Jonah Goldberg of the National Review reminds “liberals” to look into their dictionaries before throwing the word “crony” around vis-a-vis Harriet E. Miers’ nomination to the Supreme Court:

It’s a word and concept much abused in recent months. The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank quoted me as saying Harriet Miers fits the dictionary definition of “crony,” as if it was a stinging rebuke of the White House. In reality, it was merely a factual statement. According to the dictionary, a crony is a longtime close friend or companion. Historically it didn’t have a negative connotation. It derives from the Greek chronos (time) and simply means someone you’ve known for a long while. The Oxford English Dictionary cites as the word’s first appearance an entry in Samuel Pepys’ diary in 1665: “Jack Cole, my old school-fellow … who was a great chrony of mine.” In America, the term has become politically negative, meaning favoritism for your buddies.

Thus it’s something of a departure for liberals to become particularly vexed over cronyism, given that cronyism is central to traditional Democratic machine politics. Recall Bill Clinton appointed his childhood friend Thomas “Mack” McLarty as his chief of staff and Bruce Lindsey as his counsel, and he criminally attacked the White House travel office so he could get his cronies in there. …

The more relevant point is simply a reminder that what we call cronyism is a fixture of the human condition and therefore a permanent feature of politics, which is not always bad. Yes, friendship can corrupt in subtle, unseen ways. But it also facilitates solutions because friendships rely on trust. Old Washington warhorses get called “rainmakers” because they have so many ancient relationships they can rely on to cut through red tape and partisan rancor.