The Bloviating Bow-tie and His Cheerleaders
I just love how everyone’s drooling over George Will’s little screed from yesterday. How amusing.
I’ve got a few questions, though. Are you now also channeling Pat Buchanan? What the hell is the difference, besides the bow-tie and Buchanan’s departure from the GOP (even though he did “endorse” GWB in 2004)? George Will has been a Bush-basher for a LONG time, and I expected absolutely nothing different from what I read in his anti-Miers piece.
I find it also amusing how the Miers-bashers claim the title of “the base.” WRONG. I’m “the base,” that is, not one to pick up my marbles and leave because of whatever. It’s also ironic that many (but certainly not all) of those who are complaining about Miers were (again) the rabble-rousers attacking others within the party during the Terri Schiavo “debate” (or rather, brawl). Remember THAT one? I certainly do. What about the “Not One Dime” bullshi’ite, where they/you said “not one dime” to the GOP because of the filibuster deal? THAT is the base? Sorry, but those who threaten to leave the party are absolutely NOT “the base.” They are, to be blunt, selfish. There are a lot more people in the GOP who fully recognize that there are religious conservatives, moderate conservatives, libertarians, etc. in the party and can handle the differences without abandoning the party due to them. Anyone who expects to get their way about everything all the time is, again, to be blunt, a selfish, spoiled child.
This comment is particularly offensive and self-centered:
We conservatives who are the base of the Party have been fighting the good fight for decades: signing petitions, protesting the war protesters, standing up to Cindy Sheehan, writing letters to the editor of papers across America, phoning our Senators and Congressmen, Walking for Life in the freezing DC winter, and holding the party together from becoming what it shouldn’t be: ambiguous.
Do you honestly think you (the collective you) are the only ones who have done that? Are you f’n * kidding me, or just yourselves? I don’t know about you, but I’ve been doing this kind of thing my entire adult life, EVEN WHEN I was in the military! Twenty YEARS of this, to be exact. And WTF do you think Miers’ conservative supporters have been doing? James Dobson? Jay Sekulow? They haven’t exactly been sitting around merely writing opinion columns like George Will and Ann Coulter, you know. So don’t lecture me on who is the “base,” and quit acting like a spoiled child.
Just like George Will.
George Will has never been part of the Bush “base,” and for him to say HE was “promised” anything is just nonsense. “Re-elect Bush, Faults and All.” HARDLY a ringing endorsement. He’s been sniping at the Bush administration(s) since BEFORE McCain-Feingold. And about his proclamation that Bush “forfeited his right to be trusted as a custodian of the Constitution,” well, then why the hell DID he (weakly) endorse Bush for President? George Will is a long-time conservative, to be sure, but he sure as hell * is exactly the type to take his balls (if and when he can find them) and run home.
As far as his article is concerned, a former White House lawyer has quite effectively written a rebuttal. Here’s just a small part:
Will’s fourth argument is the most dangerous and absurd. He suggests Miers shouldn’t be approved because she hasn’t shown a “talent” for “constitutional reasoning” honed through years of “intense interest” and practice. Judging takes work, but the folks who think “constitutional reasoning” is a talent requiring divination, intense effort and years of monastic study are the same folks who will inevitably give you “Lemon tests,” balancing formulas, “penumbras” and concurrences that make your head spin. The President sees through that mumbo jumbo and recognizes that good Justices are the ones who focus on the Constitution’s text, structure and history and who call balls and strikes. Bush is in favor of demystifying the Court and the Miers choice is part of that effort. Will seems to be buying into the Nine Wisest Men mythology that is a root cause of the Court’s aggrandizement of power over time.
It should be noted that this former White House lawyer also KNOWS Harriet Miers, unlike George Will, Ann Coulter, etc. etc. In other words, doesn’t pontificate from a detached conservative media elite position.
Sadly, I suspect the George Will cheerleaders won’t bother reading it, just as they ASS/U/ME that I haven’t read or seen the anti-Miers arguments. (Sounds like a leftard assumption, if you ask me.)
Y’know, I really do hate the blogosphere, because it’s full of blowhards* who have no clue about the real-life Republican base. All this idiotic “he owes us” crap* is REALLY about “he owes me.” I don’t care if you were ready for a big brawl and are disappointed. I really don’t. What’s pathetic is that you’ve taken that unexpended energy and aimed it inward toward other conservatives, just as many did during the Terri Schiavo brawl.
Fortunately, my party hasn’t changed, but the people in the party have. It used to be that Democrats were the party of infighting and a complete lack of focus on the opposition, but obviously, Republicans have become just like them. “Everyone owes me! Waaaah!” What next, “dissent is the highest form of patriotism?” “Bush lied?” “Impeach Bush?”
Finally, I can’t say I’m terribly surprised by the hysteria. I wrote about the infighting and Bush-bashing a couple of weeks ago, because I was already fed up with all the hand-wringing and whining. Maybe I just need to get the x* off the blogosphere or stop reading other blogs, so I won’t have to listen to all the damned* crying all the time. Bunch of x* whiners. GROW UP.
I think I’ll go make a donation to the ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice) for now, because otherwise, this blogging has become pointless, except to bitch about how stupid people act. Go help them fight against partial-birth abortion and other issues.
Related:
More About Harriet Miers–Beth’s Profane Edition
It’s the Strategy, Stupid
How to lose a debate
Why I Think the Blogosphere Pretty Much Sucks
Quit yer bitching already!
Going Nuclear - On the GOP
* Updated to clean up the language, out of respect to The Anchoress and her readers. ;-)
links: basil, Jo, bRight & Early, Cafe Oregano
sigmund, carl and alfred says:
This has to be one of your best posts.
This just goes to show that good blogs can be art.
Beth says:
You just like it because you know the blogosphere is full of blowhard bullshi’ite, too. :mrgreen:
Dave says:
I wrote George Will off years ago when he proposed that we “repeal the embarassing second ammendment”. He is right wing in pointy-headed kind of way but often I think he is possessed by the spirit of a moonbat.
Hardcore Conservative says:
Beth I’m still a Miers supporter but I heard something alarming about her yesterday
I heard that she favors a world criminal court I haven’t verified this so….
Oh yeah and I heard from multiple sources that she’s a hardcore Christian too :cool:
That MIGHT be why so many people are against her
a4g says:
Awesome post.
Every time some moonbat rattles off about how we on the right are “programmed automatons” following the siren call of talk radio and Karl Rove, I smugly laugh them off– but damn, I can’t help thinking that the majority of the resistance to Miers has more to do with some imagined “big fight” that we’ve been sold, rather than the important question: will she bring sanity to the court.
And don’t even get me started on George Will. His elitism is troweled-on like pancake makeup on a Park Ave doyenne. He makes my skin crawl.
MCPO Airdale says:
So, we can’t have a discussion about qualifications and experience of judicial nominees without one side being “whiners”, “elitists”, or some other name.
I personally have a hard time when the President stands in the Rose Garden and tells me that Ms. Miers is the best available person out there. I have no doubt
she is a nice person and a competent lawyer but, better than the conservative judges currently serving on the district and appellate benches? Please!
Nobody that I know is taking their ball and going home. I think we can have a discussion about oour differences without ad hominem attacks.
Oh, and I also served. . .for 33 years.
Ex-Donkey Blog says:
I’ve Got Your “Base” Right Here
Wow. You want hostility? I’ll give you hostility. Beth at My Vast Right Ring Conspiracy has had it up to here with George Will. And she has a few choice words for those shrieking Conservatives throwing hissy-fits over the Miers…
Beth says:
Chief (Airdale)–
(Is it OK for me to call you Chief?)
I would’t call you (or a FEW) others I’ve seen whiners or elitists, because you haven’t been playing that taking the ball and going home nonsense. But a STUNNING number of others have, mostly ones who are bloggers, and their reaction is typical “I quit” rhetoric every time they don’t like something. I won’t name names here, though, because one of them has been a long-time favorite (except for one of their writers).
As far as Bush saying she’s “the best qualified,” my jaw dropped as well. But maybe she’s the best qualified according to what he was specifically looking for. I mean really, Lawrence Tribe is eminently qualified, but I sure as hell wouldn’t want HIM (or someone like him) on the court. I just don’t think there should be a checklist that one should have completed. And remember, people said Clarence Thomas was not qualified, and a diversity pick. (Even some on the right said that.)
Finally, I know you served, sweets. “MCPO” tells me it was more than a short stint, too. ;-) I do understand where you’re coming from, and I don’t count you as one of those that have gone off the deep end because I haven’t seen you flinging poo at the entire GOP and Bush, just expressing your disappointment at the nomination. :-)
Beth says:
Hardcore: See this about the ICC.
See this about “gay rights.” She’s more along the lines of Scalia on this issue.
I’m amazed at the blatant distortion (lies) of Miers’ record by some of her detractors. :sigh:
Hardcore Conservative says:
Thanks Beth
for the record I’m NOT a Miers detractor
and thank you for confirming that Glenn Beck is a right-moonbat
No Oil for Pacifists says:
Miers Elsewhere
Beth, at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, says all your base are belong to us.
MCPO Airdale says:
You can call me anything but late to dinner.:wink:
OK, for those who just cry, “I ain’t playin no more!” Get over yourself.
For those who will continue to work but disagree. . . Well, just call me stubborn!
Oops, time for dinner.
The Anchoress » Miers Meltdown Melee! says:
[...] And then…if you have ears and eyes that do not singe at profanity, go read Beth’s smackdown of the Bowtie Bloviator. She makes some very good points about just who exactly is “the base” and who…may not be. While Beth is in that ring with George Will, Sigmund is in another ring Ann Coulter [...]
Vinnie says:
I must disagree with SC&A, Beth’s best post was the one entitled “Update Your Blogrolls” a few posts down.
:::::::::running away…fast:::::::::::
MacStansbury says:
I have to disagree with both of you, that one by that silly fella was the best one today.
counting the seconds till this comment gets deleted. the seconds.
RogerA says:
Hi Beth–first, dear, clean up your language :cool: seriously, I dont have a problem with profanity spending 25 years in the cavalry with an awesome command of four letter hypenated anglo saxon terminology–but seriously Beth–the profanity sounds like KOS or DU–
Spectacular post–and I love it. I enjoy reading George Will like I enjoy reading Tacitus, Plato or Hobbes–interesting by totally off base–we are governed by men and women; men and women make political calculations, and ultimately I subscribe to the sainted Bill Buckley who said “I would rather be goverened by the first 1000 people in the Boston phone book than the Harvard faculty…” I subscribe to that position–the bow-ties are great to read, but can neither play baseball or govern a nation.
And by the way–do you have big boobs?
Terrye says:
Great post
George Will is and always has been an obnoxious arrogant blowhard.
I think the president has a right to his nominee and the nominee has a right to an up or down vote.
sound familiar?
I don’t know if Miers is the most qualified or not, or if the most qualified would even want the job, but she is no dummy. Silly me, I say give her a chance.
And I am sick of the take my toys and go home crap too.
Kathleen says:
I always thought George Will was full of himself. I WAS surprised by David Frum but not Bill Kristol.
SNOBS!
“W” knows what he’s doing. He’s playing Harry Reid and the Democrats like a cheap guitar.:razz:
The Therapist says:
Wow,
After reading that, I’m wondering why in the world you were even over at my site.
I assume you place me in the epithetical categories you’ve placed the rest of those who’ve registered their umbrage with the pick.
-T
Beth says:
T - Because I pay attention to what’s going on.
The Therapist says:
So do I.
I just prefer not to call my fellow conservative bloggers names.
-T
Conservative Cat says:
The Miers Appointment
Everybody else is analyzing the Harriet Miers nomination, analyzing the analysis of the Harriet Miers nomination, and analyzing the analysis of the people who are analyzing the analysis of the Harriet Miers nomiation. It therefore seems to me that I…
The Sundries Shack says:
[...] MVRWC’s Beth may believe that folks like that aren’t the base, but she’s dead wrong. They are what keeps the Republican party vital and relevant and they need to know that their active promotion of conservative beliefs has tangible rewards. This nomination has taught them to sit down, shut up, and go do some political social climbing because that’s the way to success. [...]
Balance Sheet says:
Harriet Miers
I have read quite a bit about Miers, President Bush’s nominee as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, over the past few days. A lot of it is negative, particularly that coming from my side of the political spectrum.
She isn’t this or that, …
The Gray Tie says:
Round The Reader - Saturday
Well, thank God for Round the Reader making me get back into blogworld. I have not been into this thing lately. I have been disgusted of late with all the CRAP going on.
Janette says:
Fantastic post! The “take their toys and go home” segment doesn’t piss me off nearly as much as the “I voted for you! You OWE me!” group. Idiots.
The President isn’t some puppet tweaking along to all the strings pulled by bloggers and talking heads. We voted for the man we trusted to make the right decisions, right? Well how about we actually trust him long enough to actually find out enough about the woman to make a WELL INFORMED judgment? Running around screaming about the pick before we get all of the FACTS makes us no better than KosKids.
Shoe Lover: News, Views, Sales, Accessories says:
Isn’t he a dandy
Hey Kevin, time to suit up if you ever expect to get as much face time as Gawker’s Girl Extraordinaire, Ana Marie Cox Unlike with women, it often isn’t hard for a man to stand out from the crowd as