# Re Miers appointment Columnist George Will kinda-sorta calls President Bush an idiot **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 5, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830 "2005-10-05T03:20:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/1 "2005-10-05T03:20:13Z")
Conservative columnist George Will sounds \*really \*pissed. Is Will’s attitude justified? Has Bush been irresponsible? [Miers is the wrong pick](http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/georgewill/2005/10/04/159414.html) > [@](#): > > It is not important that she be confirmed because there is no evidence that she is among the leading lights of American jurisprudence, or that she possesses talents commensurate with the Supreme Court’s tasks. The president’s ``argument’’ for her amounts to: Trust me. There is no reason to, for several reasons. > > ``` > He has neither the inclination nor the ability to make sophisticated judgments about competing approaches to construing the Constitution. Few presidents acquire such abilities in the course of their prepresidential careers, and this president, particularly, is not disposed to such reflections > > ``` …and Will is only getting started - ---
**Author:** ![bannerrefugee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@bannerrefugee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bannerrefugee)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/2 "2005-10-05T03:36:49Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Has Bush been irresponsible? > > [Miers is the wrong pick](http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/georgewill/2005/10/04/159414.html) > > …and Will is only getting started - Yes. But at least he is consistent. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/3 "2005-10-05T03:50:17Z")
Yep. That’s the least. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/4 "2005-10-05T04:02:58Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Has Bush been irresponsible? Isn’t Rovish Machiavellianism the more likely explanation? From [RedState:](http://www.redstate.org/story/2005/10/4/183140/853) > [@](#): > > Now we are in this position: If the Democrats accept Miers they will most likely have put a female Scalia on the bench. If the Democrats now reject Miers, the President can make the case that he (A) consulted the Democrats; (B) took one of their own recommendations; (C) saw them reject she who they recommended; (D) so now he feels free to go with someone like Alito or Luttig or Batchelder or Corrigan. Too bad Okham’s dead. We could ask _him_. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/5 "2005-10-05T04:32:33Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Isn’t Rovish Machiavellianism the more likely explanation? Karl Rove is good at what he does, but he is _way_ too far inside some people’s heads. We have nothing so far that tells me Miers is a female Scalia. Isn’t it better to find out if she is one than to assume she must be, since Rove has nominated her and come up with a brilliant scheme to get a hardliner on the bench? ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/6 "2005-10-05T04:41:39Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Karl Rove is good at what he does, but he is _way_ too far inside some people’s heads. We have nothing so far that tells me Miers is a female Scalia. Isn’t it better to find out if she is one than to assume she must be, since Rove has nominated her and come up with a brilliant scheme to get a hardliner on the bench? GW must think she is a “Scallia or Thomas” and that’s one hopeful sign. He has had damned few correct thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/7 "2005-10-05T05:15:41Z")
Firstly, I’m not convinced that the GOP “powers that be” want Roe overturned. It would be a disaster for the Republican party. We’ve been over that many times on this board. What Will is getting at is this: Some on the right held their noses while voting for Bush hoping that at least he’d remake the court in the image of Scalia. George Will in particular has grown leery of the Iraq war, and now he doesn’t even get the court he wanted. Buyers remorse. Many seem to feel betrayed because of all the work that went into getting Scalia-type justices in the appelatte courts, and wonder why Bush didn’t pick one of them. After all, why bother with someone that he has to say “trust me” on when there are so many well qualified justices that don’t require any trust. Of course, that view ignores the reality of the situation that someone like Scalia probably couldn’t be confirmed today, even with 55 GOP Senators. ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/8 "2005-10-05T10:15:59Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Isn’t Rovish Machiavellianism the more likely explanation? From [RedState:](http://www.redstate.org/story/2005/10/4/183140/853) Too bad Okham’s dead. We could ask _him_. The piece in RedState is by an anoymous hack with no better information than I have (which is to say, virtually none). It shouldn’t really be compared to Will’s piece. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/9 "2005-10-05T10:22:29Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > GW must think she is a “Scallia or Thomas” and that’s one hopeful sign. He has had damned few correct thoughts. If he thinks that Mike Brown did a heck of a job with FEMA… well, I wouldn’t trust any of his judgements of character to be accurate. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/10 "2005-10-05T11:43:56Z")
There has been one defining characteristic of the Bush administration: Cronyism. Bush takes friends and puts them places because he trusts them. He stands behind them one hundred percent, as well. This is a very old friend of his, his lawyer. I see nothing especially Rovian here. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/11 "2005-10-05T12:07:21Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > There has been one defining characteristic of the Bush administration: Cronyism. Bush takes friends and puts them places because he trusts them. But what administration hasn’t done that? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/12 "2005-10-05T13:27:54Z")
You never can tell what little thing will drive George Will over the edge. Who knew that he was still seething about the passage of campaign finance reform? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/13 "2005-10-05T13:30:44Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Firstly, I’m not convinced that the GOP “powers that be” want Roe overturned. It would be a disaster for the Republican party. We’ve been over that many times on this board. That said, there is indeed a significant chunk of the reliable GOP base that damn well **does** want RvW overturned. Overturned, beaten up, taken out back and shot, then buried in an unmarked grave at a crossroads at midnight with salt in its mouth. It’s an interesting line. If we presume that the value to the party leadership in RvW is the issue of it and not the actual overturning they’ve got to walk a fine line in serving their political ends and not their constituents demands. Feh. Better them than me. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/14 "2005-10-05T13:32:48Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > If he thinks that Mike Brown did a heck of a job with FEMA… well, I wouldn’t trust any of his judgements of character to be accurate. Exactly. Mier might very well turn out to be (gasp) an Earl Warren. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/15 "2005-10-05T13:38:16Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > But what administration hasn’t done that? Probably every administration has done this to some extent. But I don’t recall another one that has done it seemingly to the exclusion of all other choices. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/16 "2005-10-05T13:39:02Z")
This is simply political payback to a crony. She handled Bush’s legal problems for a long time, she gets nominated. This stuff is expected in Southern politics, & Bush’s politics are very Southern. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/17 "2005-10-05T13:43:01Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > But what administration hasn’t done that? To the extent Bush has? None in my memory. Care to offer some evidence to the contrary? –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/18 "2005-10-05T14:35:47Z")
How long has it been since George Will had serious influence on political thought in America, anyway? Seems he’s been just another entertainer for a long time now. Bush’s emphasis on personal loyalty above all else, even the world of fact, has never been a seriously debatable topic. Just look at his defense of Rafael Palmeiro after his failed steroid test - “He’s a friend of mine and I believe him.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/19 "2005-10-05T14:44:29Z")
Well, even if I don’t always agree with Will, I’ll always give him a respectful listen. He’s in my top ten of commentators in this regard. I know a few liberals who feel the same way about him. So the answer to your question is that he has a good bit more influence than you do, **ElvisL1ves**. Lots more than I do as well. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830/20 "2005-10-05T16:12:47Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > To the extent Bush has? None in my memory. Care to offer some evidence to the contrary? > > –Cliffy Before we can answer that, I think you need to show us exactly how far Bush’s cronyism extends. Else, we’re trying to make a comparison against an unknown measure. So, how do we _objectively_ gauge “cronyism?” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-miers-appointment-columnist-george-will-kinda-sorta-calls-president-bush-an-idiot/324830.md?page=2)