Osler's Razor

Yesterday I received a beautiful engraved invitation to the formal investiture of Brett Kavanaugh as a Judge of the DC Circuit. Some of you might be surprised that I am invited to the investiture of one of the Bush Administration's more controversial picks for the bench, given that I spent part of my summer arguing for the ACLU in various (other) federal circuit courts. But, as they say on Facebook, "it's complicated."

Brett's nomination was held up for years by Democrats in the Senate, and even when other controversial nominees such as Priscilla Owen were confirmed he was left to languish. It was a real loss-- Brett is smart, fair, and will make a great judge. Last Spring, several us who have known him since law school wrote a letter supporting his confirmation to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and signing it made me kind of sad; sad that political division in this country has become so acrid and hostile. My friends over at the Bosque Boys have discussed this quite perceptively.

I probably won't go to the investiture, though. DC is a dangerous place for me, ever since 1988, when that Roy Rogers manager chased me down K Street yelling something about stolen chicken.