Diane Lane Photo of the Week

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More "RINO" Rage

Cassandra at Villainous Company takes on those Miers whiners. Quite well, in fact. And she uses bell curves and other stat thingies. What's not to like? A long post, but well worth reading.

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Jessica Biehl Named "Sexiest Woman Alive"

By Esquire Magazine:

I'd be hard-pressed to argue that one. Especially if you review the evidence here: Jessica Biehl (NSFW)

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Nice Logo

Robbo the Llama Butcher stumbled upon this sweet bar logo. I figured what the hell and I googled "Donkey Bar". Looky what I found:

Interesting how it designates itself as a "family bar". But, honestly, would you want to subject your family to this:

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Quote Of The Day

Howard Dean, on MSNBC's "Hardball", when asked about the President's ability to claim executive privilege regarding his converstations with Harriet Miers:

Well, certainly the president can claim executive privilege - but in this case, I think with a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, you can't play uh, you know, hide the, the salami, or whatever it's called.

I admit I'm at a loss on this one. Anyone?

h/t: Ace

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That $%$&#*@ McCain!

Though the veins on Mark Levin's forehead are still throbbing incessantly, he acknowledges the role that the John McCain's "Gang of 14" may have played in the Miers nomination by keeping the judicial filibuster tactic alive. more...

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The Fallacy Of The Two-Party System

Here in the U.S., we scratch our heads at the multi-party systems of European governments (and even Canada's), seeing them as so different from our own. It seems to us that a two-party system makes things so cut and dried, either one party is in power or the other - two opposing sides.

In Parliamentary systems, the winning party often does not constitute a majority and must rely on "coalitions" with other parties to make up a majority. It's a concept that at first glance seems so foreign to Americans. The assumption, however, that voters identify themselves as only Republicans or Democrats or consistently vote for one or the other if they are not affiliated is inaccurate.

In the two-party system, coalitions are very much alive and well. Remember that fully one-third (or more) of the electorate does not belong to a specific political party. The reality of party organization and funding - not to mention the Electoral College - makes it near impossible to form a successful third party. But that does not mean one could not attract enough support to alter an election's outcome. There are many examples in American history: Ross Perot's Reform Party, George Wallace's American Independent Party, Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party, to name a few. more...

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Tolkien Geek Update

Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Six is posted.

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I've Got Your "Base" Right Here

Wow. You want hostility? I'll give you hostility. Beth at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy has had it up to here with George Will. And she has a few choice words for those shrieking Conservatives throwing hissy-fits over the Miers nomination.

Not for the faint-hearted or profanity-averse. But an excellent post. When folks on the Right say "we" elected George W. Bush, they need to remember that 62 million Americans voted for him and that number represents a very diverse group.

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Quote Of The Day

From James Lileks, on the Conservative punditry:

TheyÂ’re never happy nowadays. These were the people who caught a whiff of Souterism in John RobertÂ’s nomination, and wouldnÂ’t be happy unless a nominee announced his intention to back Souter into a corner in the cloakroom and give him a turbo-wedgie every day.

That visual is absolutely killing me here.

Hat Tip to Hugh Hewitt

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Weird Science

Remember the John Travolta/Nicolas Cage move "Face/Off"? I always wondered if that were possible.

It just may be: US Plans First Face Transplant. Can I get a big "Ooooh, Aaaah" on this one?

H/T: Ace

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Conservatives Won't Trust Bush, But They'll Trust The Senate?

It's been several days since the President nominated Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court and many Conservatives are still fuming. George Will's op-ed yesterday, while well argued, was a shot across the White House's bow that may have made the situation worse by handing Democrats plenty of non-ideological arguments that they can use during her confirmation hearings.

The emotion being felt on the Right is understandable, but as we move forward I think we need to step back a bit and do some serious reflection over this matter. There are a lot of things about Miers that we do not know, true. But there are many things about this whole process that we also do not know. more...

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Watch "Lost" Tonight

Or don't. I just wanted an excuse to post a picture of Evangeline Lilly.

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In Defense Of Pragmatism

My fellow Chillin' Coalition member, Mark from Decison '08, looks at making the best of a rough situation with regard to the Miers nomination.

Ironically, the choices that would have fired up the base would have probably turned off vast parts of the public. We cannot force the mainstream to embrace our cause anymore than the Left can; we must work constantly to sell it. Ramming through a hardcore, known conservative because we have the votes and alienating the electorate is just not smart politics for the future.

Rather, we must painstakingly move the center to the right, until conservative judicial principles ARE the mainstream.

I would like to add as a reminder that, yes, many Republicans have been let down by President Bush in the areas of Federal spending and Immigration. But, when you look at the top three priorities of this Administration: the GWOT, tax cuts and judicial nominations, it's important to note that Bush hasn't screwed over his base once...not a single time. I think it's premature to assume that he has done so here.

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The "Strategery" Of Harry Reid

One of the biggest gripes I've been reading around the Conservative Blogosphere the last couple of days is about the praise that Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid has been heaping on Harriet Miers. The rationale seems to be "Look! If Reid likes her, Bush really looks like a fool!" Frankly, a lot of folks on the Right would much rather see Reid lose his shit on the Senate floor over a nomination.

Well, guess what people? Reid knows this all to well and he's playing it to the hilt. He gushed even more about Miers yesterday. I'm sure his hope is that if he can goad the Right into doing his job for him, by discrediting her, his battle is half won. Hell, maybe the Republican Senators can make better arguments against her than Democrats can.

Who cares if Reid says he "likes her"? He said he "liked" John Roberts only minutes before he voted against him. All Reid is doing is setting Miers up so he can later say, "Gee, I did like Harriet Miers until it become clear to me that she [fill in the complaint here]. It's such a shame I can no longer support her nomination."

This is a game that Harry Reid and the Democrats are starting to figure out how to play. Should we really be helping him? The die is cast. Miers is the nominee and that's not going to change. It seems foolish to be ripping her this early in the process. Vent if you will, but remember that what you say can and will be used against her during the hearings.

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"Grounding" The Court

Texas Senator John Cornyn has on op-ed in OpinionJournal.com this morning in support of Miers. He brings up several aspects of her resume that have been thus far overlooked.

And he makes an interesting point that reinforces what folks like "the Great One" Mark Levin have been saying recently about the courts in general and SCOTUS in particular (see Levin's excellent book "Men In Black"):

It is true that she was not educated at East Coast universities and has not spent her entire career inside the Beltway. This, again, is a plus in my book, not a minus. Anyone who has followed the Supreme Court in recent years knows that what the institution needs most is a dose of life beyond Washington. Last year, the court permitted a public display of the Ten Commandments in Texas, but not in Kentucky. It took nine justices on the court 10 different opinions to explain why this was so. The court is dangerously out of touch with America. Ms. Miers will help bring it back down to earth.

I think as we learn more about Harriet Miers, such fierce opponents as Levin may get a better comfort level with her. Of course, I'm not holding my breath.

UPDATE: 10:20am
Tony Blankely is reluctantly signing on.

As in life, so in politics, if one seeks disappointment one will surely find it. And conservatives have not had to look hard this week to find the gloom. But it is the disappointment of an unrequited ardor, of a not yet fully consummated passion. Such youthful vigor inevitably finds its satisfaction.

Consider, in the alternative, the deeper disappointment that liberals contemplate in this dreary autumn of their aspirations.

The last remaining champions of their principles sit aged and infirm on the high bench -- their former brilliance now brittle and susceptible to being chiseled and crumbled by even the most modest conservative laborers.

Victory may not be heroic, but it will be ours.

Again, let's go "big picture" here.

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Tolkien Geek Update

Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Five is posted.

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The Deadliest Weapon

Via Cox & Forkum

h/t: The Skipper at BMEWS

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Coalition Of The Chillin' : SCOTUS Division

I'm in! Scroll two posts down for my position.

As Lorie Byrd says:

How can those of us on the right ask the Democrats to give President BushÂ’s nominees a chance before passing judgment, when some of our own are not willing to do so?

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Doubting Thomas

Drudge links this 1991 National Review article that actually refers to Clarence Thomas as "Souteresque". WTF?

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