Others want to know what Dobson knows

October 5, 2005

I reported yesterday morning that Focus on the Family’s James Dobson is one of the very few religious-right leaders to embrace Harriet Miers’ Supreme Court nomination. Apparently, at least according to Dobson, his support is driven by inside information.

Karl Rove, the president’s top political adviser, started calling influential social conservatives to reassure them about the pick even before it was announced. He called James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, over the weekend….

Some of the efforts evidently bore fruit. By day’s end, Mr. Dobson, one of the most influential evangelical conservatives, welcomed the nomination. “Some of what I know I am not at liberty to talk about,” he said in an interview, explaining his decision to speak out in support of Ms. Miers. He declined to discuss his conversations with the White House. (emphasis added)

Fortunately, a few others saw the same quote and found it more than a little disconcerting.

[Sen. Ken Salazar] expressed concern over a comment by Focus on the Family founder James Dobson that he supported Miers because of inside information. […]

“It seems to me that all of what the White House knows about Harriet Miers should in fact be made available to the Senate and the American people,” said Salazar, who voted to confirm President Bush’s nomination of Chief Justice John Roberts.

Seems reasonable enough, right? We are, after all, talking about a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. If Karl Rove has special insight into Miers’ qualifications, and he’s willing to share that information with a self-proclaimed spiritual leader, shouldn’t members of the Senate, who’ll ultimately have to decide Miers’ fate, have access to the same information?

Your move, Karl.

Oh, I see an opportunity for fun. Will the Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee call Dobson to testify?

Oh, if only the Democratic leadership had a little more mischief in their makeup.

  • Dobson doesn’t have any “inside” info. That is BS to keep his followers believing that he has a direct conduit to the WH. He knows which side his bread is buttered and knows he can’t piss off the administration too much.

  • Some of what she knows may be information needed to impeach the entire administration. She clearly knows a bunch of incriminating stuff about bush.

  • Now that CB has endorsed my position from yesterday’s thread , let me repeat it here:

    . . . it suggests a great angle for D Senators:

    “The American Public has just as much right to know about Ms. Miers as this President’s big donors and theocratic supporters. We will not allow this vote to go forward until the White House shares with everyone the ‘inside secrets’ it gave Mr. Dobson to curry his favor.”

    And filibuster if need be.

    I think the public can be pushed to take offense here that what is really driving a Supreme Court nomination is somehow secret from them. The public tends to reluctantly go along with “executive privilege” and likely won’t take offense to not turning over Miers’ White House papers. But here, there is no privilege at all – just favoritism towards wing-nut political cronies. I think the independents go our way on this – maybe even moderate Rs in the general public.

    * * * *

    Let me add, I agree that this may be Dobson fighting for eminence among fundy-freaks, but I fully expect Falwell or Robertson to trump him anytime by announcign that while Dobson may have heard from Rove, they got word from God himself.

  • No no no, you don’t understand.

    The Constitution clearly gives the Clerics– not the Senate– the prerogative to approve or deny appointments to the High Courts.

    Oh, wait, that’s the Iranian Constitution.

    Nevermind.

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