**Only a neocon like Kristol could be relied upon to state such a thing.
The faux-intellectual explains how the Minnesota extremist is motivated by her deep respect for the Founders
By Joan Walsh
In the Crooks and Liars video below, the headline news is the hypocrisy of Weekly Standard editor and Fox News contributor Bill Kristol: He praises Elena Kagan as a respectable nominee for the Supreme Court, but says Republicans should oppose her, anyway. But Kristol's hypocrisy isn't news. What I found interesting is his praise for tea party activists and their champion, Michele "Barack Obama is un-American" Bachmann, for their commitment to constitutional conservatism. Here's what he says. I'm quoting a lot; let no one say I'm taking him out of context.
I think, for example,
Kagan would be a very respectable choice. But nonethelessI think most Republicans would oppose her and, honestly, should oppose her, with respect and with deference to her, you know, impressive academic credentials, because she will be a reliable liberal vote, and I think Republicans should want to have a serious debate on the Constitution.
I'm struck when you listen to the Tea Party activists. They often talk about we need to be constitutionalists, we need to be constitutional conservatives. I think Michele Bachmann used that phrase in talking with you just a couple of minutes ago.
And I think having a -- one thing that motivates conservatives today is the sense that the Constitution has become a nothing. I mean, it's no - - there's no constraint on government. It's just -- government does whatever it does.
And I think the notion that there's a kind of constitutionalist agenda on the right to oppose the progressive agenda on the left has actually gone further down into the populace, you know, than constitutional-type issues normally do.
Um, really?
remainder in full: http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/joan_walsh/politics/2010/04/13/michele_bachmann_constitutional_expert/index.html