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."
The latest dispatch from libertarian correspondent Mike Sylvester:
It is hard to believe that four years have passed since the Twin Towers were destroyed by terrorists.
Our favorite ex-Hoosier lawyer Little Johnny Roberts begins his Senate gauntlet today. Here's some of the legal jargon to listen for, and three things to watch for. Should Roberts get more scrutiny because he is being nominated for chief justice?
Have you ever had the awful experience of applying for a job and being told that you were overqualified? That's just happened to John Roberts. Nobody's really been able to find anything bad about Roberts, which is now being given as a reason to distrust him.
Arnold Schwarzenegger said an odd thing as he vowed to veto the bill that would make California the first state to recognize gay marriage by legislative action:
The Republican governor had indicated in previous statements that he would veto the bill, saying the debate over same-sex marriage should be decided by voters or the courts.
No matter what you think about illegal drugs, you have to start asking if the war against same is working. Or maybe we should bring back the war against alcohol.
Concerning Supreme Court nominations, a couple of questions:
1. For President Bush: How tough is it really going to be to "take a good, long look" at a second nomination necessitated by the death of William Rehnquist, since you went through every single possibility thoroughly after Sandra Day O'Connor said she wanted to quit and before you selected John Roberts? You know whom you're going to name, so quit fooling around with us.
More post-Kelo America stuff. I hope eminent domain becomes a campaign issue in Indiana politics, too.
People are trying to fathom the Katrina aftermath in terms a little more sophisticated than political blame. The experinece of Galveston and Charleston might offer some insight. Some argue that one part of New Oeleans will come back -- the tourism mecca -- but not the commercial center.
I guess I must look for complicated reasons for simple problems. I had presumed the lack of a brilliant performance in getting aid to the Gulf Coast might have been a combination of, 1) the fact that it was the biggest natural disaster to ever hit the United States in modern times and, 2) mistakes made by lots of people at all levels of government. Silly me.
