Comments on: Sincerest Form of Flattery http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2007/07/the_sincerest_f.html The Law, the Universe, and Everything Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:51:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Head of Legal http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2007/07/the_sincerest_f.html/comment-page-1#comment-53370 Head of Legal Wed, 04 Jul 2007 23:50:26 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2007/07/sincerest-form-of-flattery.html#comment-53370 They must be familiar indeed! It's funny that this aspect of the proposed reforms - the similarity of many of them to long-standing US practice - hasn't been commented on more here in the UK, since we <i>know</i> Brown is seriously interested in the US and its politics - much more so than Tony Blair ever was. There's no doubt quite a few of the reforms are inspired by what you guys do - but I wouldn't push the similarities too far. I think we'll be cautious about making "confirmation hearings" as political as yours sometimes seem to be; and giving Parliament the final say over war and treaties isn't nearly as radical as giving Congress those powers. Don't forget, we have a parliamentary system so, unless his or her majority is on a knife-edge, the PM will always have the initiative, and will have no trouble getting proposals through. There'll never be a situation like President Bush finds himself in now, following mid-term elections. They must be familiar indeed! It’s funny that this aspect of the proposed reforms – the similarity of many of them to long-standing US practice – hasn’t been commented on more here in the UK, since we know Brown is seriously interested in the US and its politics – much more so than Tony Blair ever was.

There’s no doubt quite a few of the reforms are inspired by what you guys do – but I wouldn’t push the similarities too far. I think we’ll be cautious about making “confirmation hearings” as political as yours sometimes seem to be; and giving Parliament the final say over war and treaties isn’t nearly as radical as giving Congress those powers. Don’t forget, we have a parliamentary system so, unless his or her majority is on a knife-edge, the PM will always have the initiative, and will have no trouble getting proposals through. There’ll never be a situation like President Bush finds himself in now, following mid-term elections.

]]> By: Patrick S. O'Donnell http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2007/07/the_sincerest_f.html/comment-page-1#comment-53369 Patrick S. O'Donnell Wed, 04 Jul 2007 01:17:56 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2007/07/sincerest-form-of-flattery.html#comment-53369 I thought the British system was fine as it was (evolving and adapting to new conditions to be sure, but not so insecure as to look to us as a solution to what ails them) and thus that it's a mistake to believe they needed to emulate our system. The British have developed a constitutional monarchical democracy that works rather well, comparatively speaking. As I noted once over at PrawfsBlawg in a post on reforming the House of Lords, even many of the proposed reforms (some already implemented) of the House of Lords are unnecessary and wrong-headed. I thought the British system was fine as it was (evolving and adapting to new conditions to be sure, but not so insecure as to look to us as a solution to what ails them) and thus that it’s a mistake to believe they needed to emulate our system. The British have developed a constitutional monarchical democracy that works rather well, comparatively speaking. As I noted once over at PrawfsBlawg in a post on reforming the House of Lords, even many of the proposed reforms (some already implemented) of the House of Lords are unnecessary and wrong-headed.

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