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