Knee-jerk punditry. . .

. . .inundated the internet yesterday with the nomination of Harriet Miers to the High Court. That's to be expected, as every nomination the President has made has been met with pretty much the same rancor and hostility. The difference this time around, however, is that it's coming from the right. Some of the commentary I've read has left me a little bewildered as to just how this woman could have possibly made so many people angry, given the fact that until her name started appearing on the Web in the context of the Supreme Court, very few had ever heard of her. Of course, that's part of the reason so many on the right are angry. She's an unknown quantity.

But that's only part of the reason. The rest of the reason is the fact that she's a woman. And, it's not because of any real conservative opposition to women being on the Supreme Court. It's because the President didn't go out and find a blond, blue eyed man with a lifetime membership in the NRA, a long, distinguished career built arguing against affirmative action, and an Operation Rescue bumpersticker on his SUV -- just the frost the buttocks of the left.

Today, a longtime favorite Ldotter has written up a piece on his website, The American Thinker, that ought to serve as a splash of Maalox for all those conservatives who have grown dyspeptic with Miers' nomination, and not a moment too soon. I won't profess to be any more familiar with the nominee's history and qualifications than her critics. All I can claim is a greater degree of patience. While Lifson's article makes a very compelling case for restraint among the rank and file, I would add one little tidbit.

There are still confirmation hearings to be held. Wouldn't it be fitting to hear the woman out and make up our minds after she's said her piece? She might well dazzle.

My first, real interest in writing. . .

. . .came when I read my first P.J. O'Rourke book. Since that time, I've come as close to ripping him off as I possibly can without actually crossing the line of plagiarism.¹ His piece in the latest edition of The Weekly Standard is a fitting example of what piqued my interest in his writing, and writing in general. When he's got his Irish up, there's no better writer on the planet.

¹ To the best of my knowledge.