The First Lady and Professor Althouse

The First Lady depicted as Empress Josephine Bonaparte as the follow up to my earlier composition here. Again designed to amuse all, rather than fuel some....

Much contoversy has been placed yesterday on Laura Bush's stepping into the front line of defence of Harriet Miers, her husband's nominee for a Supreme Court vacancy. Speaking during a rare joint interview together with the President, on the NBC's Today show, the most highly rated morning news programme, she answered a question posed  by Matt Lauer:

    Lauer: Some are suggesting there’s a little possible sexism in the criticism of Judge Miers.

    Laura Bush: That’s possible. I think --

    Lauer: How would you feel about that?

    Laura Bush: That’s possible. I think she is so accomplished that... I know, I think that people are not looking at her accomplishments and not realizing that she was the first elected woman to be the head of the Texas Bar Association, for instance, and all the other things. She was the first, uh, woman managing partner of a major law firm. She was the first woman hired by a major law firm, her law firm.

Of course the entire 'Rebel Alliance' supported by Michelle Malkin, and 'The Trench Dwelling Dogfaces' named and supported by Ed Morrissey are aghast with such a notion, labling it as another seized opportunity to smear the base that elected them, and play the sexism card.

Mrs. Bush's comments were accused of echoing an argument employed by Ed Gillespie, a lead adviser to President George W. Bush on the nomination, who told a gathering of conservatives last week that there was a "whiff" of sexism and elitism in the attacks from conservative intellectuals. So what? Does that suddenly make the First Lady an inherent co-conspirator?

Much a do about nothing....

Not forgetting of course, as  a reader (thanks SoE) reminded me, The First Lady has been an advocate of a female nominee, even before the announcement was made. But I guess that would be considered sexist now...Oh Pleeease!

The transcript of the Today interview, with the relevant dialogue that comes immediately before the famous question is asked as transcribed above:

    Lauer: [to the President] You said she’s the most qualified candidate for the job. [jesticulates to Laura Bush] Would you agree with that?

    Laura Bush: Absolutely... Absolutely.

    Lauer: You had pushed for a woman to be the nominee

Laura Bush: That’s right. And I know Harriet well, I know how accomplished she is, I know how many times she’s broken the glass ceiling herself. She’s a roll model for young women around our country --

    Lauer: Some are suggesting....

    Laura Bush: Not only that, she is very deliberate and thoughtful and will bring dignity to, uh, wherever she goes. But certainly to the Supreme Court, she will be really excellent.

I agree with The Anchoress: "I’m simply calmly going to suggest the charge is dumb and baseless",  Jay @ Stop The ACLU, The California Conservative, Big Lizards, Cao's Blog, Bryan Preston et al.

Update: Ed Driscoll: "And this is not the first time that the MSM cooked the books on a Laura Bush quote"

Professor Ann Althouse, depicted above as Catherine The Great at the Temple of The Godess of Justice, with Harriet Miers pictured on the right as the Godess. Now don't blow a fuse Ann, it's simply there to amuse.....

Speaking of the Ladies' corner, one of my favorite bloggers, the divine and formidable Professor Ann Althouse @ Althouse, has finally stepped up in defense of Miers, and the bloggosphere is all abuz. Hugh Hewitt was the first to pick it up, followed by Glenn Reynolds @ Instapundit, quoting Althouse: "I've mellowed on Miers".

Hugh quotes from Althouse the strongest passage:

"This lack of interest in theory has bothered a lot of lawprofs, including me. Conlawprofs are biased in favor of theory. If you are going to devote your life to the subject of constitutional law, as an academic subject, you are probably the sort of person who is attracted to abstractions, theories, and larger patterns and aspirations. You are going to tend to approve of jurists who have a similar frame of mind, a large capacity for theory, that makes you and the people you surround yourself with so impressive. Now, who is this Harriet Miers, this practicing lawyer, who presumes to go on the Court and write the opinions we must spend our lives reading and analyzing? Even when you have little hope that the nominee will decide the cases the way you want, you have a problem with the presumptuousness of putting a person like that on the Court. Roberts was one thing, but she is quite another. In him, we saw ourselves, but she is just an attorney. The very idea!

Thinking about it that way has begun to thaw my opposition to Miers. Why is it not a good thing to have one person on the Court who approaches constitutional decision making the way a lawyer would deal with the next legal problem that comes across the desk? Perhaps the Court is harmed by an excess of interest in the theoretical. A solid, experienced lawyer like Miers, with no real background in constitutional law, might look at the text, the precedents, the briefs, and use the standard lawyer's methods to resolve the problem at hand. What is wrong with having that style of analysis in the mix? We need a safeguard against the excessively theoretical."

It is quite a good day for the 'Loyalist Army', one sexism non-comment crushed, and one 'Althouse Turning', both from the Ladies' Quarter.

Update:

Ann Althouse gives me a kind compliment, and I immediately fix her problem, and re-design Catherine II's dress.

The Anchoress, points to this post calling the graphics fun, but more interestingly, has a point to make about 'never married Christian women'.

Comments

[Alexandra]

Kenny,
I have just posted 'The Harriet Miers 'Right Spitting Venom', with a very descriptive photo depicting just how I feel about it all right now...it's dedicated to you Kenny (not the image..LOL)

[Kenny Pierce]

Alexandra,

Thanks for posting the full transcript. I think I'll go with what's-his-name (sorry, forgot and this internet connection is so slow I'm not going to go back and look it up) that the MSM's version made it look like Laura was talking about sexism when it was actually Lauer who was throwing the term around. So, I take back the "stupid comment" thing.

[North by Northwest]

This whole outburst over Harriet Miers nomination reminds me of how earlier this year the Apple faithfuls reacted to the news that Apple would switch from IBM processors to Intel ones. First Disgust, then Cynicism followed by 'wait-a-moment-what-does-that-actually-mean-for-real' to, yes, you've guessed it right, outright enthusiasm. What is the clinical term for this so very human of characteristics?

[North by Northwest]

Can I just say, WOW! Ann Althouse looks amazing. I mean, the expression on the face, the direction in which she looks, it just works. In fact, this is really true for all three of your most recent compositions. It's one thing to merely cut-and-paste any kind of picture and use the power of Photoshop to make fit. Yours, Alexandra, is a whole different league in which you really make images speak those proverbial 1,000 words, and the rest... Thanks, it's a real treat!

[Alexandra]

O.K. guys sorry, I am back....

Kenny, nice posts on Redneck.

You know, I think as far as the so called conservatives are concerned, for right now I think that description should be handed out very carefully, I think it's not even a question of what the latest Miers issue is, they have an issue, period. And whatever anyone, including the First Lady say they will jump on it, and shout foul. Look, we are just digging ourselves deeper and deeper in. I just watch with horror at the opposition linking to this and lapping it up....look at the bloggosphere, getting very excited at the prospect of the nominee being rejected by the conservative portion of the senate votes. I agree with you...dream on. But still, it will come to bite in the proverbial....

SoE,

I completely agree with you, I read it as well, in fact she mentions it earlier in the Today interview:

Lauer: [to the President] You said she’s the most qualified candidate for the job. [jesticulates to Laura Bush] Would you agree with that?

Laura Bush: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Lauer: You had pushed for a woman to be the nominee --

Laura Bush: That’s right. And I know Harriet well, I know how accomplished she is, I know how many times she’s broken the glass ceiling herself. She’s a roll model for young women around our country --

Lauer: Some are suggesting --

Laura Bush: Not only that, she is very deliberate and thoughtful and will bring dignity to, uh, wherever she goes. But certainly to the Supreme Court, she will be really excellent.

Thanks for reminding me, I think I'll update the post, with the rest of the interview, it's very relevant.

[spiritofecstasy]

Please correct if I'm wrong but didn't the First Lady voice her "Female Nominee Appropriate" opinion sometime before the public announcement? I'm sure She did because I remember thinking some weeks ago that they must be painting the court offices blue for boys/Roberts and pink for girls/Somebody.

So it doesn't surprise me that She would also speak on behalf of Meirs but I obviously don't consider it Her first gesture.

Sexist remarks wouldn't be construed as such if you consider the pink and blue paint schemes. And the prominence of Madame Bush in the sphere.

Isn't it obvious that some Conservatives are hedging? Sexism replaces; "What!?! A g-dd-mn loyalist with no track record!!!" They're shocked but don't want to condemn too much.

Anne Althouse's remark is logical, theoretical and could stand the test of time but it will be overlooked with the shock of the new moment.

It's the latest micro-zeitgeist. Harry Reid isn't screaming bloody murder and the Right Wing is upset with .... the Right Wing.

We've turned a corner, and there She was...

[Kenny Pierce]

[grinning] Still laughing about the First Lady's comment. [shaking head solemnly] That Michelle Malkin...she's such a misogynist.

[Kenny Pierce]

ROFLOL, Laura Bush is a nice lady, but that is one champion of a stupid comment.

Yeah, you go, girl. Reunite that base! Pacify the Rebel Alliance! Call 'em girl-haters! That oughta do the trick. Especially since it's so true, eh? [rolling eyes]

Alexandra, I finally got around to babbling awhile about the whole Miers thing. Your coverage is more useful; mine's just a not-very-informed outsider's view of the personal dynamics at stake. Hm, let's try that last bit in English: I'm not nearly so interested in whether she's going to be a good judge or not, because I consider her confirmation pretty much a fait accompli. But it does interest me to see how deeply upset so many Bush sorta-supporters were, and how clearly the Bush team never saw it coming and still (as your Laura quote illustrates) don't know what to do about it. So I've speculated on the human-nature side from a couple of different angles here and here.