Crackpot history and the right to lie

I haven't written much about the Roberts confirmation hearings, because I'm more than a tad perplexed by all the intricacies. Not in the way you might think. I mean, the guy is obviously a staunch, ideology-driven conservative. This administration never appoints anyone else. I don't want him on the Supreme Court.

But I'm still waffling a bit about the opposition he should face. He's mastered the self-effacing grin and middle-aged Boy Scout look, and he's a deft non-answerer of straightforward questions. Attempts to put him on the spot have so far failed because, like all Bush conservatives, he seemingly has no qualms about lying under oath. We've seen it from several appointees-- Bolton, 'Brownie,' etc.

That said, it's probably a done deal. I think we're going to lose this one. The Dems just aren't united. But they'd damn well better fight the next right-wing crackpot he nominates....

Anyway, this new bit of shamelessness from the hearings (via Salon):

At one point during Joh Roberts' confirmation hearing today, Senator Joe Biden interrupted Roberts when he thought the nominee's answers to his questions were "misleading." Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter cut Biden off. "Now, wait a minute, wait a minute," Specter said. "They may be misleading, but they are his answers."