Iran

The recent comments by the President of Iran that Israel should be “wiped from the map” underscores the validity of concerns about Iran’s continued development in the nuclear arena. The Bush administration has been unceasing in its criticism of Iran, and in warning the world that Iran should not be given assistance in its nuclear ambitions. If the world was unsure or unconvinced about the danger posed by Iraq, it should not harbor the same doubts about the growing threat of Iran.

These comments by Iran’s president are just another indication of how dangerous it would be to give this nation potential access to nuclear weapons. Iran already has a long history of funding terrorism, and is apparently still bent on the destruction of Israel (and if they had their choice, the United States). France and Germany, among others, have criticized the remarks and have demanded an explanation.

I should think that there is little need for an explanation, President Ahmadinejad’s remarks were very clear. Europe needs to show a little backbone in this situation, and make it clear to Iran that the rest of the world will not support a nation who overtly calls for the destruction of another U.N. member and tries to deceive the world by claiming it has only peaceful ambitions. The U.N. is being given another opportunity to take the lead in an important issue of world security, lets see if they are up to the task, and whether they can keep member-states from providing support for Iran’s nuclear program.

Tom Delay

I have made a conscientious effort not to be overly partisan on this blog, but I have to address this issue. Tom Delay has long prided himself as being “the hammer” in the House of Representatives. He has made it well-known that he goes to great lengths to get what he wants, and to push his agenda. His conduct has consistently violated ethical standards of conduct (he is a favorite of the House Ethics Committee) and I don’t doubt that he has broken the law on numerous occasions.

Tom Delay might beat the rap on this prosecution, maybe he is smooth enough that he dodged actually breaking any laws. Regardless of whether he is convicted, I think this picture speaks a thousand words. This picture is Delay's mug-shot.

He really looks like someone who is remorseful about his conduct. Even if he didn’t break the law, Delay has proven himself to be an incredibly unethical politician, and in my opinion symbolizes a lot about what is wrong with American politics. I hope that when this mess resolves itself the GOP is smart enough not to put him back in power.

Miers Nomination

President Bush has announced that White House counsel Harriet Miers is his nominee to replace retiring Justice O’Connor. Miers has held several positions in the White House since 2000, being elevated to her current position last year.

My initial reaction to this nomination is definitely disappointment. Ms. Miers has spent virtually her entire career in private practice, though she was chairperson of the Texas Lottery Commission, and served two years as a Dallas City Council member. She has never served in the judiciary, and at the moment it does not appear that she has an extensive history of high-level appellate litigation experience.

The President has made it a habit to pick individuals with whom he has a close personal relationship for important positions (i.e. Dick Cheney for VP). This habit might work well for Cabinet positions, and political appointments where the President will be required to work closely with an agency. In those situations it is often necessary to have someone who is trustworthy and will help push the administration’s political position.

The Supreme Court is a different matter altogether. The Court is not meant to be a collection of trusted administration insiders who get together and make political decisions. While I believe the President has a right to pick someone whose beliefs are somewhat in line with his own, I don’t think that gives him the right to install his personal attorney as the next Supreme Court Justice.

Perhaps in the coming weeks my opinion will change, as more information is made available it may become clear that Ms. Miers has the legal qualifications for this position. However, on the heels of the Roberts confirmation, and with the number of appellate judges available, I can’t help but be disappointed by this nomination.

New Chief Justice

I haven’t posted in a while, getting back into school has been very hectic, but I’m hoping to post more over the next couple of months.

I was glad that the Senate voted to approve John Roberts to assume the position of Chief Justice. Chief Justice Rehnquist was an incredible jurist, and from everything that I have seen, a good-natured man who was respected by all those around him, including his successor. He has left big shoes to fill, and it is appropriate that they are being filled by someone who had the opportunity to work with him.

Roberts certainly does not have an easy task, the court is very divided (we will see who the President chooses to replace O’Connor) and he has not had a lot of time to prepare for his new role. Roberts will be under a lot of scrutiny, and I hope he is up to the task. Though he was criticized by several high-ranking Democrats, his record shows that he is an extremely good lawyer, with amazing analytical and writing skills. Several recent decisions (see Kelo, among others) have relied on shaky legal grounds, and I hope that the addition of someone like Roberts will force more true reasoning into decisions, rather than just personal ideology.

Regardless of what happens in the future, Roberts has impressed a lot of people. President Bush still has to choose another nominee, and he is going to have a hard time finding someone who looks as good on paper as John Roberts.