Judicial Reactionism
The Republicans' "reverse filibuster" is underway right now. I'll let
others critique their parliamentary tactics and hypocrisy in light of
their history of judicial stonewalling. I've got some thoughts about
some of their rhetorical tactics.
The Republicans have found a new toy to play with. It's a particular
family of words such as "racist" "bigot" and "hate speech" which, since
the days when many Dixiecrats defected across the aisle, have more often
than not applied more accurately to themselves.
Republicans use these words against Democratic lawmakers every time they
refuse to confirm some hateful right-wing creep who is black or hispanic
or even Catholic. They accuse Democrats of trying to prop up a facade
of ideological homogeneity for minority groups.
Their outrage might stem from a violent cognitive dissonance when
Democrats don't live up to Republicans' cartoonish view of them
enshrining minority advancement as the greatest possible good, trumping
in all cases any good sense. I suspect that on some level, many
Republicans truly believe that dark skin should be sufficient to get a
free pass from Democrats into the court system regardless of ideology or
competence.
Bush calls policies which give minorities with fewer opportunities a leg
up "the soft bigotry of lowered expectations." Of course it would be
the worst kind of "soft bigotry" to confirm, just because of their skin
color or heritage or religion, individuals who are fundamentally opposed
to the best interests of the nation: "Well, if you were a white Anglo
Saxon protestant and espoused that tortured interpretation of the
Constitution, I'd roundly denounce you, but since you're black, let me
be the first to say 'Welcome to the bench, your honor.'" But that's
exactly what the Republicans claim is the Democrats' M.O. How dare they
not live up to it when it serves the Republicans' purposes?
Of course as an added bonus, throwing around silly and frivolous
accusations of bigotry also serves the purpose of diluting the
seriousness of the charge altogether, weakening the blow the next time
it is turned back on them.
11:43:29 AM 
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