Supreme Courtship

With the U.S. Congress delaying the financial bail-out program until the politicians have achieved maximum hand-wringing and finger-pointing, perhaps it's time for a reprieve in the form of a cleverly funny new book. Supreme Courtship, by Christopher Buckley was released earlier this month, which implies its text was finalized long before the presidential candidates selected their running mates. This is key as one of the main characters sure sounds like a certain V.P. candidate. This similarity, along with a number of pertinent themes, will have readers wondering about the reflecting link between art and real life.

President Donald P. Vanderdamp is portrayed as man so bland as to make Al Gore look like a rock star. His plain vanilla persona even extends to his favorite hobby, bowling. What does set the President apart from other politicos is a commitment to actually do something about mushrooming public spending. The something involves a presidential veto for every spending bill that gets to his desk. As you might expect, this has his personal stock selling at a very low multiple on Capitol Hill. Although he plans to serve only one term, a plan well-supported by his approval ratings, there are ways in which the legislators can pay him back for his swift veto pen; namely the savaging of his nominees to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the enthusiastic point man on this effort being the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, one Dexter Mitchell.

After having two eminently qualified nominees destroyed by Mitchell's committee, Vanderdamp decides to take a different tack. He nominates Judge Pepper Cartwright to the Supreme Court. Among the problems with this nomination is the fact that Ms Cartwright's most recent judicial experience consists of six seasons as the star of TV's Courtroom Six. Moreover, the fact that Pepper is certifiably hot adds a lot of spice to the story. She is described, by her slimy husband, who is also the producer of Courtroom Six, as, "... woman in her mid-thirties, tall, lush brown hair,...high cheekbones, and deep dimples. She wore glasses, which she kept putting on and taking off." Except for the fact that she is as Texas as the Alamo, she could easily be confused with a certain Governor of Alaska.

The fun really starts after she is appointed to the Supreme Court. Like any new appointee, she must learn the ropes, including the eccentricities of her fellow justices, which Buckley describes in living color. You might also want to dig out your Latin Cliff Notes. Amid some upheavals between her and her producer husband, who can usually be found plumbing the depths of depravity for potential reality show subjects, the court attempts to deal with the issues of the day, with Pepper, as the new kid, frequently providing the swing vote.

The book ends amid a great brouhaha of constitutional law, in which the Supreme Court must decide the results of the next subsequent presidential election which has been complicated by a proposed constitutional amendment. The ending is all the merrier as the election involves two old antagonists. It's not quite as dramatic as the score-settling scene in The Godfather, interspersed with a baptism in Latin, but there is a certain satisfaction to the resolution of the saga, one which supports Vanderdamp's nickname, Don Veto.

The Supreme Court? Deciding a presidential election? Who would believe this stuff? The View recommends Supreme Courtship with two thumbs up in spite of this far fetched plot.