Comments on: Miers Responds

By: TCO

TCO — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 01:17:20 +0000

Her writing on judicial activism was readable. I disagree on the limitation of reversal to matters where it doesn’t hurt results. It seems like she is giving an out to bringing policy into the lawmaking tent with this comment.

By: Black Jack

Black Jack — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 21:15:00 +0000

Anyone so bold as to quote Ovid in the original, and then threaten even Catullus, well, such a man is not only showing off, but a clam among scholars, and worthy to seek after that which if found, fails to enrich.

Now, recall the conclusions of Benjamin Franklin on the topic of “humility.” (If you don’t have a copy handy, his autobiography is only 2 bucks at Amazon.)

Old Ben came to see his lifelong quest for humility as more an attempt to acquire the appearance of humility, rather than any real acquisition of the underlying virtue itself.

By: Angry Clam

Angry Clam — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 20:06:18 +0000

You should have written “you’re the greatest” or “you’re the best,” and then signed it as “Patt ‘Miers’ erico.” Humor for the whole family.

Agricola, at least I didn’t quote Catullus.

By: Patterico

Patterico — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 19:43:01 +0000

The import is pretty similar, imo; I wouldn’t make too much out of choosing one over another.

Yeah, Clam is making the distinction. What was amusing about it for me was how similar it was to Roberts’s buzzword.

By the way, I just signed cards for both my bosses. I think they’re great, of course . . . but I didn’t call them “great” (or “the greatest” or “the best”) in the cards.

By: Agricola

Agricola — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 19:27:45 +0000

Some context for Mr. Clam’s epigram: Ovid urges women to get out there and have a lot of affairs, since when they’re old they’ll be less attractive.

I thought this was a family blog!

By: TNugent

TNugent — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 18:42:24 +0000

I’m pretty sure that Roberts did use “humble” or “humility”; I didn’t consider whether it was in the questionnaire. I thought he used it in the hearings; it might have been in opening remarks or in other comments given before the hearings themselves. The import is pretty similar, imo; I wouldn’t make too much out of choosing one over another. The fact that Miers used “humble” or “humility” in the questionnaire whereas Roberts did not doesn’t mean she wasn’t cribbing from Roberts, only that she wasn’t cribbing from his questionnaire responses.

By: Angry Clam

Angry Clam — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 17:31:56 +0000

explanation for the epigram: legal works often speak of judicial modesty, while the Bible, particularly the New Testament, talks often of being humble. I think it shows the different worlds that the two count themselves members of.

You get an epigram because I was reading some Martial and Ovid this morning. One of my favorites:

Nec quae praeteriit iterum revocabitur unda
nec quae praeteriit hora redire potest.

- P. Ovidius Naso, Ars Amatoria III.63-64.

(Translation: “Neither is the wave which has left called back again, nor is the hour which has fled able to return.”)

By: MOG

MOG — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 16:38:08 +0000

And get to work .

By: MOG

MOG — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 16:37:17 +0000

Honorary Doctorate from Peperdine?

She’s done for.

By: Tillman

Tillman — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 16:23:14 +0000

Looks like the media war is fixin’ to commence:
http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/101805/miers.html