Stupid Girl…You Really Got A Lot To Learn…

The Wash Times reports that disgruntled conservatives (is there any other kind?) are channeling family farm fan boy Neil Young regarding the Miers nomination, calling the bid "a stupid, stupid mistake" and likening Ms. Harriet to a minor leaguer suddenly called up the Big Show. Seconding Sen. Arlen Specter's suggestion that Miers take a "crash course in constitutional law," Federalist Society stalwart Mark W. Smith complains, "That's like saying you need to bone up on your baseball techniques because we're putting you on the New York Yankees next week."

And don't get cons started on the whole sexism/elitism thang, sez the Wash Times:

Many conservatives also have been shocked by the administration's handling of the negative reaction from its longtime and ardent supporters. They have been called "elitist" and "sexist," and some Republican Senate Judiciary Committee staff lawyers say White House officials have stopped communicating with them.

They also have gone to great pains to tout Miss Miers as an evangelical Christian in an apparent effort to shore up that bloc of voters. The tactic is insulting, say conservatives -- especially conservative jurists who think religion and personal views have no place in the debate.

Whole thing here.

Lyrics to "Stupid Girl" here.

"Can't We All Get Along" semi-defense of Miers in Wash Times by diminutive dandy and failed mime R. Emmett Tyrell here. Sample: "Conservatives have every right to be disappointed the president did not nominate a seasoned conservative of superlative intellect. But they will not throw the nominating process into chaos or rather into the control of primitive partisans such as [failed ventriloquist dummy] Sen. Patrick Leahy."

Reason's Jeff Taylor gave props to the Talleyrandesque machinations of George W. Bush in nominating the Scat Queen to the High Court here.

Comments

[Hakluyt]

The lyrics to Garbage's "Stupid Girl" might be more apropos (depending on your view of her nomination):

http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/GARBAGE/Stupid-Girl.html

You stupid girl
You stupid girl
Can't believe you fake it
Can't believe you fake it

[Hakluyt]

Nick Gillespie,

Talleyrand would scoff at the amateur nature of Bush's efforts. Or are you trying to make an oblique reference to Napoleon's quip that Talleyrand was 'shit in a silk stocking?" 🙂

[Baylen]

You're not suggesting Arlen Specter is a conservative, right?

Also, Smith's example works much less well since the Yankees had Bubba Crosby play center field in the deciding game of the ALDS, and Crosby being in a major league game can very legitimately be compared to Harriet Miers being on TSC.

[mattc]

So basically, this Miers chick doesn't have the credentials to be a Supreme Court Justice according to many leading conservatives? And furthermore, those leading conservatives are criticizing the Bush Adm. for catering to their Evangelical Christian voting base?

I'm confused. I thought all conservatives want a theocratic democracy. At least, that's how it's sounded for the last 4 years. In a way its nice to finally see the wolf come out of the sheep's clothing with regards to what's really on the agenda. Its nice to see Republicans act like something other than cultists.

25 hrs. awake, must go sleepy now.

[Meyer]

mattc,

The reason conservatives are upset is that they are insufficiently convinced that Miers will be a reliable socially conservative vote. The complaints about credentials are just a smoke screen for their real concern.

[R C Dean]

Meyer, there are two flavors of non-lefty discontent with Miers. One is the crassly political "will she vote anti-gay/anti-abortion, etc.", which cares very little for the Constitutional basis for such votes.

The other flavor is much more structural, because they have been waiting for, and have been promised, a strict constructionist. Two nominations in a row, and they haven't got it. Worse, Harriet Miers is shaping up to be a Souter/O'Connor style empty vessel, who will treat the Constitution as an infinitely plastic document to be stretched to cover the perceived needs of the moment.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

Just how many songs called "Stupid Girl" are there anyway? Garbage, the Stones, Neil Young (I've never heard this last one). Are there any more?

[Baylen]

Tim,

I'm not sure, but according toWikipedia:

The cartoon characters The Smurfs made their own version of [Garbage's] "Stupid Girl" entitled "Stupid Smurf" for their 1997 covers album.

[peachy]

Your point about the unfortunate Bubba is well-taken, but why does it always have to be the Yankees? Why couldn't it be the Royals or Devil Rays just once, dammit? I mean, that's about the level the current court is playing on...

[linguist]

"That's like saying you need to bone up on your baseball techniques because we're putting you on the New York Yankees next week."

No, in fact it's not like that at all. What a stupid comparison. How about "Stupid Op-Ed" instead of Stupid Girl?

[Baylen]

Peachy,

Snakes... why does it always have to be snakes?

You're right: But for Thomas, TSC is AAA.

[Meyer]

RC,

I agree with you, but I think the first flavor is the majority by far. Maybe not of the blogosphere, but of conservatives in general.

[ptlawstudent]

Along the lines of the crash course suggested by Mr. Specter, some intrepid law students are trying to get people to send their notes from their constitutional law classes to Meirs.

Check it out here:
http://www.studyguidesformiers.com

[joe]

RC Dean, "Strict Constructionist" is also a smokescreen for "will she vote anti-gay/anti-abortion, etc." for most of the people who argue it.

[joe]

Actually, I'm keeping an open mind about Miers' knowledge of Constitutional law and the depth of her philosophy. She might come out in those hearings and shock everybody.

But she'd really have to hit a home run, and those "You're the best governor ever!!! XOXOXO" cards aren't exactly a good sign.

[R C Dean]

I agree with you, but I think the first flavor is the majority by far. Maybe not of the blogosphere, but of conservatives in general.

Probably. I wonder just how many "social" conservatives there are. They are certainly noisy/getting attention these days.

RC Dean, "Strict Constructionist" is also a smokescreen for "will she vote anti-gay/anti-abortion, etc." for most of the people who argue it.

I'm not so sure about that, joe. The folks worried about how she will vote generally go off on the "she's a RINO/she's not really conservative" rant. Now, like everybody, they think a proper application of the Constitution will advance their goals.

Roe is condemned by both your evangelical social conservatives and by strict constructionists, but the latter think it is an abomination not because it legalized abortion, but because it prattles on about emanations of penumbras as a legitimate basis for making Constitutional law.

Just because both groups want Roe overturned doesn't mean both groups are made up of snake-handling pro-lifers.