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Opening Arguments

Opening day

John Roberts showed a perfect understanding of the proper role of the judiciary during his confirmation hearing opening statement:

The appellate judge likened jurists to baseball umpires, saying that "they make sure everybody plays by the rules, but it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ballgame to see the umpire."

Too many people, including an unfortunate number of senators conducting the hearing, think the umpire should change the rules in the middle of the game, which is what they mean when they start talking about the Constitution as a "living document." (But the baseball analogy, we are reminded, is not as simple as it seems.) And, as noted often before, this will be a tough call for Evan Bayh.

Comments

John Galt
Tue, 09/13/2005 - 7:36am

I'm getting a kick out of the Roberts hearing thus far, which says something about me that would scare a lot of people. There are many folks who think C-SPAN is a horrible bore and that anyone who actually watches it must be weird. I think they often have the only programs worth watching, but what do I know...

Anyway, watching the Roberts hearing, and the Democrats' performances, is a bit like watching an auto accident. You have to watch, and you want to look away at the same time.

I know there's going to be a lot here to tick me off. But the thrust and parry is entertaining, even though we know the outcome of this swashbuckler (assuming Roberts doesn't shoot himself in the foot in some unexpected way).

I assume this will become, for the Democrats, more shrill and hysterical as the week goes on. We shall see.

As for Mr. Bush and Iraq, I re-watched a documentary about his reaction to 9/11 over the weekend, and was reminded that he vowed to go after the sources of Islamic radical violence, "one at a time."

I think that Bush originally thought he would be able to deal with Afghanistan, then Iraq, and then perhaps Syria or Iran as the next couple of steps in his war on terror. His view of the enemy was initially pretty broad, and included hosts of terror, inciter nations, and purveyors, and I think he saw a number of them on the mideast landscape.

It begins to look like Iraq will take too long, and his presidency will end before he gets any further. The next president will clearly need a new and egregious provocation to take the "draining of the swamp" any further.

Mike Sylvester LP
Tue, 09/13/2005 - 8:12am

I generally do not watch C-Span; but, I do when I get a chance.

I think there is little (no) doubt that Roberts will be confirmed. Based on what I have seen; I see no reason not to confirm him.

I think The Democratic response will be interesting; especially, that of Bayh.

I think that Bayh will vote to confirm Roberts if he is smart.

Bayh needs to distance himself from the shrill and unreasonable Democrats of the far left (Currently a large portion of the Democratic Party).

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