So Many Republican Hypocrites, So Little Time

September 30, 2005 |

John Roberts

Welcome back to the BuzzFlash.com GOP Hypocrite of the Week.

You kind of figure that when it comes to interviewing a person for the nation's top judge's job, he would tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

But John Roberts started off on the wrong foot when he claimed never to be a member of the Federalist Society, even though he chaired a committee less than 10 years ago. Then, he got rave reviews from the media, Republicans, and many Democratic senators not for telling the truth, but for his skill in evading it.

You could sum up the conventional wisdom attitude during his confirmation hearings as, "That's one cool cucumber."

Silly BuzzFlash, we kind of thought that the criteria for selecting a chief justice might be old fashioned characteristics like honesty, forthrightness and an ability to explain positions on the Constitution. But, apparently, now you are rated on how you avoid all three of these things. And, by those opposite standards, Judge Roberts was deemed by Washington insiders to have done a remarkable job.

Recently, we saw a Hollywood movie in which one of the characters observes, "People hear what they see." Nothing could better characterize the earnest looking Eagle Scout grin of John Roberts.

But, remember this, the specific issues of how Roberts stands on abortion, states rights, the commerce clause, and so forth -- while important to us and of political concern to the Bush Administration -- are really only secondary to why he was nominated to fill Rehnquist's position.

Here are the only characteristics about Roberts that mattered to the White House: loyalty to Bush, loyalty to Bushevism, and loyalty to the Imperial Presidency. When Rove or Cheney nods or winks, they wanted to make sure that Roberts didn't have to put on his glasses to get the message. Otherwise, his name wouldn't have been placed in nomination.

They saw a guy whose earnest demeanor made him a hard target, even though he ruled on a case in favor of vast presidential powers while he was being interviewed by Rove and Cheney for the Supreme Court position. To us commoners, that's called a conflict of interest; but to the poobahs in Washington, that is just business as usual.

We'd like to provide you with soothing words that Roberts might not be as bad as the little of his record we know makes him appear, but don't count on it. Roberts was chosen because he wouldn't have any compunction to do what Rehnquist did in 2000: steal an election for the Republicans.

He's a partisan hack with the patina of a polished, accomplished lawyer. And for that reason, he is being honored as the BuzzFlash GOP Hypocrite of the Week.

Remember our motto at BuzzFlash.com: So many Republican hypocrites, so little time.

Catch up with you soon.