James Dobson is on board.
James Dobson has been given "confidential" inside information he does not feel at liberty to share. Certainly not with Senators, who, you know, have a consititional responsibility to provide advice and consent on Meirs nomination.
So what might Mullah Dobson be hearing?
An overheard cell phone conversation in a DC cab might provide some insight.
More on the flip.
From
TPM Cafe:
Everyone is talking about the lobbying for Harriet Miers' nomination to the Supreme Court.
David Broder's column dwelt on the role and message of Leonard Leo, the on-leave executive vice president of the Federalist Society, chairman of Catholic outreach for the Republican Party, former liaison to the Catholic community for the Bush-Cheney campaign who's now working with the White House on judicial appointments. (Leo is also a member of the Four Horsemen , a group of Washington powerbrokers who are shaping Supreme Court nominee recommendations to the President.)
Leo's enthusiastic endorsement of Miers -- and Broder's conclusions that liberals have a lot to be afraid of -- are fully justified. In an overheard cell phone conversation, Leo extolled his listener with an in-depth brief on Miers' Christian beliefs, including her "literalistic" interpretation of the Bible.
He specifically mentioned that Miers believes that the world was created in seven days.
No problems with the Right Wing base, he assured his telephone contact.
Interesting thing to note on Science Friday, eh?
And here's a summary of what Mullah Dobson had to say on the GOP Miers conference call for activists yesterday:
James Dobson
* I have leaned very heavily on Colson as constitutional lawyer and appreciate him
* "This is one scary moment" because all the things I care about are at stake
* Court in the past has made decisions that usurped the other branches of gov't
* This is an "earth-shaking moment"
* HM will be an excellent justice - but of course you never know until they are on the court and have the power
* And sometimes power corrupts
* GWB made two promises during election that he has kept
1. Promised to reform the judiciary and appoint judges that don't legislate from the bench
2. He has a commitment to the pro-life movement and believes in it personally, philosophically, and theologically.
* Conservatives beating up the Prez need to stop and take a breath
* This Prez believes in the pro-life movement, he's proven it by:
o Signing the partial birth abortion bill
o Mexico City policy; and
o He's fought against embryonic stem cell research
* I've done my own research on Miers; I've talked to people in Dallas; People that have know her for 10 years, 20 years, 25 years and they all believe in her
* We've got believe the Prez has done the right thing in nominating HM
[snip]
I think a shockwave went through the conservative and Christian community when the Prez nominated Miers on Monday. But since then as more people get to know her they are very comfortable with her.
Miers is being sold to the base as a literalist fundamentalist who will adopt the same philosophical approach to the interpretation of the Constitution ("original intent"). This means she is being sold to the base as a reliable member of the Thomas/Scalia voting block.
It also means that the Right Wing has backed off its public stance that religion is not relevant to SCOTUS qualification. She is being explicitly sold to the base as an evangelical. From the same conference call yesterday, Jay Sekulow:
Jay Sekulow:
* Prez keenly aware of what's at stake
* This is a not only a legacy issue, but the direction of the country
* I've argued before the court numerous times and am getting ready to do so again on a partial-birth abortion case
* I want HM's vote
* Last time O'Connor voted against us and the outcome was 5-4
* O'Connor is a swing vote
* Miers said that judges should not be policy makers
* This is the first time since 1931 that an evangelical Christian has been nominated to the Court
* HM will do great before the Jud. Comm.
* She's very smart and will handle herself very well
* She's different than Roberts - but very smart
The GOP is saying that Miers is a reliable extremist winger. Let's get them to say it on the record during the hearings. And once they object to questions they say will reflect a religious bias, we cane use their own words against them to show how they themselves argue that religion is relevant.