Political Satire/Commentary -- Daily Updates at PoliSat.Com TM © since 1999

Archives-- Installments for Oct. 1, 2005 through Oct. 10, 2005, starting below in reverse chronological order.

I hold no brief for or against Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers to replace Sandra Day O'Conner on the Supreme Court. It's obvious she's bright enough. It's apparent that she's also sincerely religious. She may even have strong religious views on a range of social issues. Yet sincerely religious people who are also conscientiously devoted to our constitutional form of government readily separate their religious beliefs from constitutional theory when serving in a judicial capacity. Many Supreme Court Justices have exemplified judicial philosophies on the bench that were substantially different (sometimes dramatically different) from what would have appeared to be their views on such issues before becoming a Justice. We can't (and shouldn't) appoint people willing to tell us in advance how they would decide issues. Instead, we should seek to appoint those willing to approach each case with an open mind constrained only by the Constitution.

As Secular Fundamentalists* express alarm at the prospect of a "fundamentalist" or "evangelical" Christian becoming a Supreme Court Justice, they would do well to remember that many Americans of good will and strong intellect that helped establish and improve our system of freedom were "fundamentalist" or "evangelical" Christians. At the same time, those on what is called the "Christian Right" would do well to remember that many Americans of good will and strong intellect that helped establish and improve our system of freedom were non-believers and/or theists not adhering to religious orthodoxy. I think the Secular Fundamentalists are as dangerous to freedom as are the religious fanatics who still subscribe to "Wrath of God" explanations for natural disasters. I'm willing to assume that despite Miers's religious beliefs, she -- like George Bush-- is ecumenical rather than doctrinaire or orthodox her political views involving religious issues. Indeed, Bush is far more ecumenical and tolerant toward non-believers than the Secular Fundamentalists are towards believers.

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Oct. 6, 2005 #01 Daily Update at PoliSat.Com, where satire is always commentary, but commentary isn't always satire.™

Title: Miss Justice Contest.

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Bloggers' exposing falsity of Aaron Broussard's accusation of "bureaucratic murder" against Bush Administration in wake of Hurricane Katrina further diminishes dominant media.

As predicted in the final paragraph of the Sept. 13, 2005, installment, not even the FDM/TDMº¹ were able to perpetuate the outrageous distortions and character-assassinations practiced against George W. Bush by blame-shifting Louisiana politicians and the hate-Bush wing (fuselage?) of the once-upon-a-time centrist Democratic Party. Remember when-- on the first Meet the Press (Sept. 4, 2005) after Hurricane Katrina-- Aaron Broussard, the "President" of the Jefferson Parish in Louisiana, broke down crying while claiming to Russert and a stunned nation that "bureaucratic delays" by Bush's subordinates in responding to the flooding in New Orleans had "murdered" the mother of one of his close friends (Thomas Rodrigue), an emergency-service coordinator for Jefferson Parish? See this MSNBC link to the video. On the September 24, 2005, installment of Meet the Press, Russert again had Broussard as a guest. He replayed Broussard's accusation and then set the record strait (and credited "blogs" for uncovering the facts) to make it clear that Rodrique's mother died on the day of the flood as a result of her nursing home's refusal of pre-Hurricane-Katrina offers for evacuation of the nursing home's residents. Broussard defended his having made such reckless accusations by attacking as "nitpickers" the people (ostensibly including Russert) who exposed their falsity.

Would the FDM/TDM have reported the falsity of the accusations absent attention having been brought to the truth by bloggers? Possibly, but not likely. More likely is that the FDM/TDM tail is rapidly losing its ability to wag the news-coverage dog.

º¹ FDM/TDM means the "Formerly-Dominant-Media" heretofore known as the "Traditionally Dominant Media," also sarcastically known outside those media by the letters "MSM" to denote MSM's masquerade as the "MainStream Media."

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Oct. 3, 2005 #01 Daily Update at PoliSat.Com, where satire is always commentary, but commentary isn't always satire.™

Title: Katrina-- Game, Set, Match.

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