Sunday Thoughts

Bill Keller, executive editor of the New York Times, says, "if I had known the details of Judy's entaglement with Libby, I'd have been more careful in how the paper articulated its defense, and paerhaps more willing than I had been to support efforts aimed at exploring compromises." So if her source had been a Democrat, he'd feel better about supporting Judith Miller?

Miller's attorney is Bob Bennett, which I presume is the same Bob Bennett who defended Preident Clinton in the Lewinsky scandal.

And to tie these two scandals together further, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) said on Sunday's Meet the Press, "I certainly hope that if there is going to be an indictment that says something happened, that it is an indictment on a crime and not some perjury technicality where they couldn't indict on the crime and so they go to something just to show that their two years of investigation was not a waste of time and taxpayer dollars."

Note that Hutchison voted that President Clinton was guilty on the charges of perjury and objstruction of justice in his impeachment trial. Russert -- not remembering her vote -- brought up that trial, and she responded: "Well, there were charges against Bill Clinton besides perjury and obstruction of justice."

Actually, not in the impeachment trial, no, those were the only two counts they voted on. She continues:

"And I'm not saying that those are not crimes. They are.  But I also think that we are seeing in the judicial process--and look at Martha Stewart, for instance, where they couldn't find a crime and they indict on something that she said about something that wasn't a crime.  I think that it is important, of course, that we have a perjury and an obstruction of justice crime, but I also think we are seeing grand juries and U.S. attorneys and district attorneys that go for technicalities, sort of a gotcha mentality in this country.  And I think we have to weigh both sides of this issue very carefully and not just jump to conclusions, because someone is in the public arena, that they are guilty without being able to put their case forward.  I really object to that."

I don't think Starr went for "technicalities" (even if you think it is reasonable to label perjury and obstruction as such). I think he investigated charges as was his job, and in the end, the only strong charges that remained were obstruction and perjury. And I don't think Fitzgerald is going for "technicalities," either.

And while on the same transcript, let's not presume the Republicans are the only ones who think the public is stupid. Chuck Schumer goes through and lists many reasons why Miers would not be a good Supreme Court Justice, which are many of the same reasons the conservatives opposing her are giving: "The first is qualifications.  Does she have a good, firm knowledge of the law, of constitutional law?  ... Second is independence.  The president seemed to nominate judge Miers or Miss Miers because he knew her, he was close to her. ... And third, and most importantly, and in this one I would agree with George Allen and some of the very conservative people, we have to know her judicial philosophy."

That's fine, but then two seconds later, he adds: "I will say this, if he were to withdraw the nomination, it would be a stunning defeat for George Bush, and here's what I think it would show.  I think it would show that a small group way over at the extreme had power over the White House. After all, not a single Republican senator has at this point called for Harriet Miers' resignation.  And so if President Bush is going to march to the drum of a group that I think most Americans would consider out of the mainstream, it's going to be a real revelation to the American people and that's why I think he can't do it."

So she is not a good candidate, and you agree with the conservatives about why she is not a good candidate, but for Bush to back down would show people with "extreme," "out of the mainstream" views (which were the backbone of one of the main campaign promises that got him more votes than any President in history, and which also happen to mirror your own views, as just stated!) have power over the White House. Senator Schumer, verily, I say to you: you are full of crap.