Who does Imagethief endorse as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court?

This was a tricky question, and the explanation is going to diverge from the topics this blog normally entertains. It also enters into territory upon which I have exactly zero credentials to comment. But I am an American, and therefore an interested party.

Although I am a bona-fide Liberal Democrat (hold your opprobrium please), with all the angry knee-jerk reflexes that entails, I couldn't get all that worked up about John Roberts. He seems like such a nice man. So clean cut and such good grooming. How could he possibly go wrong? At any rate, we'll see how it goes when he starts authoring opinions.

Now we have entered more difficult territory, however. I don't wish to suggest that Harriet Miers is a complete tool, but then my opinion may be irrelevant. To read the press coverage is to come to the conclusion that Harriet Miers is, well, a complete tool. Not least from this Slate article, which wickedly trashes her credentials, such as they have been presented. Well, without those credentials we are left with...W's former personal attorney. Cozy, but thin ice upon which to predicate a Supreme Court nomination. Especially when even the Scrub himself could only bring himself to vouch that Ms. M was one of the "top fifty" female lawyers in the country, and top 100 lawyers overall. (Why not shoot for top ten, at least?) Now even that faint praise has come under scrutiny, for instance here in an article in Salon. And when even the Republicans are jumping overboard (admittedly not all for reasons I would agree with), well the signs are bad. The Economist, from whom the illustration above is taken, suggests that W has gone a crony too far.

Therefore, I must announce that I oppose the Miers nomination. And not because I am member of the Truth Laid Bear's community (I'm not), but simply because she seems like a bad choice.

That, however, leaves a gaping hole that must be filled. If I am unwilling to endorse Miers in this space, is there someone, anyone else that I would put forward? As a liberal, few of the people I like are conservative enough to pass muster with the current Senate. I've been thinking on this long and hard. This morning I had an online a discussion with my buddy, Gordon, author of The Horse's Mouth blog. As we were chatting I thought to myself, well, here's a man who is conservative (if not a textbook Republican), a veteran with unimpeachable heartlands roots. Sure we've disagreed on a few things, and he can rather go off of his trolley from time to time, at least in his blog. And be hard to argue with. Oh, and he's not a lawyer. But forget all that. Like W did with big Vlad Putin, I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country. And he is my friend, after all. So if there is going to be crony on the supreme court, why not my crony? That's what democracy is all about.

So I'm throwing my support behind Gordon, The Horse's Mouth for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Sure he's not qualified, but when in this administration has lack of qualification ever disqualified anyone? Heck, if they'll nominate Miers, they oughtta at least consider Gordon. He'll be the crony for the rest of us!

Put a Horse on the Court. A crony for the rest of us!