The thing of it is...

Robert Byers from Watchman’s Word posted the following comments responding to my post, “Conflicted”: "It may be true that the President, even with 55 Republicans in the Senate could not get a true conservative through confirmation. But we'll never know because he didn't try. And to make matters worse, part of the reason he can't count on the "wobblies" is that he campaigned for Specter against a conservative in the primary. Now people like Hugh would say that's a good thing, because Toomey couldn't win (although again, we don't know because we didn't try). But regardless, Bush's action emboldened the liberal Republicans to go their own way. If there are no consequences for crossing the party and the leadership, why not?"

Robert…first let me state that I concur with you that we may never know if we could have gotten a true conservative through…because President Bush didn’t try. I was so angry it took me almost two weeks before I could compose a pointed but civil, respectful response. Even now…when I hear the various commentators addressing the Harriet Mier’s nomination…I start to get annoyed all over again.

President Bush nominating Miss Miers was wrong on so many levels. I can hardly believe the Bush’s advisers thought it was a good idea and gave their blessing. Their lack of enthusiasm was evident in Vice President Cheney’s tepid nod of approval to Miss Miers.

Frankly I’m puzzled…and I don’t have a full understanding or comprehend the logic behind the President’s choice of Mier’s…even with Hugh’s support of her as he delves into this nominee.

We don’t know if Miss Mier’s will actually make conservative decisions as a judge just because her personal views are that of a religious conservative. That guarantees us nothing.

We had a chance to get a nominee who had a proven track record of judicial decisions and logic that would reveal their judicial philosophy. Based on their history…we could have had a more certain outcome.

No one knows how Miss Mier’s will vote…not President Bush…and not even Miss Miers. We have had prior “conservative” judicial nominees…conservative in their personal views, get on the court and suddenly sprout liberal wings.

And I’m not even sure I want a judge’s personal view to influence their rulings. Now of course when they are of the same bent as me…I feel a little more comfortable with that thought. But not when they come from a very liberal or as they now call it “progressive” viewpoint.

I want judges who will set their personal views aside. Realize that we have a separation of powers…and judges are not legislators. And as such…stick with the powers granted them in the Constitution. Of course I do realize that even that idea…is somewhat based on a personal view and interpretation of the Constitution.

I want a Supreme Court that seeks to limit the Federal government’s intrusion into the lives of its citizens. One that doesn’t see the government as the babysitter state. That up holds parental rights and the rights of individual to exercise their freedom of religion…or even lack thereof. I want a Court that upholds the rights of an individual and their freedom until it threatens to intrude on the rights of another and oversteps their boundaries. I want a court that will rein in the legislative and executive branch…when they start to overstep their bounds.

The Bush administration has engaged in a couple of tactics that have been very unwise and even down right absurd. They are pandering to the religious right trying to assuage their concern of the Mier’s nomination by telling them…she’s a religious conservative too…so it’s okay. First let me state unequivocally I am a religious conservative. But playing that game is wrong. Wrong because if the situation was reversed…and it’s was some liberal administration giving similar assurances to the ACLU…the conservatives would be screaming bloody murder.

Another response that came from the Bush administration was patently ridiculous. That was when Laura Bush accused Miss Mier’s detractors of being sexist. Give me a break…I want the right person for the job. Man, woman…it matters not…what matters is, if it’s the right person for the job. To try and pass off this criticism as sexist is to deflect and not have to give a reasonable response to concerns about the choice of Miss Miers.

The thing of it is…we should have taken the shot to get the right person in...not backed down. Sometimes even when you loose…it’s still the right decision. President Bush greatly miscalculated on this appointment.