Author: RenaRF

(Cross-posted at Daily Kos, my blog and My Left Wing)

First a disclaimer.  It is pretty much assumed that Bush cannot hand me a SCOTUS nominee with whom I will be happy.  Therefore, it’s imperative, for me, to try to get someone who doesn’t make my skin crawl.

Having said that, I’m torn on Miers.  I’ve seen all of the speculative arguments about whether or not she is a raging far-right evangelical wingnut and then further speculative argument about why she is not a raging far-right evangelical wingnut.

So I took a time-consuming approach.  I researched public statements made by Republican Senators and the Independent Senator from Vermont in a effort to get a feel for which way the wind was blowing.  Upon reading their statements, I cam up with the following regarding the Miers nomination (purely subjective): Opposed, Neutral and Favorable.  Unknown was assigned if I simply couldn’t find a public statement by a Senator.  Below the fold is my analysis of these statements and perhaps some conjecture as to what it all means.

(Cross-posted at Daily Kos, My Left Wing, and my blog)

Opinion polls, to me, are an imperfect science.  At the same time, they can serve as a touchstone in evaluating options.  The option I’m specifically concerned about right now is whether or not to adamantly oppose the nomination of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court.

Here’s what I think the numbers tell us – make the jump.

(Cross-posted at Daily Kos, my blog and My Left Wing)

Is it possible for those of us in the progressive ranks to have a conversation about religion as it relates to politics without getting into some huge flame war?  I hope so.  Because I saw an exchange on this week’s Real Time with Bill Maher that I think everyone should read and at least consider.  After considering it, perhaps it is possible to simply discuss it without decrying this point of view or that dogma.  Let’s make an honest effort at civility, because if we can’t talk amongst ourselves about religion and the importance of its presence or absence in some of our lives, I fear we will be severely hamstrung by this weird brand of emotional hysteria (both for and against) surrounding progressive discourse on the subject of faith.

More after the flip.

(Cross-posted at Daily Kos, My Left Wing, and my blog.) [editor’s note, by RenaRF] This is...

(Cross-posted at My Left Wing, Street Prophets, Daily Kos, ePluribus Media, and my blog.) I am...