Yes, Sir, I’m dead serious. The Republicans are threatening to continue their seven-year practice of ‘vetoing’ anything you propose, including your nomination for Justice Scalia’s replacement, so what do you have to lose?
Meanwhile, I am the antithesis of all things usually associated with such a nomination. I am not a lawyer. I have little legal experience and it has all been on the other side of the banc. I am not a politician. I have been registered Independent since I started voting at the age of twent-one. I have voted in every major election and most of the minor ones involving local authorities and referendums. I am not a young kid playing out a fantasy. I grew up in a family where dinner conversations were often about rights, law and politics; I was the hippie liberal, my mother the staunch Republican, and my father (as I used to tease him) so right-wing he neared fascism. One time when I explained to my mother why I voted for Nixon the first term but would not for the second term, her reaction was, “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard intelligent reasoning from a liberal!” I am not Hispanic nor of any color – quite the Caucasian. I am not evangelical – I am a Taoist. I am not married and not a soccer mom. I am not famous nor even well-known. I never chaired the PTA nor was a den mother. I do not have a ‘posse’ of aides to assist me in my work. I am not slim and face-lifted. And I don’t have anything to prove.
Now that you know what I am not, let’s look at what I am. I am a very intelligent mature woman who maintains a lot of the optimism and good will from my hippie days. My favorite president is John F. Kennedy. I don’t wrap myself in the flag; I do believe in this country and its Constitution and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I do have a lot of opinions, which I often blog in editorials, but I am open-minded and believe that others’ opinions should be heard and considered as well. I am a natural leader.
I have a good sense of humor, sometimes wandering into the black or non-PC realms. That sense of humor has helped me get through tough times, help friends de-fuse, and influence people. Like Scalia, I love a good argument and will often play devil’s advocate just to nudge people to think a little deeper. I do tend to talk very straight, which sometimes gets me in trouble, especially with people who believe everyone has an agenda. I say what I mean, mean what I say, and don’t lie.
This obviously indicates that I have an overdeveloped sense of right and wrong, which is true. I am honest to a fault, which sometimes leads to serious bruises. Because of my stance, I can get more letters of recommendation from ex-employees than ex-employers. I realize there is often a decided difference between “right”, “legal” and “just”. If this were a black-and-white solution, there would be no need for supreme courts.
I am also a good writer, so I could pen some cool decisions for the court!
B.-J. Rohner freewheeling 