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