(Expanded from a comment made at
joan reports' diary.)
After the Roberts' non-answers and after the WH stonewalling documents promised to the Senate so they could perform their duty of advice and consent, the actions beg the question: if the nominee is worthy, why all the weaseling?
All Senators and their constituents should should ask, of the administration and of Roberts:
- Is their word as credible as this administration's guarantees of imminently threatening WMDs in Iraq? Team after team found none, despite Cheney and the right wing propaganda machine's increasingly ludicrous claims explaining the continual 'disappearance' and new location of these massive stores.
- Is their word as credible as this administration's guarantees of a Saddam-9/11 connection? After admitting there was no connection, administration officials continue to make the claim publicly to satisfy Joe and Mary Dumbass in Dumbfuck USA.
- Is their word as credible as this administration's guarantees of a Medicare bill that would benefit seniors? Seniors are paying more, and getting fewer services.
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More mendacity after the flip
- Is their word as credible as this administration's guarantees of not intending to dismantle Social Security? Bush promptly went on a three-month Bamboozlepalooza tour to convince skeptical Americans the most pressing problem in their lives was Social Security in fifty years. No mention of Wall Street sharks hungrily eyeing fees, siphoning off gains any privatized accounts did make, and generally leaving people without a safety net should disability or poverty in old age occur.
- Is their word as credible as this administration's guarantees, in 2000, they had no intention of nation building, wouldn't attack Roe vs. Wade, wouldn't promote a right wing agenda, would be fiscally responsible, would return "character" to the White House etc. etc.? All promises were promptly abandoned once the Bush regime literally seized power by disenfranchising Florida voters, as later investigations proved.
- Is their word as credible as this administration's guarantees they would fire the WH leaker of Plame's identity? Bush claims absolute certainty of an Iraqi intelligence agent having coffee briefly with an al Qaeda operative in Prague -- but has no idea about security risks like Jeff Gannon and the Plame leaker occurring right under his nose.
- Is their word as credible as this administration's guarantees of investigating corporate fraud, domestically and the missing billions in Iraq reconstruction money? What's missing in Iraq could rebuild New Orleans.
- Is their word as credible as this administration's guarantees of keeping the nation safe from man-made or natural catastrophes -- as their croney appointments and gutting of services proved in the Katrina aftermath? True to this administration's track record with taking responsibility for their latest catastrophe, upon learing of the extent of the post-Katrina damage, their attention immediately turned to blaming and smearing. To recap: state and local officials, the victims themselves, shocked and angry Americans wanting an explanation, the hurricane (probably a liberal), and of course, God.
So pardon the hell out of me for not trusting Bush OR Roberts that this is a mainstream candidate for the SCOTUS. If the cause is just, if the nominee is sound, why the stonewalling, non-answering and outright lies? Why not let the Senate do its job? Why not let the American people know what they're getting? What little we've seen of Roberts' paper trail reveals a personal zeal for finding legal loopholes that would stymie and roll back hard won civil rights and milestone laws guaranteeing constitutional equality promised, but previously denied, for all. Is this the kind of person that should be leading the highest court in the land?
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Why not come clean, for once?
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Please call your congress critters -- Republican or Democrat -- and ask THEM why they trust Bush's word on Roberts. Save the toll and call locally. Find your critters' numbers at
Thomas.
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See also
joan reports' diary (
If the Dems don't filibuster Roberts).
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KOSsacks who also blog elsewhere, please see
liza's diary (
Feminist Bloggers say No to John Roberts) for more activism, and to add your name/blog to the list.
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UPDATE: Please recommend so that night owls and larks can see their options on opposing Roberts.
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UPDATE: Read Digby's post on
why we should oppose Roberts, regardless of whether his appointment's a 'done deal'.(09/20/05 Hullabaloo / Digby)