Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

To the editor:

President Trump has nominated judicial candidates quickly and the Senate has confirmed them rapidly, bypassing the venerated custom of awaiting American Bar Assn. nominee evaluations and ratings. Trump and George W. Bush are the only presidents since Dwight Eisenhower to ignore the ABA recommendations, which help identify candidates who may be weak federal judges. (“Trump is dangerously cutting corners in his quest to remake the Judiciary,” editorial, Nov. 14)

On Nov. 9, the Judiciary Committee approved district judge nominees Brett Talley and Holly Lou Teeter, whom the ABA had rated not qualified. The full Senate should thoroughly debate their qualifications on the floor and reject the nominees if they are unqualified.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) appropriately invited an ABA representative to explain the evaluation system at the Nov. 15 hearing on nominees, and she comprehensively explained how the ABA rigorously and fairly evaluates and rates nominees.

Trump and the Senate should more carefully discharge their constitutional responsibilities to nominate and provide advice and consent regarding highly qualified candidates. Trump and senators must remember that nominees, if confirmed as life-tenured judges, will exercise the enormous power of the state.

Carl Tobias, Richmond, Va.

The writer is a law professor at the University of Richmond.

Note from KBJ: Thank God President Trump is ignoring the ABA, which has long since ceased being impartial. If anything, the ABA is a reliable anti-authority on judicial qualifications.

If Democrats were not such obstructionists and understood the power of lower taxes, we would be able to get many of their ideas into Bill!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Congratulations to Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins and Jose Altuve of the World Champion Houston Astros: this year's Most Valuable Players.

Here.

Here.

In light of recent events, I have some advice for men:

1. Don't touch a woman without her specific consent. Consent, to be consent, must be informed. Don't resort to trickery, subterfuge, dissimulation, or manipulation (including getting her drunk or high).
2. Compartmentalize your life, difficult though that may be. No flirting, romance, compliments, or sexual jokes or comments at work.
3. Don't make women feel uncomfortable, even in a public place where you are equals. If she rebuffs your advance(s), leave her alone. She is not interested in you as a romantic or sexual partner.
4. Stay away from underage females. Nothing good (and much bad) can come of it.
5. Be a gentleman, not a brute or a lout. Think courtship, which is respectable, not seduction, which is sleazy. Real men respect women, which means respecting women's autonomy.
6. If it's hard for you to imagine how a particular woman feels while she is interacting with you, imagine that she is your sister (or mother) and ask whether you would want a man treating her as you're thinking of treating her.

This advice is not merely prudential; it is moral. In other words, I'm not trying merely to help you to stay out of trouble; I'm trying to help you do the right thing. Prudence (self-interest) and morality sometimes converge.

Here is Kurt Schlichter's latest column. Schlichter, as you may have surmised from my semi-weekly posts, is by far my favorite columnist. I hope to read his columns (and books) for many years to come.

I'm watching C-SPAN as I work (and play) at the computer. The Senate Finance Committee is conducting hearings on what C-SPAN calls the "Senate GOP Tax Reform Bill." Over and over, ad nauseam, I hear Democrats complain that the Republicans are ramming the bill through. Isn't that precious? Have they forgotten how they rammed ObamaCare through? It was disgraceful. Payback is hell.

How must you conceive of a college or university in order to think that this is an appropriate job? As a re-education camp?

The things the Left says about President Trump are so far from the truth as to be laughable. Leftists say that he's deranged. He's actually quite stable, as far as his emotions, intellect, and behavior are concerned. His daily tweets are designed to provoke the Left, which is his way of controlling them. (As Rush Limbaugh would say, he lives rent-free in their heads.) Leftists say that he's incompetent. He's actually among the most competent presidents we've had, as evidenced by his accomplishments. (He's been in office only 10 months, with potentially 86 to go.) Leftists say (or imply) that he's unintelligent. He's actually very intelligent. He understands people; he knows how to delegate and negotiate; he knows how to solve problems; and he's creative. Leftists say (or imply) that he's lazy. I'm 60 years old. Trump is the ninth president I've observed (Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, Obama, Trump), and is, by far, the most energetic. Trump's energy and enthusiasm are boundless, and would be even if he were half his age. I defy any of his critics to do what he does for even one day.