Confirmation Wars

I watch the unfolding confirmation wars with mixed feelings. First of all, I have to give a little back history. When the Florida election debacle ended, I decided that I would make the best of it. Bush claimed to be a consensus builder and a man who could work both sides of the aisle. At first blush, there seemed little difference between Bush and Gore - on a political continuum, they seemed more alike than not. So maybe Bush was anti-abortion - I doubted that the Senate would let him get away with much, closely divided as it was (IIRC, once all was done, it was 50-50 with Cheney available to break ties). Finally, after eight increasingly shrill years of Clinton-bashing, I would trade a little conservatism for some peace and quiet. I figured if Gore were elected, it would be four or eight more years worth of manufactured scandals, increasingly noisy partisanship and little forward progress. So, I looked at Bush as a "not good thing", but certainly livable. I mean, what did I think would happen? Well, things happened all right, and I feel somewhat betrayed by Bush. Not just for the various injustices and downright untruths he's foisted off on me, but because he said he wanted to heal the divisions, bridge the ideological chasms and bring us together as one nation. Instead, I see us further divided than we were in November 2000 - and that is after the tragically unifying events of September 11, 2001. So, I'm bitter about being hoodwinked.

So, when Bush attempts to pack the court with like minded idealogues, I'm pretty unhappy about it. After seeing the amount of obstructionism that the Clinton White House fought the last six years of his presidency, I'm feeling like a scorched earth campaign is in order. Bush seems to like Old Testament justice, so let's eye for an eye him on these four most egregiously ideological choices. It feels satisfying to give 'em a taste of their own medicine.

On the other hand, I really want that peace and quiet. I would like to see people debate the issues without stooping to insult slinging. I'd like to find a place where folks with different ideas than mine discuss the pros and cons of their theories without starting to act like my kids. I'd like to find a really cogent argument for/against states rights. I'd like to hear from some folks who studied economics to talk about theories of economic stimulation. I'd like to see a site discussing the ups and downs of various legal arguments. Intelligent debate by intelligent people. Doggone it, I'd genuinely like to learn the ins and outs of the competing theories of government that separate us. Perhaps there is middle ground. Perhaps we can get together and find ways to make it all work.

So, if I want to restore a tone of civility to politics, it would seem a bad idea to block these four (now three) nominees. Of course, there are those partisans who want to "go nuclear" and use a parliamentary loophole to cut off this (and future) filibusters. And the other side threatens further measures to be even more obstructionist. It's sort of mutually assured destruction, but with Robert's Rules of Order instead of nukes.

When my two eldest girls are acting like this, I generally declare them both losers and neither one gets what they want (I've appropriated SO many Barbie dolls this way). In an earlier time, someone might have spanked them both and sent them to bed.

I was about to say that it is a shame no one is available to give the Democrats and Republicans the spanking they so richly deserve. I'm wrong though. There is someone - that would be us, the voters. Maybe if we got off our either apathetic or spectating behinds and ran against these bozos, their parties and their way of doing business, we might get things changed. I'll run for office, you run for office. Let's get out and vote for new blood, and not just the guy from the other party, but new blood from new parties with new ideas. We are the supreme power in this land - we control the executive and legislative branches, and through those two, we control the judicial. Punt the lot of them back to their homes and jobs and let's get new people in. Instead of politicians, lets get lawyers and teachers and steelworkers and cab drivers and programmers in office. We'll do our thing and go back to our old lives, to be replaced by more folks who serve as an avocation, not a vocation.

If only . . . .