Demagogue

Bush explains why he chose Harriet Miers.

"I'm interested in people who will be strict constructionists. . . . There should be no doubt in anyone's mind what I believe," Bush said. "Harriet Miers shares that philosophy."

"I know her well enough to be able to say she's not going to change. . . . Twenty years from now. . . . her philosophy won't change."

That, he said, "is important to me."

"I don't want to put someone on the bench who's this way today and changes. . . . I'm interested in someone who shares my philosophy today and will share it 20 years from now."

He was asked if he was referring to Justice David Souter, appointed by his father, George H.W. Bush, as a conservative but whose votes on the court have often disappointed conservatives.

"You're trying to get me in trouble with my father," he responded.

Yuk, yuk. Seriously though. George is promising that his dear friend Harriet can be trusted to never change her views-- although only he knows what they are-- and he promises she will never ever change. Frankly, it's not possible to make a promise like that. It's tough enough to promise that in 20 years that you won't change your own mind about things, but to promise that about someone else's mind? That's surreal.

Then again, I guess to George W. Bush the notion of never changing your mind regardless of circumstances, new information, or life experiences isn't really all that foreign.