That’s the approach that John Hinderaker says she should take at the confirmation hearings. I think John hit the nail on the head with this post. (Assuming, of course, that it is the truth).

It occurs to me that there may be a simple approach by which both Miers and President Bush can be extricated from the present difficulty.

Suppose Miers testifies to the following: 1) She believes Roe was wrongly decided, and has expressed that view from time to time in conversation. 2) Her disagreement with Roe is not based on her opposition to abortion, but rather on her opposition to judicial usurpation. The Constitution says nothing about abortion, and the idea that the Court suddenly “discovered” the right after nearly 200 years is ridiculous. 3) She doesn’t know whether she would vote to overturn Roe, because that would depend on issues relating to stare decisis that she hasn’t yet analyzed, and she would not make that kind of decision without hearing the case before her, studying the authorities and the arguments of the parties, and discussing the issues with her colleagues on the Court.

Mightn’t that approach solve a number of problems?

Read the rest.

Deep in this interview with Kevin Mitnick (hacker extraordinaire and author of Art of Deception) is buried a quote which echoes somethign that I have been repeating saying for several years now anytime someone asks me “is it safe to use a credit card online?”

But, I don’t have a problem at all using my credit card online. There are attacks that can be done, but it’s unlikely that I’ll be targeted as an individual. It’s more likely the attackers will target the bank. So that way they can get many user names and passwords, and get access to many accounts, rather than just targeting me. I think it’s safer to use a credit card over the Internet than it is to go to a Macy’s and use it where an employee can simply skim off the card, or go into a bar, or a restaurant where they have your credit card number.

He reminds us that, as always, social engineering is the bigger risk than technological hacking.

Rush in WSJ:

Some liberal commentators mistakenly view the passionate debate among conservatives over the Miers nomination as a “crackup” on the right. They are giddy about “splits” in the conservative base of the GOP. They are predicting doom for the rest of the president’s term and gloom for Republican electoral chances in 2006. As usual, liberals don’t understand conservatives and never will.

The Miers nomination shows the strength of the conservative movement. This is no “crackup.” It’s a crackdown. We conservatives are unified in our objectives. And we are organized to advance them. The purpose of the Miers debate is to ensure that we are doing the very best we can to move the nation in the right direction. And when all is said and done, we will be even stronger and more focused on our agenda and defeating those who obstruct it, just in time for 2006 and 2008. Lest anyone forget, for several years before the 1980 election, we had knockdown battles within the GOP. The result: Ronald Reagan won two massive landslides.

H/T: Claybourn.

Since I don’t have the time this morning to really dig into the whole Miller / Plame / Rove / Wilson / Libby / Novak / Fitzgerald thing or what really happened in Toledo, something a little more light-hearted is on the menu today.

From The Sun tabloid.

A shocked village drama group sent off for a script and found Dopey and his pals — played by kids — had to be called “gnomes” instead.

Ray Lionet, 73, of the Coxheath Players in Kent, said the ban was to avoid offending short people.

April Wood, a Discovery Toys consultant who advertises on Myopic Zeal, has posted an extensive list of the various awards that Discovery Toys products have earned over the past several years. Some of my personal favorites are listed, so I guess maybe that means I ought to start my own annual Toy Review as a qualified expert. Something to think about for next year maybe. ;-)

Here are a couple of great ones I picked out of the list, that my kids really enjoy.

#2234 FLIP FLOP FACES Beanbag Toss Game
Dr. Toy’s Best Vacation Children’s Products for 2001

#1640 MEASURE UP!® Cups
Dr. Toy’s Best Classic Toys (1998)
Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Products (1998)

And of course, the ol’ favorites:

#2871 STUCK-ON MARBLEWORKS®
Parents’ Choice Approved Award 2003
Great American Toy Test Award 2003

#3871 SUPER™ MARBLEWORKS® Raceway Construction Set
Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Toys (1997)
Dr. Toy’s Best Classic Toys (1998)
Scholastic Parent & Child Teacher’s Picks Award (2002)
Great American Toy Test Award 2003

Go check out the full list of these great educational toys, books, games and puzzles!