Priorities.

When I wasn't deeply focused on work-related stuff today (which I found refreshingly stimulating and challenging), I was seething with anger over Shrub's nomination of Harriet Miers for the U.S. Supreme Court. Hasn't he dumbed down our government enough? Even Miers' friends and supporters consistently describe her by stating only how nice and hard-working she is--with nary a mention of her mental firepower. That is very telling. Whatever I might think of new Chief Justice John Roberts' ideology (if he had been so gracious to share it with us), I am wowed by his intelligence, as demonstrated by his facile handling of all legal issues raised in the confirmation hearing. That is not the case for this nominee, whom I heard speak earlier this year, at a luncheon in which she had to read with her nose practically pressed to her speech in order to tell us about the Administration's fine accomplishments. At least her dimness will make this confirmation process entertaining . . . that is, if one pretends the outcome is unimportant to the future of American jurisprudence.

I think part of my anger may be based upon the fact that such an unworthy successor was chosen for the seat of Sandra Day O'Connor, the woman who made me want to be a lawyer. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Justice O'Connor made me realize it was actually possible that I could be a lawyer, because no one in my small town talked about girls being lawyers, even girls who were smart enough to be in a special math class that consisted of just that one girl and two boys. When Justice O'Connor was appointed to the Supreme Court in the month when I celebrated my twelfth birthday, I realized that anything was possible for me.



If Miers survives the confirmation process, Justice O'Connor's seat on the Court, as well as her strides of accomplishment that benefited all women, will be cheapened by the appointment of this exponentially less qualified individual.

Speaking of the dumbing down of the U.S government, I am reminded of a very funny Albert Brooks quote in the movie Broadcast News. After proclaiming the character played by William Hurt, newly hired as a news anchor by Brooks' TV station, to be the "devil," Brooks explains further to the character played by Holly Hunter:

He'll be attractive, he'll be nice and helpful...he'll get a job where he influences a great God-fearing nation...he'll never do an evil thing, he'll never deliberately hurt a living thing...he'll just bit by little bit lower our standards where they're important...just a tiny little bit.........and he'll get all the great women.

While Brooks was speaking to the newfound concept of news anchors who do not understand the news they deliver, that is how I feel about what Bush has done to our country (though I can't speak to the greatness of Laura Bush). That is why I devoted all of my energies last year to defeating his re-election (or election, as the case may be). That is why I am now, once again, seriously considering moving to Europe or Canada. This time I may just do it. Or, I could adopt the attitude of my friend Beth, who laughed at herself today because she was more incensed about Macy's plan to place its own moniker on all of the Marshall Field's stores it recently acquired than she was regarding the recent hurricanes and other national calamities.