Antietam and the Supreme Court
The coming fight over the replacement for Sandra Roe O'Connor on the SCOTUS begins to resemble the Antietam Campaign.
The two armed camps, Democrat and Republican in this case, are masked from each other just as the armies of Lee and McClellan were masked by South Mountain throughout early September 1862, but are moving on roughly converging headings toward a final clash.
As in the run-up to Antietam, the Union (that is always to say--then as now--the Republican) camp has intercepted a vital enemy (that is always to say, Democrat) communication. The plan-wrapped cigar in this case is "moderate" Sen Chuck Schumer's overheard cell phone conversation, plotting Democratic strategy and promising "how we are going to go to war over this," regardless of how moderate the nominee is.
It remains to be seen whether the Republicans will capitalize on this by using the nookyuler option (as the President would doubtless pronounce it) early, or sit back, vacillate, and wring their hands, like McClellan did before Antietam. If Republicans do the former, they have a chance of decisively shifting the course of the entire war over the imperial court in their favor. If they do the latter, they can expect a much bloodier battle--a political Antietam--at best, and perhaps defeat a la Bork in '87. On judicial noiminations, the Republicans have thus far been led by the very McClellanesque John McCain, whose loyalty to the president and the Republican cause is suspect, as was McClellan's in 1862. President Bush, playing Lincoln's role, would do well to find himself a Grant, or at least a Meade, before the two armies meet.
Meanwhile, Sen Ted Kennedy has already made up his mind:
Monk
The two armed camps, Democrat and Republican in this case, are masked from each other just as the armies of Lee and McClellan were masked by South Mountain throughout early September 1862, but are moving on roughly converging headings toward a final clash.
As in the run-up to Antietam, the Union (that is always to say--then as now--the Republican) camp has intercepted a vital enemy (that is always to say, Democrat) communication. The plan-wrapped cigar in this case is "moderate" Sen Chuck Schumer's overheard cell phone conversation, plotting Democratic strategy and promising "how we are going to go to war over this," regardless of how moderate the nominee is.
It remains to be seen whether the Republicans will capitalize on this by using the nookyuler option (as the President would doubtless pronounce it) early, or sit back, vacillate, and wring their hands, like McClellan did before Antietam. If Republicans do the former, they have a chance of decisively shifting the course of the entire war over the imperial court in their favor. If they do the latter, they can expect a much bloodier battle--a political Antietam--at best, and perhaps defeat a la Bork in '87. On judicial noiminations, the Republicans have thus far been led by the very McClellanesque John McCain, whose loyalty to the president and the Republican cause is suspect, as was McClellan's in 1862. President Bush, playing Lincoln's role, would do well to find himself a Grant, or at least a Meade, before the two armies meet.
Meanwhile, Sen Ted Kennedy has already made up his mind:
Kennedy Slams Unnamed Supreme Court Nominee
by Scott Ott
(2005-07-02) -- Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-MA, today criticized President George Bush's as-yet-unnamed replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as a "brutal, Bible-thumping, right-wing ideologue who hates minorities, women and cocker spaniels."
"He or she is clearly outside the mainstream of American values," said Sen. Kennedy. "President Bush has again ignored the Senate's 'advice and consent' role, forcing Democrats to filibuster this outrageous nominee."
The Massachusetts Senator said his aides have already discovered "reams of memos" showing that the man or woman Mr. Bush will appoint has "a history of abusing subordinates, dodging military service, hiring undocumented workers, spanking his or her children and rolling back the clock on human rights to the days when the Pharaohs ruled Egypt with an iron fist."
The Senator's office issued a news release to the media documenting the allegations against the potential high court judge, with a convenient blank line allowing reporters to fill in the nominee's name as soon as that information is leaked.
Sen Kennedy announces his position to the press
while vacationing at Chappaquiddick Creek
Monk
posted by Monk | 05:14
