Better to be lucky than good
Dateline: In the Shire, Indy, 5 September 2005
There's the scene in "The Guns of Navarone" where the British special ops boss explains his choice of one senior officer to lead the dangerous mission by explaining that once Napoleon was brought a young general along with the assurance that he was a capable officer: "Yes, yes I know he's brilliant," replies Napoleon (as this Brit paraphrases), "but is he lucky?
Rehnquist's sudden but hardly unexpected death arrives at a very good time for Bush, reminding his base why they want him in power and distracting us all--just a little bit--from down South.
My Mom called it the minute she heard about it (she the retired lawyer), by saying Bush's best move would be to elevate the Roberts' nomination immediately, rather than fight three fights at once. Now, Bush really has only one fight (the O'Connor swing seat, not Rehnquist's predictable vote already now locked with the careful Roberts' pick)--and for most of the marbles. That tension alone will work mightily to Bush's political advantage in coming days and weeks.
Here I thought I'd be testifying on Thursday (moved back a day) to the House Armed Services Committee on the biggest issue of the day (national security), but frankly that's running a close third after Katrina and now this.
Why? People have been waiting for this sort of shift possibility on the court for decades.
Yes, yes, better lucky than good.
On that count, I picked up my Dad's old golf clubs today when I left my Mom's place. Nothing special and everything special--all at once.
I won't be good, but I will feel lucky.