My only post about the Roberts confirmation
On Monday, I has assumed that Dahlia Lithwick was probably overreacting in her Slate appraisal of the first day of John Roberts’ Supreme Court confirmation hearing day. After all, weren’t the Senators getting some of their questions from the blogosphere? Then I actually heard some of the hearings. To be specific, it was Tom Coburn’s ...
On Monday, I has assumed that Dahlia Lithwick was probably overreacting in her Slate appraisal of the first day of John Roberts' Supreme Court confirmation hearing day. After all, weren't the Senators getting some of their questions from the blogosphere? Then I actually heard some of the hearings. To be specific, it was Tom Coburn's spiel about looking at Roberts' body language -- "[Using] my observational capabilities as a physician to know that your answers have been honest and forthright as I watch the rest of your body respond to the stress that you're under." As Ann Althouse put it, "I'm under some stress over here, listening to this nonsense." Admittedly, it's Tom "Schindler's List is obscene" Coburn, so you have to grade it on a curve. But still.... So I was all set to write a wildly satirical post about the bloviating capabilities of the Senate Judiciary Committee. But I don't think I could top what David Brooks wrote in his column today. Killer quote: "We're not here to argue among ourselves and ignore the nominee. We're here to deliver 30-minute speeches disguised as questions and ignore the nominee."
On Monday, I has assumed that Dahlia Lithwick was probably overreacting in her Slate appraisal of the first day of John Roberts’ Supreme Court confirmation hearing day. After all, weren’t the Senators getting some of their questions from the blogosphere? Then I actually heard some of the hearings. To be specific, it was Tom Coburn’s spiel about looking at Roberts’ body language — “[Using] my observational capabilities as a physician to know that your answers have been honest and forthright as I watch the rest of your body respond to the stress that you’re under.” As Ann Althouse put it, “I’m under some stress over here, listening to this nonsense.” Admittedly, it’s Tom “Schindler’s List is obscene” Coburn, so you have to grade it on a curve. But still…. So I was all set to write a wildly satirical post about the bloviating capabilities of the Senate Judiciary Committee. But I don’t think I could top what David Brooks wrote in his column today. Killer quote: “We’re not here to argue among ourselves and ignore the nominee. We’re here to deliver 30-minute speeches disguised as questions and ignore the nominee.”
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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