The Insufferable Prig

I wonder how much Stephen Harper admires Alberto Gonzales. George Bush's off-the-wall Attorney-General must appeal to Stevie's idea of top-down, iron claw control.

In his latest tirade, Gonzales says federal judges are unqualified to make rulings affecting national security policy - stuff like indefinite detention without charge, illegal searches, that sort of thing.

Gonzales, in a speech prepared (naturally) for the ultra-right American Enterprise Institute, discussed the Bush administration's criteria for selecting lapdog judges. "We want to determine whether he understands the inherent limits that make an unelected judiciary inferior to Congress or the president in making policy judgments. That, for example, a judge will never be in the best position to know what is in the national security interests of our country."

Gonzales who, in his opinion on torture, defined the practise as something that began just short of flaying someone alive, obviously wants toadie judges and, until now, he's had his way. With the Dems in control of Congress, George Bush has withdrawn four of his nominations for judicial appointments.