Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Incoming!

The CIA is still around, and claimed recently that repatriated GITMO prisoners (these were all done under Bush, by the way) rejoin the other side in what was once called the War on Terror at the rate of about one in seven. I have no idea how they know this, but I'm surprised by it. I'm surprised it isn't higher, especially when you figure in the chances of such a person's family members joining in the fray. If I had been kept several years against my will, with no trial or even charges made against me, then sent back, I think the chances of joining hands against my former captors would be closer to, ah, 100%.

There was that movie, "The Bucket List," describing the process of trying to cross all the things you ever wanted to do off the list before "kicking the bucket". I didn't see the movie, and really don't have such a list, but if I did, it would have included seeing The Temptations, Motown's most memorable male vocal group. And it turns out I got to do just that last week without even leaving our modest-sized city. The wife and I swallowed hard and ponied up for two $50 tickets. We have mixed reviews on the show, but mostly enjoyed it. I'd say it was more memorable than having seen the President OR the Globetrotters OR The Beach Boys. But, as I say, I have no list.

Not many things that happen in our nation's capitol bring out raw partisanship more than the nomination of a candidate for the Supreme Court. The stakes are huge, whatever the situation, since today's nominee could be making rulings 25 years or more, far past the term of the president who nominated him/her.
Today we heard the nominee's name for the first time, Sonia Sotomayor, a New Yorker whose parents immigrated from Puerto Rico decades ago. She will be tough to oppose since she was originally nominated by Bush 41, and has about 17 years of bench experience already on the books.
But let's not kid ourselves. She is in for some tough treatment. The incoming attack will employ means both fair and unfair, because they don't have the votes to stop her, at least not yet. You will hear about things like her decisions being overturned, or that she's an over-the-top liberal, or that she's a baby killer or just not quite white enough. Some phrases that could pop up (just guessing here, but not without having seen it before): "class warfare", "activist", "liberal", "anti-gun", "protectionist", "anything goes", "reverse discrimmination", "Fairness Doctrine", " soft on terror/crime/drugs", "nanny state", "elitist", "loose cannon" and even, whispered, "another minority".
I'm not saying the same thing doesn't happen when the other side is in control, because it does, with differennt epithets, of course. But a Democratic President hasn't made a Supreme Court nomination in 15 years, so this one REALLY counts. Keep your head down, because the attack will begin any moment now.

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