Counting the Hypocrisies

Mark Shields makes a concise inventory of hypocrisies surrounding the ill-fated Harriet Miers nomination for the Supreme Court. As he writes for CNN:

1. Congressional Republicans have long demanded a fair up-or-down hearing for all judicial nominees ... unless it's Harriet Miers.

2. The Bush White House argued mightily (and rightly) that John Roberts' Catholicism was immaterial during his confirmation hearings. Then, under fire for the Miers selection, that same administration went to great lengths to point out that the nominee was a proper, God-fearin' Christian woman.

3. The Bush White House scoffs at the notion of quotas, but selected the unqualified Miers for the obvious purpose of ensuring that a woman keep that seat on the high court.

Shields concludes:

"Harriet Miers does not need to apologize to anyone. She told no lies. The big losers are those on the political right -- both her supporters and her opponents -- whose contradictions and moral relativism were enough to give hypocrisy a bad name."

Bravo, Shields.

And bravo to Yarnell, wherever you are.