Democrat attack dogs leave Roberts unscathed

(9/21/05)

Last week served as a sinister affirmation of all that is evil in politics these days. Bloodthirsty Democrats took their turns trying to turn the screws on Chief Justice nominee, John Roberts.
Roberts ended up being the smoothest politician in a room full of the Senate elite. The top attack dogs of the left were out in full force trying to discredit a man who has documented support from both sides of the political spectrum. John Roberts, when he was allowed to answer, remained cool and collected in the face of outright attacks and name-calling during last week's confirmation proceedings.
Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Delaware), a man with ambitious presidential hopes in '08, started the party off with outrageous and slanderous personal questions aimed at knocking Roberts steady precedent-based judicial stances. Roberts, the most diplomatic man to enter Senate chambers in 20 years, was unflappable in his demeanor and in his answers. Biden charged Roberts with evading questions and skirting the issues, but one must remember that every nominee is entitled to, and does, duck questions when their name is called. The exact numbers are a bit hazy, but I recall reading an article in the dreaded New York Times where it stated that both Justice Ginsburg and Justice Antonin Scalia refused to answer 50 out of 250 questions where Roberts has skirted or refused to answer a paltry 50 out of 400 questions posed to him.
Roberts has been charming and accommodating to even the most gruesome of villains. By this I mean one man: Edward Kennedy. Ted Kennedy is a relic on the Senate floor, a man who's liberal agenda and tastes for women, booze and camera time are legendary. Not to be outshone by Biden, Kennedy launched into a rant reminiscent of his boozing days at the Vineyard.
Kennedy had to be reprimanded by Sen. Arlen Spector (R-Pennsylvania), the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, several times and reminded that Roberts had to be given the opportunity to answer the questions that the senator offered.
As Roberts began to calmly answer the posed questions, Kennedy would launch into another diatribe aimed at assassinating the character of this mild-mannered nominee.
Despite the circling vultures, Roberts appears to be a sure thing for a confi rmation, but the lines have been drawn in the sand for the next poor soul our favorite Texan puts up for Justice. With Justice Ginsburg, a former head of the ACLU, being confi rmed with 98 votes and uberconservative Justice Scalia confi rmed with 97 votes, it boggles the mind that Roberts may only receive 70 votes when all is said and done.
In talking to both Democrats and Republicans and everyone from those in the far left to the far right, everyone seems to fi nd Roberts to be a fair and agreeable choice to head up the highest court in the land. Roberts has taken hits from Democrats concerning near-ancient memos dating back to his days as an attorney for the Gipper's administration where he made a comment that could, in a galaxy far, far away be construed as 'insensitive', back when the term 'insensitive' didn't exist and was only a sparkle in the eye of modern softies.
Other than the orchestrated inconsistencies from Roberts which were created in a Democratic think tank somewhere in France, the man is infallible: young, driven, unbiased, and more importantly, he finds precedent to be the primary tool in deciding difficult Supreme Court decisions. To translate for the slower folks in the crowd: John Roberts will NOT reverse Roe vs. Wade and abortion will NOT be illegal. So fear not, the ovarian mulligan is safe for another 40 years.
This nonsense we?re witnessing on the Hill is another example of the partisan nonsense destroying the political landscape. When a man of integrity and character is nominated that no one in the American public seems to be opposed to, continues to be crucifi ed by a group of overzealous egomaniacal publicity hogs, then we see a major dividing line in the political landscape that will not easily be forgotten or bridged.
Roberts will be confi rmed and he will undoubtedly go on to be a great Chief Justice, his temperament is right and his respect for the law is reassuring to even the most nervous liberal. The country will be well served by this man and his leadership. As dignifi ed as this process is making Roberts look, it is having the opposite effect on the Democratic brass in the Senate. Biden, Ted Kennedy, and people like Barbara Boxer and John Kerry have reduced themselves, with no help from that vast right wing conspiracy, to name-calling children and sore losers. The facelift the Democratic Party needs is not a group of angry, obstructionist Senators and loudmouth Congressmen and women. Perhaps this process will open the eyes of those undecided masses, as well as the power structure of the Democratic Party.
There are countless other things these individuals could be using their valuable time attempting to pass in Congress.
Hurricane relief, aiding Iraq, opening new avenues for oil production and alternative sources of energy just to name a few. Instead these individuals feel the need to get their faces on television in order to further their own agendas and generate support for their own races.