Other Possible Nay Votes:

We must also pay attention to those Democrats whose credentials on abortion rights are less than stellar. Swinging Republican votes matters little when we lack unity within our own party.

Potential Problem Democrats:

If you’re registered to vote in any of the above states, please make sure to mention that you’re a constituent when you call. And for those of you registered elsewhere - send friendly messages of support. Let them know that the future of a woman’s right to choose is in their hands - and that you’re watching.

It’s Alito

President Bush is set to announce Samuel Alito Jr. as his nominee for the O’Connor vacancy at 8am EST today say news sources.

Alito is a conservative, anti-abortion judge who has (fairly or otherwise) earned the nickname “Scalito” - for his Scalia-like conservatism. According to White House officials quoted here, “Bush believes that Alito has not only the right experience and conservative ideology for the job, but he also has a temperament suited to building consensus on the court. A former prosecutor, Alito has experience off the bench that factored into Bush’s thinking.”

His judicial record on abortion is most prominently represented by his dissenting opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals - saying that the constitution required a married woman to notify her husband before having an abortion.

I’m not too happy about this…
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News of the Nomination

I’ve been updating my Bush’s Undoing post so many times I decided it was time for a running timeline of the new nomination, which according to CNN will be announced tomorrow. ACSBlog thinks it’s Alito.

10/30/2005 9:27pm - The New York Times reports that Senate Minority Leader Harry Ried (D-NV) has warned Bush not to nominate Alito….

Bush’s Undoing

My mother - who also happens to be a head shrinker - often argues that President Bush is so inflated that he can’t see his own failings. She says that this will be his undoing - and I couldn’t agree more. Bush’s recent behavior in the wake of the worst week of his presidency illustrates this concept perfectly.

According to one Republican strategist who spoke to The Washington Post on condition of anonymity, this White House is faced with “very big structural problems…It’s not like it’s a one-shot deal where they hit bottom and then bounce back. I’m not sure they’ve reached bottom yet.”

When faced with problems on this scale - scandal, corruption, a mismanaged war, a bad Supreme Court nomination, and low approval ratings - previous administrations have cleaned house. According to University of Texas government professor Walter Dean Burnham, it’s imperative to bring in fresh faces who are not closely involved with the administration. This sort of restructuring apparently helps to clear the air and reestablish an administration’s credibility. Even Bush’s political idol Ronald Reagan did it, bringing in Howard Baker as chief of staff after Iran-Contra.

But this president? Not a chance! According to administration officials quoted in this New York Times article, “he appears to see little need for the wholesale housecleaning that previous administrations tried in times of upheaval.” Bush is loathe to ever admit a mistake or acknowledge a weakness. What’s more, he doesn’t like to be surrounded with people who will tell him he’s wrong. He’s spent a great deal of time and energy weeding dissenters out of his ranks and rewarding those who have proven their loyalty. He’s not about to stop the self-congratulation, even when things look bleak for his administration. This is part of his inflation. And if he doesn’t grow some humility, bow to political wisdom and implement a turnaround - you can bet it will be his undoing.
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Postscript: The news brings more evidence that Bush intends to return quickly to business as usual - distracting Americans from whatever ails his administration with fearmongering tactics and newsmaking in other areas.

Nevertheless, I am so excited to find out who Bush will nominate next that I’ve asked my fiancé, who lives on the East Coast, to please call me if a nominee is announced before I wake up.

[UPDATE 8:58pm] CNN has a cool breakdown of the possible nominees.

[UPDATE 9:15pm] ACSBlog thinks it’s Alito, but also says he’s not the Scalia clone he’s often made out to be.

In response, my good friend Jessica “Monica Lewinsky” Case says, “I’m not sure that makes me feel better. Not being a Scalia clone is not good enough for me. Although it is a quality I look for in a justice.”

Thomas Frank’s What’s the Matter with Kansas? is Wrong on Abortion

I agree with Frank Rich of The New York Times when he says that Thomas Frank’s What’s the Matter with Kansas is, “the year’s most prescient political book.” By and large, Frank is right on the money in his analysis of the radical right’s use of so-called values to turn Middle America Republican. But he’s got it wrong when it comes to the material goals of the anti-choice movement.

On page 96 of his book, he writes:

The pro-life origins of the Kansas conservative movement present us with a striking historical irony. Historians often attribute the withering and disappearance of the nineteenth-century Populist movement to its failure to achieve material, real-world goals. It never managed to nationalize the railroads, or set up an agricultural price-support system, or remonetize silver, the argument goes, and eventually voters just got sick of its endless calls to take a stand against the “money power.” Yet with the pro-life movement, the material goal of stopping abortion is, almost by definition, beyond achieving.

Thus far, Frank is still completely right in both in his comparison of Populism to the anti-choice movement, and in his claim that abortion is impossible to stop. But his next few sentences are a complete departure from reality:

Ask even the hardest-core activists, and they will admit that there is little that can be done to halt the practice without a fundamental shift on the Supreme Court. [emphasis added] Their movement, however, just seems to grow and grow. The material goal doesn’t seem to matter.

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Blogging from the Blog Business Summit’s Blogging 101 Seminar

Hoo boy! That’s a lot of blogging. So it’s kind of odd that I don’t have much to say today. It’s a busy Saturday for me. I’m working the seminar all day, then playing a gig with the No Jive Five tonight.

So I will leave you, dear reader, with this picture from my last night in Claremont. We built a bonfire at the Wash and made s’mores and drank tequila sunrises. I poured some tequila on the fire and it went crazy. It was really cool. It feels like a million years ago and many lessons learned later. To think it was early June…

Happy Indictment Day!!!!

Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy!  Indictments! Indictments!

Ok, indictment - there’s only been one so far.  But it’s a doozy .  And it speaks volumes about what Fitzgerald - henceforth to be known affectionately as "Fitzi" - is thinking.

From what I understand about the way these things work - and granted, my understanding isn’t all that comprehensive - the fact that Libby was indicted means that Fitzi and the Grand Jury (hey, that sounds like a great name for a band)  don’t believe  or can’t prove that this scandal goes higher than Libby in the Vice President’s office.

But by informing Karl "Turdblossom" Rove that he’s a target of the investigation but not indicting him - Fitzi is telling Turdblossom that he’s got the shit on him, but he has bigger fish to fry.  Now maybe Rove is just a smaller co-conspirator in Libby’s devious - and totally independent - plot to bring down Valerie Plame.  But I think it’s equally likely that Fitzi knows that Rove has something on someone even higher up in the administration.  Someone with more authority, and therefore more guilt and more to lose.

Dare I say it?  Could it be?

Bush?

Oh lord I hope I’m right.  But if my analysis on this one is way off base - please call me on it.  I want to hear the universe’s response on this one.

Happy Indictment Day to all!  Oh yeah, and Shabbat Shalom!

Image via The New York Times.

[UPDATE 10:32] Andrew Sullivan’s readers have some excellent insights into Fitzi’s strategy. They think it’s about Cheney. I think it’s about Bush. Either way - someone’s goose is clearly cooked.

And the Talking Points Memo has hilighted a very interesting and important section of the indictment. [WARNING! - Indictment is a huge PDF file.

Free at Last!!!

You’re probably asking yourselves, “what crazy lefty liberal pinko commie thing is she going on about now?” But it’s not liberal or conservative or anywhere on the political spectrum.

Yes, yes, I know the Plamegate indictments will be handed down tomorrow, Harriet Miers stepped down, and 2,000 soldiers have died in Iraq. All those things are important. Very very important. If you want to read about Bush’s nightmare week, click here.

But this blog is called TeresaCentric after all - so I’m going to indulge in a moment of shameless narcissism by posting photos of my new haircut. That’s right, I’m free at last from the burdens of long hair!!!! Free from Andy affectionately putting his arm around my shoulders only to find me screaming, “HAIR!!! HAIR!!!! OWWWWW!!!” in his ear. Free from the weight of a million and one frizzy, damaged curls hanging all over the place. Free from long hair. Oh baby! Sweet sweet victory!!!!

And if you like my hair, and you’re in Seattle, and you want a great hairstylist - the best in town is Sherri at 13 Boston on Queen Anne. This woman is an artist. She’s the Michaelangelo of hair. And it’s not prohibitively expensive to have her do yours. Call 13 Boston for your appointment today, (206) 282-3377.

And no, I’m not being paid to talk Sherri up. She’s just incredible!!!

“In a Month, Who Will Remember the Name Harriet Miers?”

Trent Lott said that this morning after Harriet Miers withdrew from the confirmation process to the Supreme Court. And Lott is right - her nomination won’t even be given the same amount of notoriety as Robert Bork’s. (Although that might be in part because she doesn’t have nearly as cool a last name. Plus, the word “borked” is just too much fun to use.)

But I for one think her reasons for withdrawing are a load of hooey! Protect the separation of powers, my ass! Miers’ nomination was designed specifically to destroy the separation of powers by giving the executive branch a buddy on the court. No, what’s going on here is a clear cut case of the administration trying to look like they haven’t screwed up royally - but I think most people see through it.

What remains to be seen is who Bush will nominate next. After all the trouble Miers caused - the country needs a quick confirmation. He should pick someone who is a no-brainer for both Democrats and Republicans to embrace as they did Roberts. He needs a thoughtful, intelligent conservative judge with a proven track record of understanding the nuances of each case and interpreting the Constitution strictly. Someone like…Edith Clement.

C’mon Georgie - she’s fantastic! She’s the obvious choice. If you nominate Gonzales, you’ll just get more accusations of cronyism. If you tap Janice Rodgers Brown or Priscilla Owen, you’ll face an uphill confirmation battle featuring the nuclear option. It will get ugly. And you can’t afford ugliness with your approval ratings the way they are. Clement is the logical choice.

Cle-MENT! Cle-MENT! Cle-MENT!

::can you tell I have a favorite?::

Candlelight Vigil for 2,000 American Soldiers Killed in Iraq

It’s good to be reminded that there are other patriotic Americans who are as upset about this war as I am. Looking around at the faces of the men, women, children (and puppies) who stood together on the corner of 70th and 132nd in Kirkland’s Bridle Trails neighborhood tonight - I felt like perhaps this country isn’t lost after all.

George W. Bush may be a megalomaniac. He may be undermining our middle class, our courts, our rights to our bodies, our public education system, and our basic freedoms - but he can never undermine the American spirit. And when Americans stand shoulder to shoulder, filled with the spirit that led to this nation’s founding and say, “no more!” then we can bring down this administration and all it stands for.

We are the progressives, and we want to talk about values. We value a strong America that stands as a beacon in the world for equality and justice. We value investment in our country’s future through fair, well-planned taxes. We value every American’s right to worship free from persecution. We value every American’s access to medical care. We stand for a future in which Americans will have universal access to birth control and good medical information, so that there will never have to be another abortion. We stand for a strong, vibrant middle class. We stand for an intellectual community that is no longer elite, because it is the home of every man, woman, and child in this great country. We stand for equal access to education and employment, and equal pay for equal work. And we stand for the fulfillment of the American dream.

We’re here. We’re ready. Join us.

Hurricane Wilma Through My Fiancé’s Eyes

My fiancé, Andrew Sparrow, is a teacher in Vero Beach, FL. Below is his account of Hurricane Wilma and its aftermath.

On Monday, October 24th, Hurricane Wilma hit Vero Beach, FL at 10:00 in the morning. The power in my apartment complex, which is mostly small one-bedrooms, went out around 11:00. I live on in a part of the city that is relatively low-income, and the power has still not been turned back on. The power is also still out in Steward, Port St. Lucie, and Fort Pierce. Where power is back on is Northern Vero Beach by the bay, and on Orchid Island.

Nothing about that should strike anybody as shocking, wrong, or even interesting. Unless you consider the property values of the places that have power, and the property values in the places where the power has not yet been restored. Orchid Island is where all the richest people in Indian River County live. Northern Vero Beach has the second highest property values in Vero Beach. The places with the lowest property values, Steward and Port St. Lucie, are not projected to have power back up for several more days. I would also note that demographically, Steward and Ft. Pierce have large African-American and Hispanic populations, while Orchid Island is mainly white.

I would think after watching poor black people die in Hurricane Katrina while their rich white counterparts fled, that the local governments in Florida would be interested in creating a class and race blind relief policy. But that does not seem to be the case, and it leaves me wondering when our government will stop implementing blatantly racist and classist policies.

Prussian Blue…Hoo Boy!

I first read about white supremacist band Prussian Blue on the Jewilicious site. They’re a pair of cute little California blonde twins somewhere in their early teens - so at first I was really freaked when I read on their site that they might soon cross over into mainstream alternative rock. After all, cute little blonde girls, particularly twins, tend to make big splashes in the minds of other little girls - cute and blonde or not. And we don’t want a white supremacists to have a Britney Spearslike influence over our young women.

But then I watched their video Victory Day (no link) and my worries went right out the window. These two SUCK big time! They appear to actually have less musical talent than Britney Spears, if that’s possible.

And since they’re white supremacists, I feel completely 100% justified in making fun of them for being a crappy band.

Ha-ha!

Dubya Not a Happy Camper

Apparently, President Bush hasn’t been an easy guy to work for these past few weeks. According to a New York Daily News article, he’s been taking his frustrations out on his staffers.

Says the article:

“The President is just unhappy in general and casting blame all about,” said one Bush insider. “Andy [Card, the chief of staff] gets his share. Karl gets his share. Even Cheney gets his share. And the press gets a big share.”

The vice president remains Bush’s most trusted political confidant. Even so, the Daily News has learned Bush has told associates Cheney was overly involved in intelligence issues in the runup to the Iraq war that have been seized on by Bush critics.

Bush is so dismayed that “the only person escaping blame is the President himself,” said a sympathetic official, who delicately termed such self-exoneration “illogical.”

And it doesn’t look like his staffers are in for a break from the scapegoating anytime soon.

The administration continues to take fire from all quarters. Republican Senators this week have expressed their lack of enthusiasm for Bush’s Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers. Karl Rove and Scooter Libby have been officially informed that they are in legal trouble due to obstruction of justice in the Plame leak case.

Meanwhile, all his grandstanding for Hurricane Rita didn’t do much to boost his job approval rating after the abysmal federal screwup that was Hurricane Katrina. In fact, his approval ratings have sunk so low that Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano has a higher approval rating among Arizona Republicans than he does. Keep in mind that Napolitano is not only a Democrat, but reportedly queer as a three dollar bill.

It’s almost enough to make me feel sorry for the guy. Almost…

2,000 Deaths in Iraq

This war…

These are the faces, the names of those we’ve lost in a war based on lies. You tell these 2,000 fine, brave people that their deaths were not in vain.

I dare you.

More Than Lip Service for Rosa Parks

Sad news from Detroit Today: Rosa Parks has died at the age of 92.

She has been romanticized as the “mother of the civil rights movement” for her decision not to give up her bus seat to a white man on a bus in Mongomery, Alabama on December 1, 1955. But as Martin Luther King said in his book Stride Toward Freedom, “Mrs. Parks’s arrest was the precipitating factor rather than the cause of the protest. The cause lay deep in the record of similar injustices … Eventually the cup of endurance runs over, and the human personality cries out, ‘I can take it no longer.’”

Parks was a very private person. She much preferred to be behind the scenes at the NAACP. At the time of her arrest, according to the New York Times, she was organizing a bus boycott around the arrest of a 15-year old girl for doing the same thing that she did - refusing to give up her seat.

But when it was discovered that the girl was pregnant, Dr. King and other Montgomery civil rights leaders decided that she was not fit to be the symbol of their movement. Keep in mind that this was a decision coming in part from a man - Dr. King - who for all his greatness was a rampant adulterer. The stark reality of that decision is that a man who engages in sexual impropriety can be the leader of a great movement for equality, but an unmarried pregnant girl cannot even be its symbol.
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Dalia Lithwick Sheds Light on Motivations for Miers Nomination

Sometimes I manage to convince myself that even though President Bush is the worst president we’ve ever had, he’s not going to be able to destroy this country. Then I read something like this article by Dalia Lithwick.

Lithwick’s analysis of the situation is that while Roberts and Miers look very different on the surface, they both reflect a troubling trend in President Bush’s policies regarding the judiciary.

Says Lithwick:

The president has long claimed that Congress and the courts were usurping his powers. The hallmark of his presidency has been efforts to reclaim those powers, be it through Patriot Act provisions that curtail judicial oversight, his invention of new courts to deliver justice-lite to Guantánamo detainees or threats to veto legislation that would prohibit torture.

Consider this: Chief Justice Roberts’s judicial philosophy - to the extent he admits to one - is of “modesty.” Throughout his public life, an overwhelming jurisprudential concern has been the constraint of judicial power. He made it clear at his hearings and in rulings from the federal bench that the court exists not to act - not even to react - but chiefly to interpret passively. He has defended court-stripping legislation and argued for limiting judicial remedies.

If you think of John Roberts as the justice who will urge a far more sweeping judicial deference - particularly to the executive branch - the subsequent Miers nomination makes sense. If Mr. Bush wants to refashion the courts into a weaker, passive entity that exists primarily to check its own institutional prerogatives, then a former White House counsel like Ms. Miers is the perfect choice.

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“Uniter, not a Divider,” President Bush Finally Lives Up to His Campaign Promise

When George W. Bush first ran for president in 2000, he claimed that he was a “uniter, not a divider.” Now hindsight shows us that this campaign promise was even more dishonest than most.

And as with most of his decisions, President Bush was not looking to unite the country with this Supreme Court nominee. Harriet Miers was supposed to represent a victory in the so-called “culture war” that Republicans have exploited to dominate the electorate. But somehow, the Miers nomination managed to do what few other Bush policies have - bring right and left together.

When else in recent memory have we seen Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean on the same page about an issue? This week, both Brownback and Dean have expressed frustration with President Bush’s refusal to release Miers’ work product from her years in the White House, citing executive privilege.

Releasing her papers, said Brownback is “almost a risk they assume when you nominate a candidate that’s from inside the White House.”

And Chairman Dean agreed - “If the president wants to get this nomination through, with all the flak he’s getting from the right wing, he needs to waive executive privilege. If we don’t get those documents, she can’t get confirmed.”

According to Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), senators on both sides of the aisle have reservations about Miers’ qualifications, her judicial philosophy, and her loyalty to this White House. Conservative and liberal pundits have expressed similar levels of bewilderment and disappointment with this nominee. Even I - Dean liberal that I am - developed an unlikely crush on Ann Coulter after she called Miers “the cleaning lady” on Real Time with Bill Maher.

Dean said that this is “probably the most mismanaged nomination I’ve ever seen.” And mismanaged it has been. How else could a unifying issue come from a White House with such a vested interest in keeping the country divided?

So congratulations, Mr. President! You’ve finally managed to unite the country…against you.

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