I have written about West Wing episodes in other diaries. It is the one identifiable catalyst leading to my personal re-politicization … the contrast it provided with … hideous political trends of the time. That administration (the one we HAD, not the Bartlet administration!) was the darkest time of my life, politically.
In the Fifth Season of the West Wing there was an episode where Bartlet was presented with the opportunity to nominate a second Supreme Court justice, when a conservative justice died. In the course of vetting candidates they came upon Evelyn Baker Lang (played by Glenn Close). A terrific liberal justice, they despaired of getting her approved, particularly after they found out that she had had an abortion when she was young (a fact that was not (yet!) public knowledge).
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The candidate Toby felt they would be able to get was politically much more moderate. Insights into it may be found in an interview the administration held with an extremely conservative justice, Christopher Mulready (played by a marvelous William Fichtner). (Josh came up with the idea of getting the sitting Chief Justice (a liberal champion, in his 80’s) to resign, freeing up a second spot on the court. They then offered one spot to Republicans, in exchange for getting the nominee they wanted. As of the time Bartlet spoke with the prospective Republican nominee, he was not sold on the idea of appointing two, instead of a moderate dullard. The text below (transcribed at westwingtranscripts) is from that interview with Christopher Mulready, the conservative judge. He asked who Bartlet was considering.)
JED (Bartlet, of course)
Brad Shelton.
CHRISTOPHER (Mulready)
Really?
JED
You don't like him?
CHRISTOPHER
He's a fine jurist and in the event that Carmine, Lafayette, Hoyt, Clarke
and Brannigan all drop dead this summer, we'd still be well tended.
JED
You want another Brady?
CHRISTOPHER
Sure, just like you'd like another Ashland - who wouldn't? The court was
at its best when Brady was fighting Ashland.
JED
Plenty of good law written by the voice of moderation.
CHRISTOPHER
Who writes the extraordinary dissent? The one man minority opinion whose
time hasn't come but 20 years later some circuit court clerk digs it up at
3 in the morning. Brennan railing against censorship. Harlen's Jeremiad
on Jim Crowe.
JED
Maybe you some day?
CHRISTOPHER
They can't put me on the court, just like you can't put Evelyn Lang on the
court. It's Sheltons from here on in.
JED
There are 4,000 protestors outside this building worried about who's going
to land in that seat. We can't afford to alienate all of them.
CHRISTOPHER
We all have our roles to play sir. Yours is to nominate someone who doesn't
alienate people.
What word did Mulready leave out in saying that ‘it’s Sheltons from here on in?’
Mediocrity.
Mulready felt the court was doomed to mediocrity because moderates on the court don’t lean toward deep, powerful debate on the great issues of our society, but, rather, on decisions designed to accommodate the status quo, the existing, the bland, the convenient. And because the political character of the legislature would no longer permit confirmation of nominees further from the middle, on either side. We see the same kind of thing today
But the mediocrity that Mulready described doesn’t just apply to Supreme Court nominations (even though the stakes there are exceptionally high), it also applies to legislative choices made by the House and the Senate. On EVERY issue. Except when Democrats are in the clear minority and not in the White House. Then, to the extent Republicans make legislative proposals that are actually in the best interest of the country, Democrats will vote for them. Which, as you can see, with Obama as president, Republicans have not and will not.
Mediocrity exists because of the lack of political courage. Some have been heartened by Obama’s feistiness in the face of a clear Republican majority in both houses of Congress. Just about all of us have yearned for more liberal representation from the White House. Now, paradoxically, it may be that minority status will be liberating for the President. Getting good legislation passed may be just about impossible, but the opportunity to make a clear, quality progressive argument is always present. That and showing up the other party for the mediocrities they are, the mediocrity they live and breathe. It is a time of frustration AND enormous opportunity.
Some ‘outside the box’ thinking, like that employed by the Bartlet Administration, might also work wonders!
Best to you all tonight! Thanks for reading!
On to tonight’s comments! Collated and formatted by brillig!
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From brillig:
From Shaun King's Missouri governor declares state of emergency ahead of grand jury decision in Ferguson shooting, I don't think this comment lives up to the name of its writer, Superskepticalman. Sounds all too accurate to me.
A couple of comment 'flags:'
Flagged by belinda ridgewood, this comment by first time Daily Kos commenter liz29 applauds anonymous for hacking the KKK's Twitter account, as described in skywriter's rec list diary on the subject.
Flagged by meinoregon, this comment by SouthernLiberalinMD must be read for context to this comment by jfromga, which is the flagged one. (SouthernLiberal's comment pertained to Missouri Governor, Jay Nixon.)
Top Mojo for yesterday, November 16th, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary FAQing Top Mojo.
1) Some of them ARE Law Enforcement by xxdr zombiexx — 190
2) Some of them probably are law enforcement by AoT — 140
3) Throw it back in their face by tomjones — 115
4) I've been LMAO...now the KKK is suggesting by Glen The Plumber — 114
5) Sucks to be the Klan. n/t by JeffW — 112
6) Neoconservatism/neoliberalism by oruacat2 — 100
7) Todd? by Diogenes2008 — 88
8) Brownback is the dust bowl everyone voted for. by 88kathy — 86
9) Chuck Todd sure seems a lot happier by citizenx — 81
10) Glad the KKK is not left unchallenged here. by cville townie — 78
11) If there's one constant in American history: It... by Geiiga — 78
12) Chuck Todd Overboard. by We Shall Overcome — 77
13) If you're this big, bad racist, by karmsy — 77
14) We're thankful by side pocket — 76
15) Never stop reminding them. by TrueBlueMountaineer — 74
16) Amen. by Susan Grigsby — 70
17) so do I! by The Marti — 70
18) Sorry, Rob by ProgressiveDanNY — 70
19) Agreed by Quabbin — 69
20) Except the Klan, not Anonymous, by psnyder — 69
21) The Klan threatened to call the FBI? by quaoar — 66
22) All The Struggling Merchants In Kansas by Leo Flinnwood — 63
23) Thank you, Aji and PDNC by Dallasdoc — 62
24) I see what you did there... by MyInnerNameIsSpike — 62
25) Actually, my title/headline is requisite by xxdr zombiexx — 61
26) Come Up with a GMO Version and It'll Be Manadatory by Gooserock — 60
27) Back in '82 on a sweltering Houston afternoon by River Rover — 60
28) All the benefits of slavery without the headaches by Gottlieb — 58
29) Throw Him An Anchor by Empower Ink — 57
30) It makes me want to yank out my hair by high uintas — 57
31) Text of video announcing the takedown by skywriter — 59
Top Pictures for yesterday, November 16th. Click any picture to be taken to the full comment and/or larger picture. Thank you
jotter for the image magic!