Today at the Examiner I make the case that John McCain has a wide-open opportunity to use the judge issue to his advantage in the campaign.(MORE, below; I don't know exactly where the break is, but please keep reading beyond the bit about McConnell and through the bit about the documentary Advise and Dissent.) Also, it is worth noting what I report high up in the column, but which has received almost no attention: Mitch McConnell predicted last Thursday, and repeated two more times, that not a single appeals court judge will be confirmed before year's end. Not in Pennsylvania, not the Virginia Conrad, and certainly not one of the three stated top GOP priorities of Keisler, the North Carolina Conrad or Matthews. This is terrible news. McCain can turn it around.Finally, just a note that I was one of the five panel members (along with Curt, below, and Melanie Kirkpatrick of the WSJ, Chuck Donovan of the Family Research Council, and former Sen. DeWine) who were asked to discuss the movie Curt mentions below, Advise and Dissent, which focused on the fights over Roberts and Alito (and Miers). The film tries to be even-handed, but as I said while on the panel, it bothered me a little that between the lines it basically portrayed conservative stances on the courts as being motivated by religious zealotry, while usually portraying Ralph Neas et al as being in it due to their commitment to civil rights, etc. (MORE)read more
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