In the waning days of open availability of the New York
Times' op-ed page online, John Tierney today decided to use his considerable reach to write a list of questions the Senate might ask John Roberts to "keep TV viewers awake." Some of the highlights:
If Roe v. Wade were a tree, what kind of tree would it be?
Would you think it's cool if a professional wrestler dubbed himself Chief Justice, or would you sue him for trademark infringement?
When justices have birthday parties, should they invite all the other justices, or can they invite just the ones they like?
I don't know if I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning or what, but this seemed to me to be a half-assed attempt at humor when there are REAL questions to be asked of John Roberts. I think 50-year old Chief Justice nominees who have little to no bench experience are no laughing matter, so I let Tierney have it.
Full text of the article
is here.
My letter to Tierney:
Dear Mr. Tierney:
Although usually a fan of yours, today's op-ed about questions that the Senate might ask John Roberts "to keep TV viewers awake" was, in my opinion, a waste of column-inches. When so much is going on that is newsworthy, it seems to me that you mailed this one in. I will accept a good excuse as a reason for this column...did you need to make an early afternoon tee time yesterday? 50% off on khakis at the Fifth Avenue Gap? Trouble at the old mill?
Whatever the reason, I think you were flip in addressing the questioning of Roberts. This is too important a time for our nation for you to be dropping celebrity names on the op-ed page of the New York Times. If you don't have anything to say that's worthy of your status as a NYT writer, then either give up your space to someone who does or sit at your desk until you have real questions to ask of a seriously flawed nominee. Plus, it goes without saying that the time of free dissemination of the op-ed page is about to end; I'm sure I'm not alone in my vexation that I may be paying the Times for content about casual Fridays in the Supreme Court.
I hope your last free columns are worth what I'm paying for them.
Sincerely,
Matt --------
Bennington, Vt.