In a morning radio commercial on my local station, KTKZ 1380 in Sacramento, the Blogfather Hugh Hewitt spoke of the Harriet Miers nomination and referenced the Beyond the News website, admonishing listeners that “special interests” are attempting to derail President Bush’s choice.

I had no idea I was a “special interest.” I thought I was just a little fat guy posting on a blog from time to time. Now I’ve been kicked UP into the special interest category. For about 1.35 seconds I was flattered. Then I was upset.

Let me be blunt: I’m no “special interest.” Nor am I an apologist or a shill for the Republican Party, though that is my affiliation. I am an individual who gets to make a choice, listen to and read information on issues, and come to a conclusion. I also, when I so choose, reserve the right to change my mind and thus my opinion on an issue.

So it is with Harriet Miers. I am very happy for her that she is an evangelical Christian. I’m glad she purports to have a pro-life stance, good for her. The charge of “cronyism” – yeah, okay, I can go with that to a limited degree. We all are more “comfortable” with those we know as opposed to those we don’t; that’s how humans are Hard Wired.

I think I can go with the Bush “loyalty factor” to an even greater degree than cronyism. History has proven that President Bush places loyalty on a very high pedestal and tends to surround himself with those fitting the category. This is good and bad: the devil you know vs. the devil you don’t, so to speak. It also locks your mind from dissenting opinions and tends to limit options. On the other hand, given the media and the left wing, it is at least understandable (though not desirable) that Bush has apparently surrounded himself with a fleet of “Yes Men & Women” and taken a bit of a bunker mentality.

This still, in my estimation, doesn’t make his choice the best of those available. Nor is it disrespectful to suggest that the president hasn’t made the finest selection, nor is it heresy to write or suggest, as did George Will, that it might not be the end of civilization if Harriet Miers is not confirmed. Loyalty is all well and good; cronyism is not necessarily wrong on its face if it equates to familiarity, comfort level, workability and a known quantity.

Loyalty to me, however, does not mean a total lack of dissent, discussion, issue exposure and examination and, finally, opinions. It is not disloyal or disrespectful to suggest that there exists a better solution to a problem or that a choice, selection or answer may not be the best available.

So no, I’m not in total disagreement with George Will. The earth will not stop rotating on its axis if Harriet Miers is not confirmed. It will simply mean President Bush must make another selection.

I wouldn’t mind Janice Rogers Brown as a nominee if for no other reason (how shallow of me!) than to expose the tacitly condoned racism of the Democratic Party. Put JRB front and center and let Senator Charles Schumer, Ted Kennedy and Diane Feinstein rake an educated and erudite conservative black woman over the coals in public, on television.

No Hugh, I’m no special interest. I’m just a little fat guy with an opinion. BABAGOI.