| I find it interesting to visit some of my old | | | | been able to label him a liar. He would also have lost |
| newsletters and see if there are some common | | | | face in the Arab world. Moreover, because Saddam's |
| threads to what is going on today.A huge showdown | | | | ego led him to believe he was the leader of a |
| is brewing in the Senate over President Bush's judicial | | | | Greater Mesopotamia, he had to maintain an illusion of |
| appointments. Senatorial tensions over this process | | | | strength. He believed he needed to maintain a strong |
| are especially pronounced since it is very likely that | | | | army with nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons |
| later in the summer at least one member of the | | | | and to make sure the West as well as all of Islam |
| Supreme Court will be stepping down. This type of | | | | understood this. If Saddam had admitted that he did |
| thing happens almost weekly in the House, but the | | | | have weapons of mass destruction, the Bush |
| 100-person Senate has always been more collegial. | | | | administration would have had grounds to do what |
| Compromise has been the hallmark of the Senate for | | | | they did anyway: label him a threat to national and |
| over two hundred years. Now, it is looking as though | | | | international security and take aggressive action. |
| High Noon is approaching.Part of the problem lies in | | | | President Bush successfully maneuvered Saddam into |
| how President Bush has been handling his judicial | | | | a position that made his invasion of Iraq palatable to |
| agenda. Historically, presidents float judicial candidates | | | | the West and at least somewhat defensible to the |
| through the Senate before they are formally | | | | Muslim world.When I think about this new |
| nominated, and they also share their short lists with | | | | report-which, by the way, is six hundred pages long-I |
| the ABA (American Bar Association). This gives | | | | am infuriated about the way it evades the issue of |
| Democrats, Republicans, and America's legal | | | | responsibility. The report suggests that no one was |
| profession an opportunity to weigh in on the | | | | to blame personally. Institutions were to blame. The |
| candidates before names are announced or public | | | | systems and structures of institutions were to blame. |
| hearings begin. This process helps to remove | | | | In his new book, Winning, eight traits to be a good |
| extremist judges (liberal or conservative) from | | | | leader, the legendary CEO of General Electric, Jack |
| consideration, which in turn helps to make a difficult | | | | Welch, claims that "Leaders probe and push with a |
| and trying process more harmonious than it might be | | | | curiosity that borders on skepticism, making sure |
| if the ABA's judicial ratings and/ or senators' concerns | | | | their questions are answered with action." Where |
| and objections were aired for the first time in public | | | | was President Bush's curiosity before the invasion of |
| hearings.Unfortunately, this well-tested system was | | | | Iraq? Just how hard do you think he probed and |
| thrown out by President Bush early in his first term. | | | | pushed his advisors and intelligence agencies to make |
| He now simply hands the Senate a list of judges who | | | | sure he was acting in America's best interest by |
| have been vetted by the White House and his | | | | invading Iraq and overthrowing Saddam? A real |
| advisor Karl Rove, who is not even an elected | | | | leader's conversations about decisions, must be filled |
| official, much less a lawyer. Clearly, the President | | | | with hard questions: "What if?" and "Why not?" and |
| wants who he wants on the nation's judges' benches | | | | "How come?" As Welch goes on to say, |
| and is unwilling to listen to dissenting voices. This has | | | | "Questioning, however, is never enough. You have to |
| led us to where we are today, with an angry Senate | | | | make sure your questions unleash debate and raise |
| ready to turn to filibusters to outflank the President. | | | | issues that get action." Our administration did not |
| Is this any way to run a government or to secure | | | | even come close to this standard.* * * * *RECENT |
| the best judges in the land? We should all stand up | | | | NEWS:$ Tom DeLay is the powerful representative |
| and shout from the treetops, "Be reasonable!!" Why | | | | from Texas who has made the news on a daily basis |
| can't we sit down and agree on a list of judges that | | | | for the last several weeks. He continues to raise |
| will serve American interests and not the ideologies | | | | money by the truck loads. DeLay also has an |
| of either the right or left wing? Let's re-involve those | | | | interesting habit of brow-beating lobbies to hire |
| who have the most intimate knowledge of the | | | | people whom he favors in exchange for access to |
| quality of our judges-the ABA-and those who | | | | House Republicans. While DeLay's practice is not |
| represent citizens-our senators--and let's let the | | | | technically illegal, it is-quite simply--wrong. This is not |
| democratic system work.When I consider the kind of | | | | how democratic leaders should behave. It is how the |
| judge I would most appreciate, here's what I think | | | | mafia would act if it were running the House of |
| of: a judge who will stand up for my rights as an | | | | Representatives.$ Acting in their time-honored spirit |
| American; a judge who understands that choosing to | | | | of partisanship, The House recently changed their |
| have an abortion must be a woman's right (This is | | | | ethic rules in order to prevent Tom DeLay from |
| the law. Not just my opinion but the law); a judge | | | | getting his fourth reprimand in two years. While the |
| who understands that affirmative action is an | | | | House was changing its rules to protect DeLay, |
| important part of making the American playing field | | | | Speaker Dennis Hastert removed several Republicans, |
| level for all Americans. Additionally, I want a judge | | | | including the ethics committee chairman, Joel Hefley |
| who knows that business has to grow, but not at | | | | (R) from Colorado and appointed Republicans who |
| the expense of workers' safety, workers' wages, or | | | | were close to Mr. DeLay. The committee has been |
| the environment. Finally, I want a judge who is free | | | | locked in a partisan battle over investigating DeLay's |
| to interpret the Constitution without feeling that he | | | | latest ethical charges ever since the rules change. |
| she is beholden to a single group or individual.When I | | | | Ironically, because of this stalemate, Mr. Delay has |
| consider the kind of President I want in the midst of | | | | had no forum for clearing his name; so the press has |
| our present debate over the judiciary, here's what I | | | | had a field day, acting as ethics investigators on page |
| think of: the national equivalent to the grade school | | | | one of newspapers around the country. Now, it |
| teacher we all remember who broke up fights in the | | | | appears that the Republicans are reconsidering their |
| middle of recess. She's the one who sat both parties | | | | rule changes. I'm sure there is a lesson in here |
| down and said: we are not leaving until we resolve | | | | somewhere. $ While the Republicans are |
| this problem. Ironically, this talent is one for which | | | | self-destructing, I am disappointed by how lazy the |
| George Bush was once famous. We need Mr. Bush to | | | | Democrats are these days. They seem to be sitting |
| remember that we have to work together in order | | | | on the side-line watching the Republican implosion, |
| to fight the real problems our nation faces, such as | | | | more like second stringers, the scrubs, on the bench |
| stagnant wages, terrorism, the conflict in Iraq, raising | | | | waiting for the real players, the starters, to fail. The |
| budget deficits, and an increasingly undereducated | | | | Democrats are doing nothing proactively. They do |
| population. He should be a "uniter and not a divider." | | | | not seem to have any plans or ideas to move the |
| At the very least, Mr. Bush should return to the | | | | country forward. Where is an alternative tax plan, a |
| nation's traditional method of nominating judges. He | | | | viable social security fix, a new energy plan or |
| should withdraw all of the names of controversial | | | | something? We need more. We expect more.$ Isn't |
| judges, no matter how much he favors them | | | | it time to reconsider the twenty-four hour news |
| personally. President Bush should also share the | | | | channels? In an effort to out scoop or snoop each |
| names of possible nominees with the ABA. And then | | | | other, simple little local stories are blown out of |
| he should pay attention to the ABA's ratings as well | | | | proportion and trumpeted as "national news." Please!?! |
| as to Karl Rove's advice. The Democrats should | | | | Recently, a bride in a small town in Georgia got cold |
| agree to consider seriously any nominee the | | | | feet before her wedding day and took off. She was |
| President sends them who also has earned a superior | | | | photogenic, which probably helped to push the story; |
| rating from the ABA. The Republicans should agree | | | | and she tried to cover herself by leaving clues that |
| to support judges with superior ratings as well. If the | | | | suggested she might have been abducted. Soon this |
| President and both parties were to agree to these | | | | woman's domestic problems became national news. |
| procedures, friendly compromises can be made and | | | | There were searches. A mysterious couple and a van |
| America wins. This is the way a democracy should | | | | were investigated. The finger pointing started. "The |
| work.* * * * *We have now received a third report | | | | husband-to-be has a guilty look. He won't take a |
| from our government stating that our intelligence on | | | | police lie detector test." But the bride turned up, |
| Iraq prior to our invasion was completely wrong. | | | | unharmed. The nation heaved a sigh of relief. Then |
| Unfortunately, this comes as no surprise to anyone | | | | we were told she just ran away. Eyebrows cocked, |
| who has followed this administration. The President | | | | the Julia Roberts Runaway Bride movie was invoked, |
| and his advisors seem to operate upon their own set | | | | and the nation snickered. My question is: why was |
| of beliefs, and facts are---well--not necessarily that | | | | this national news? The fact that neither the House |
| important. Despite the fact that we have enormous | | | | nor the Senate has proposed a balanced budget in |
| and generally competent intelligence-gathering | | | | the face of a $400 billion deficit this year is national |
| capacities, it would seem that our President has not | | | | news. But Americans are bored by a story of such |
| been as inquisitive as, I believe, a good leader should | | | | importance, preferring ones about a runaway bride in |
| be. He and his advisors have not convinced me that | | | | Georgia. I'm reminded of lines from a Don Henley |
| they ask enough thoughtful, probing questions about | | | | song: "Dirty little secrets. Dirty little lies. We got our |
| issues before hurrying into action. Now, if we look | | | | dirty little fingers in everybody's pie. We love to cut |
| back on the ultimatum that our President gave | | | | you down to size. We love dirty laundry."Errington C. |
| Saddam Hussein in 2002, I am outraged. Mr. Bush | | | | Thompson, MD, is a surgeon, scholar, fulltime sports |
| asked for a full and complete accounting of Saddam's | | | | fan and part-time political activist. He is active in a |
| weapons of mass destruction. The way he did this | | | | number of community projects and initiatives. |
| reminds me of the old trick question that has no | | | | Through medicine, he strives to improve the physical |
| acceptable answer: "Have you stopped beating your | | | | health of all he treats. Through this book, he hopes |
| wife?"Because the administration "knew"-despite | | | | to share his thoughts and reflections on the current |
| intelligence to the contrary-- that Saddam Hussein | | | | political landscape.Dr. Thompson was educated at |
| had weapons of mass destruction, no answer that | | | | Emory University and Southwestern Medical School |
| Saddam could have given would have avoided | | | | and currently resides in the mountains of Western |
| confrontation. If the Iraqi leader said that he did not | | | | North Carolina. |
| have any weapons, the administration would have | | | | |