to The Weekly Standard, it publishes a wide enough range of opinion and some of it is bound to be frustrating to anyone. I don't intend to compare a real publication to a blog, either.
Thoughtful comments, Jack. Serious question - who would you recommend on the liberal side for a conservative to read (i.e. your "Galleyslaves" for a right-leaning person).
Thanks.
Anon (8:39),
Talking Points Memo isn't as hardcore with the groupthink as Kos and some of the other usual suspects on the left, but is strongly partisan Democratic.
Bull Moose Blog is a brilliant blog that is supported by the DLC, but onyl slightly partisan and much more centrist than liberal.
Our Karl Rove is the blog you should be glad that Democratic strategists don't seem to listen to.
AN
anon 8:39, I actually don't have anyone in particular that I follow, since my personal friends' blogs tend to bring me up to my eyeballs in links to left-leaning commentary (and occasionally original material), and I haven't had to pick any favorites. I'll keep an eye out . . . and probably have no way to communicate to you if I find one that is "worthy."
Jack:
Would you share your personal friend's blogs?
Thanks for the reply.
I'd be blown away if you ever dig up this post and find the reply (I'm surprised I remembered it myself), but my bjournal is here (no public updates since october), and my LJ friends' page is here. I make no guarantees as to whether my own or my friends' blogs will contain any of what I expect you to be looking for, since my friends and I write for each other, and not for a wide internet audience.
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