Posted by
Ed Lilly on Friday, May 23, 2008 7:29:08 PM
Byron York has a post up at The Corner that reminded me of something that I’ve meant to post before and I don’t think I ever have. Getting back to the intersection of language and politics, the section of Sen. Clinton’s statement quoted by York contains the following blurb:
...I’m honored to hold Senator Kennedy’s seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York...
Whenever I see references to “President ‘X’ has nominated Judge ‘Y’ to fill Justice ‘Z’s’ Supreme Court seat,” or some reference like Sen. Clinton’s above to “holding ‘A’s’ seat in the U.S. Senate,” I want to kick something. I understand that there is perhaps a succession of people who may serve in the same job, but my admittedly neanderthal view of our republican democracy and the Constitutional framework is that there is no such thing as a particular person’s seat anywhere in our government. It’s like hearing Freddie Kreuger’s metal claw dragged across a classroom blackboard for me when I see government office holders or journalists lapse into the convention of referring to a person holding someone’s seat. Ann Landers’ old call for 50 lashes with a wet noodle is the least we should do in these cases.