In a letter to the Washington Post on Wednesday, Christine Todd Whitman went after Dr. James Dobson and yours truly. Why? Because we're upset about the Senate deal on judges. Here are some excerpts:
"Years from now, students and analysts of American political life will point to May 23, 2005, as the day 'radical moderates'…began to recapture the sensible center of U.S. politics….
"The 14 Republican and Democratic senators who came together to avert…the 'nuclear option'…proved that moderates possess political muscle and are not afraid to use it…. As a result, President Bush's judicial nominees will get the up-or-down votes they deserve, and the Senate can turn its focus...back to the important challenges facing our country….
"History will one day reflect that the high-water mark of the 'social conservative' movement in this country came…with the Terri Schiavo case, when a vocal and organized minority persuaded Congress to intervene…. History also will record that the tide began to turn eight weeks later, as radical moderates flexed their political muscles to return the sensible center in American politics to its rightful place."
First, the deal that these "moderates" struck on judges does not give President Bush's nominees the "votes they deserve." At least two were reportedly sacrificed for the deal, and the filibuster was preserved for a future Supreme Court nominee. Second, Whitman evidently feels the Senate has more "important" things to do than considering executive appointments and restoring balance to our federal courts. Third, I'm not sure what her point is regarding Terri Schiavo. Half of House Democrats voted to intervene on Terri Schiavo's behalf, and not one Senate Democrat objected. Her condescension of the bi-partisan attempt to save this woman's life appears to contradict the very point I believe she is attempting to make.
There's something strange about that "center" Whitman seems to support. What exactly is she talking about? The 70% of Americans who want marriage to remain between one man and one woman, or the 28% who support homosexual "marriage," as she does? Is it the 75% of Americans who oppose partial-birth abortion, or the 25% who support it, as she does? Is it the 69% of the public that wants President Bush's judges to get fair confirmation votes, or the 19% that does not? It seems that the "center" she is referring to is actually the base of the Democrat Party!
