Harriet Miers: A Super-Duper Pick?
So President Bush has chosen White House counsel and Texas superlawyer Harriet Miers to be the next justice of the Supreme Court. I'm not surprised at all. To use Sen. Arlen Specter's legal terminology, it's a super-duper pick.
A few months ago, Miers spoke at a luncheon hosted by the Republican National Lawyers Association. Those present were fascinated by her spirited call for limited government. She railed against judicial activism. At other times, the audience was captivated by her spirited wit and deep insights. Quietly, everyone was thinking the same thing: this woman should be on the Supreme Court, she's another Antonin Scalia.
Actually, Miers did speak to the RNLA, but I don't recall anything she said. She avoided most of the interesting legal issues (unless you're a lawyer of course, in which case "interesting" is much more broadly defined). She came across as very competent, very lawyerly, and, as a speaker, unexceptional.
U.S. News & World Report issues a ranking of the law schools every year that lawyers and potential lawyers read and then pretend it does not matter. Miers attended Southern Methodist University in Texas, ranked 52nd. Since the law school I attended is ranked significantly higher, I feel much better now with the knowledge that I too might some day be appointed to the Supreme Court, provided that I am close friends with the President.
President Bush could have chosen one of any number of women who are better qualified, who would have undeniably permitted him to keep his campaign promise, who would have demonstrated guts. Instead, Bush took the easy way out, but still opened himself up to charges of appointing an unqualified crony. Does "W" stand for "wuss" or "waterlogged"?
Conservatives might yet get another Scalia out of Miers, but it's possible that Miers herself does not know what she thinks about a wide range of constitutional issues. She has been working diligently on behalf of clients, who told her what they wanted the legal outcome to be. Now she will be her own woman. She could just as likely be a Scalia as she could be a Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Perhaps we'll learn more in the coming weeks. We'll definitely learn once she's on the bench.
A few months ago, Miers spoke at a luncheon hosted by the Republican National Lawyers Association. Those present were fascinated by her spirited call for limited government. She railed against judicial activism. At other times, the audience was captivated by her spirited wit and deep insights. Quietly, everyone was thinking the same thing: this woman should be on the Supreme Court, she's another Antonin Scalia.
Actually, Miers did speak to the RNLA, but I don't recall anything she said. She avoided most of the interesting legal issues (unless you're a lawyer of course, in which case "interesting" is much more broadly defined). She came across as very competent, very lawyerly, and, as a speaker, unexceptional.
U.S. News & World Report issues a ranking of the law schools every year that lawyers and potential lawyers read and then pretend it does not matter. Miers attended Southern Methodist University in Texas, ranked 52nd. Since the law school I attended is ranked significantly higher, I feel much better now with the knowledge that I too might some day be appointed to the Supreme Court, provided that I am close friends with the President.
President Bush could have chosen one of any number of women who are better qualified, who would have undeniably permitted him to keep his campaign promise, who would have demonstrated guts. Instead, Bush took the easy way out, but still opened himself up to charges of appointing an unqualified crony. Does "W" stand for "wuss" or "waterlogged"?
Conservatives might yet get another Scalia out of Miers, but it's possible that Miers herself does not know what she thinks about a wide range of constitutional issues. She has been working diligently on behalf of clients, who told her what they wanted the legal outcome to be. Now she will be her own woman. She could just as likely be a Scalia as she could be a Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Perhaps we'll learn more in the coming weeks. We'll definitely learn once she's on the bench.
posted by The Libertarian Republican at 11:22 PM
2 Comments:
I've heard that Miers went to a hard-core evangelical church in Dallas, so she might be solidly conservative on social issues.
If Miers gets on the court it will set a disturbing precedent of low standards. In 20 years time all that will be required is a GED and being a minority and/or woman.
Bush is utterly paranoid now, I think he is desparate to fill Washington with Bush family loyalists. You and other conservatives are right, there are many better qualified people out there.
Jason, have you actually considered Harriet Miers resume?
I would bet their are very few attorney's whose resumes would be as impressive as hers.
In addition, Harriet Miers has been leading the vetting of all of President Bush's judicial nominees for 4 1/2 years now...can you honestly say that she has not done an excellent job of advising the President in this capacity?
What "low standard" exactly will be Ms. Miers appointment render?
Seems to me their are many Conservatives looking shamefully hypocritical right now. For President Bush's entire presidency we have been fighting the Democrats, urging a fair up and down vote for his judicial nominees...yet now, those who have been fighting for this are now trying to say that Ms. Miers is NOT worthy of even that????
Personally, I made the choice to trust President Bush when I pulled that lever and voted for him BOTH times...I am not about to suddenly drop him like a hot potato because I am arrogant enough to believe I know better than he as to who would make a solid Associate Justice, as have Ann Coulter, Brent Bozell and countless others.
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