Michael Medved - rather stuck on himself
So stuck on distinguishing himself from the conservative talk radio pack, he neglects to mention important information.
I've enjoyed listening to Medved, until recently. He's now on this kick of saying ALL the republican candidates are good conservatives. Pardon me, but someone that says that Mike Huckabee is a strong conservative is not someone who's judgement I consider reliable on such a matter.
This brings me to Medved pimping for his guy, John McCain. A caller asked Medved for reassurance concerning John McCain and his appointing conservative justices. The caller was concerned in part because of the gang of 14. One could hardly blame him. Medved made the typical claim that the gang of 14 made sure the procedural option was available for Republicans and if I recall correctly, made sure the supreme court justices were confirmed. I know that's the claim of some McCain supporters. It may be certain that it's convenient for McCain supporters to repeat that claim, but it's not a certainty that such was the case as argued at the Corner.
It is pure post hoc ergo propter hoc for the Whites to contend that the Gang of 14 deal had anything to do with the confirmations of Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito. Supreme Court appointments are of a different dimension than nominations to the lower federal courts, even the Circuit Courts of Appeal. The public is far more engaged in them, and the political price of obstructionism is certain to be markedly higher.
As exhibited during their hearings, these two jurists were so patently qualified, it would have been suicidal for Democrats to try to block them by filibuster. They waved the flag for the base by asking nasty questions, raising inane objections, and casting futile votes against confirmation, but there was no way they were going to block a vote. The filibuster strategy, preserved by word and deed in the Gang of 14 deal, has been highly effective in thwarting qualified nominees, but it depends on public apathy. If it had been used it against Roberts and Alito, that would have called great attention to its use against Court of Appeals nominees, which might have cost Democrats dearly. That and the undeniable merit of the two justices involved, not the Gang of 14 deal, is why the high-court nominees were confirmed. (source - be sure to read it all)
However, what stuck out most to me was Medved saying that McCain had supported Justice Robert Bork when Ronald Reagan had nominated him to the Supreme Court. That sounds great, as long as one leaves out an important piece of information. Not more than two weeks before, on Mark Levin's show, Bork had this to say:
“I don’t think that Senator McCain or Governor Huckabee deserves to be called a conservative.”
Judge Bork said that if one of them is the nomination, the conservative moment is in trouble, because "neither one of them is remotely a conservative." (source, audio of that Jan. 11th show at Levin's website here)
Seems to me that changes the matter significantly.
Previous posts:
John McCain and illegal immigration
John McCain's record
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Filed under: Politics
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Author: Mark K. Sprengel | 1:48:00 AM |
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