Senator Al Franken channels Humpty Dumpty at Sotomayor hearing

RealClearPolitics has posted a video of today’s USSC confirmation hearing where newbie senator Al Franken praised Sonia Sotomayor as “the most experienced Supreme Court nominee in 100 years”.

Seriously? More experienced than any other nominee to come before the Senate in the past 100 years?

 “I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Franken’s superlative abuse reminds me of an exchange between Humpty Dumpty and Alice  in Lewis Carroll’s classic story Through the Looking Glass (with the word “glory” replaced with “experience”):

‘There's experience for you!’

‘I don't know what you mean by "experience",’ Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. ‘Of course you don't -- till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"’

‘But "experience" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument",’ Alice objected.

‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.’

‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master -- that's all.’

Thank you, Minnesota.