Nicholsclan.com : a dimension of mind...

Boy In The Bubble

It's old news by now that Bush has nominated long time crony Harriet Miers to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat. The fact that he nominated someone from his inner circle with no obvious exceptional qualifications for the job should surprise no one. Although in the wake of Michael Brown's spectacular crash and burn just a few weeks ago, some might have though Bush would exercise a bit more caution. But he has never been one to even admit his mistakes, much less learn from them.

The fact that Miers has never served as a judge before is hardly new ground for a nominee. Many previous Supreme Court Justices have had no previous bench experience. However, she is very probably the most invisible person ever nominated. She has almost no written track record of any sort. The only paper trail that might exist would be documents prepared as Bush's personal counsel, and we know damn well those will never be released.

Of course, this is precisely why Bush nominated her. The Democrats can't possibly oppose her on any grounds other than the fact that there are no grounds. And should they do that, Bush will label them obstructionist. Alternatively, the Senate would need to grill her to medium well to ascertain any shred of useful information on which to base a decision. But that grilling will be labeled abusive. It's all very calculated, and will likely succeed.

Curiously though, Bush has stated point blank that Miers is "the most qualified person in the country" to be appointed to the court. Sophistry at best, and I hope it earns him the ire of all the hundreds of more qualified candidates out there. She is probably more likely to be confirmed than most anyone else he could have appointed, but that hardly makes her the most qualified.

Also curious is that many conservatives are questioning her appointment for the same reason. They can't tell if she's conservative enough. Bush is telling them to trust him. But this is a man who lives in a bubble. He thinks the economy is strong. He thinks the war in Iraq is going well and that the insurgency is in it's last throes. He thinks Brownie did a heck of a job. He thinks Social Security is the federal program in the worst financial shape. Well intentioned or not, the man is clueless. I would think we are getting near the point where the conservatives stop trusting him either. He certainly hasn't earned it. But we probably aren't there just yet.

And to add insult to injury, Miers has been quoted as saying Bush is the most intelligent man she's ever met. She clearly needs to get out more. Further, that statement alone should disqualify her.