A Statement of Profound Stupidity

I try to avoid calling public figures stupid, so I'm going to take a pass on the question of whether Sam Brownback, Republican Senator from Kansas and a man who has been named as a longshot Presidential Candidate in 2008, is actually stupid and confine myself to saying that it is merely the statement which he made this morning on "This Week" with George Stephanapolous is profoundly stupid.

The situation involves Judge Janet Neff of the Michigan Court of Appeals, who has been nominated by President Bush to a District Court seat in Michigan. It turns out that back in 2002, Judge Neff attended the commitment ceremony of a lesbian couple in Massachusetts. Senator Brownback this morning stated that her attendance may indicate how she views the law in this developing area. It is this statement that I have so much trouble with.

Judge Neff's attendance at a civil commitment ceremony, a ceremony which had no binding legal force and simply served to demonstrate the couple's commitment to each other, was done in a personal capacity. In no way does it even remotely implicate her ability to serve as a judge, and it is offensive and idiotic to suggest otherwise. Look at it from the other direction - if she had turned down an invitation to the ceremony would it have demonstrated that she was a suitable candidate for Brownback? Does a judge who accepts an invitation to speak at an event indicate that he or she is sympathetic to the cause represented by that group? Can a judge with cable TV be trusted to rule on cases involving the entertainment industry?

I don't have much else to say on this. I think it to be so patently absurd that it doesn't justify too much attention. If Brownback were a more viable Presidential candidate, I'd be horrified. As it is, I'm not that worried.