What Does Dobson Know?

The discussion of Dobson's remarks has made too little note of how strange they really are and has therefore tended towards insufficient explanations. Here's what he said:

" when you know some of the things that I know, that I probably shouldn't know, that take me in this direction, you will understand why I have said, with fear and trepidation, why I have said why I believe that Harriet Miers will be a good justice ...If I have made a mistake here ... the blood of those babies that will die will be on my hands, to some degree. And that's why this has weighed so heavily on me"

Notice: he is frightened. He knows something he himself believes he should not know. Also, notice that he is not in fact fully convinced that Miers will vote to overturn Roe.



What does Dobson know? Two theories have gotten spread around. Dobson himself says he meant that Miers was an evangelical Christian. But Bush was signaling this to the base all along, even if he didn't want to say it directly at first. Why would that be frightening? Supreme Court Justices are free to practice any religion they choose; it is not grounds for a legal objection, and certainly would not be frightening to the evangelicals. So Dobson is not coming clean. Many liberals have suggested instead that Dobson received assurances that Miers would vote to overturn Roe. This, too, Bush has been signaling all along and would hardly be frightening or "forbidden knowledge" to someone like Dobson.

My opinion: Bush has something on Miers and therefore can coerce her vote as he wishes. Suppose for the sake of argument that this is the case. What are the Constitutional implications of a President deliberately appointing a Supreme Court Justice whose independence is compromised from the start? Is blackmail of a Supe a "high crime"? I think the key agenda of the Administration now is avoiding legal consequence or control of their actions, and this, more than any ideology, is what animates the Miers nomination. In fact, I think this is the case independent of the "blackmail" theory. That's what really made the base mad. Bush is using them as sphincter cover and they can smell it.

This is why it is vital that Dobson be invited to testify - yes, bear witness my brother! - with his hand on a Bible. He might still lie, but his testes have already slithered up to his belly from the sound of this, and might make abrupt leap to his throat if he is called upon to perjure himself.