Olasky reports on Meirs - some good inside info, a few encouraging points...

World Mag ^

[Uncledave]

Which side are you on?

People are asking whether I support the Miers nomination. OK: I wish W had chosen one of the judges with a clear, on-the-record, conservative judicial philosophy, and then been willing to fight it out. In the absence of a clear record, it's important to know who a SCOTUS nominee's friends are. Since Nathan Hecht is a good friend of Miers and also a good guy, that's significant. So is the opposition of other thoughtful conservatives. Overall, this time, I'm in the "we report - you decide" camp. We'll put on this blog and in World when we go to press on Thursday, views by credible people on both sides. Posted by Olasky on Oct 3, 05 11:03 AM

Harriet Miers -- pro, part 1

This begins a series of seven posts on Harriet Miers, based on interviews with those who know her. Some background for the first five: I spoke yesterday with Nathan Hecht, the Texas Supreme Court justice who is a prolife hero for strongly supporting parental notification laws five years ago when a SCOTEX majority was scuttling them. Hecht, 55 and never married, and Harriet Miers, 60 and never married, have known each other for 30 years and are -- to quote Hecht -- "very close friends. We dated some. The relationship has been close: Platonic... We go to dinner, I go to Washington for special things."

Posted by Olasky on Oct 3, 05 08:24 AM

Harriet Miers -- pro, part 2

Miers has been a member of Valley View Christian Church in Dallas for 25 years, where Hecht has been an elder. He calls it a "conservative evangelical church... in the vernacular, fundamentalist, but the media have used that word to tar us." He says she was on the missions committee for ten years, taught children in Sunday School, made coffee, brought donuts: "Nothing she's asked to do in church is beneath her." On abortion, choosing his words carefully for an on-the-record statement, he says "her personal views are consistent with that of evangelical Christians... You can tell a lot about her from her decade of service in a conservative church." Posted by Olasky on Oct 3, 05 08:23 AM

Harriet Miers -- pro, part 3

Hecht says about Miers' judicial philosophy: "She's an orginalist -- that's the way she takes the Bible," and that's her approach to the Constitution as well -- "Originalist -- it means what it says." He notes that her legal practice involved writing contracts rather than tort law, so she was always looking at the plain meaning of the words: "Originalist." He also says she's not a social butterfly who will be swayed by Washington dinner table conversation: "She goes to the dinners she's supposed to go to. She's not on the social circuit." Posted by Olasky on Oct 3, 05 08:22 AM

Harriet Miers -- pro, part 4

Hecht says Miers never got married because she "probably worked too hard. She's close to her family, has a sister and three brothers, goes to her nephews' high school football games, bought a car for one of them." She "had a Catholic upbringing, had not been close to the church, it was off again, on again, then she came to a point in her life when she wanted to change that…. She made an abrupt change in 79 or 80. She was very hard-working and successful, she wanted new meaning, substance in her life.” Her father died when she was a freshman in college. "Look at her commitment in taking care of her [now 93-year-old mother] all these years. Look at her tax returns. She tithes, gave a full tithe to the church. Helps out in missions, Bible translation. These are the kinds of values she shows." Hecht and Miers "went to two or three prolife dinners in the late 80s or early 90s." Posted by Olasky on Oct 3, 05 08:21 AM

Harriet Miers -- pro, part 5

Questions are being raised about Harriet Miers' politics because published records show her making contributions of $1,000 to Lloyd Bentsen in 1987, Al Gore in 1988, and the Democratic National Committee that same year. Hecht says, "She was a Democrat years and years ago, in the early 80s." As far as the late 80s contributions, "If she did it, it was because the [law] firm made her do it." She is loyal to President Bush and he to her: "The president demands a lot. The people he's loyal to are productive." Miers and Laura Bush are "very close. Harriet just loves Laura, has the deepest respect for her. Laura has migrated in her faith, it’s stronger than when she got to Washington.” Posted by Olasky on Oct 3, 05 08:20 AM

Harriet Myers -- anti

Hecht's evaluation needs to be taken seriously, but here's one negative analysis from a lawyer who is a conservative Christian and worked with Harriet Miers in Texas (I agreed to go off-the-record with this lawyer, a credible person whose practice could be seriously hurt by this criticism of Miers): "Harriet could have become a conservative in Washington, but unless she did, she doesn’t have any particular judicial philosophy… I never heard her take a position on anything… We’ll have another Sandra Day O’Connor… Harriet worships the president and has called him the smartest man she’s known. She’s a pretty good lawyer…. This president can be bamboozled by anyone he feels close to. If a person fawns on him enough, is loyal, works 25 hours a day and says you’re the smartest man I ever met, all of a sudden you’re right for the Supreme Court." Posted by Olasky on Oct 3, 05 08:19 AM

Harriet Miers -- her pastor's view

I talked yesterday with Miers' pastor, Ron Key, who for 33 years (until a few weeks ago) was pastor of Valley View Christian Church in Dallas. “She started coming to church in 1980. She helped out with kids, made coffee, furnished donuts, served on missions committee. She worked out her faith in practical, behind-the-scenes ways. She doesn't draw attention to herself, she's humble, self-effacing." Key has still seen her in recent years because "her mother is 93. Harriet tries to get home as much as she can." When Key and Miers met in 1980, "I don’t know how strong her faith was at that time. She came to a place where she totally committed her life to Jesus. She had gone to church before, but when she came to our church it became more serious to her.... Our church is strong for life, but Harriet and I have not had any conversations on that…. We believe in the biblical approach to marriage." Posted by Olasky on Oct 3, 05 08:18 AM :: :: Comments (7)

[Mike Darancette]

Who is going to be her Rabbi?

[old and tired]

Looking better all the time. The only anti on there is a Bush basher who thinks the president's too dumb to read people.

Thanks for posting this.

[VRWCTexan]

Thanks - good insights.

IMO this was an overall good move by GWB.

Unfortunately it will never satisfy some who were H-ll bent on having a big fight...?

[deport]

Building info on Ms. Miers

[ghost of nixon]

Harriet worships the president and has called him the smartest man she’s known

if the moonbats see this quote, they'll go (even more) crazy...all-in-all, her background tells me she would be innoculated from the "liberal growth" syndrome that has ruined many a justice.

[LS]

I just finished Jeff Shaara's great book, "The Glorious Cause," about G. Washington in the American Revolution. It's amazing how often he AVOIDED a fight . . . not with the British, but with others on his side. His aides were always spoiling for a fight with Lee or Gates, but Washington kept them quiet and focused on the prize, WINNING.

Rush and others want a fight. Bush wants to win.

[Daralundy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1495754/posts

Pretty similar post.

[frogjerk]

Unfortunately it will never satisfy some who were H-ll bent on having a big fight...?

Ping! Also, we are in the information gathering phase here so initial reports or overreactions are usually just that...

[VRWCTexan]

Thanks - I will check that out.

I have always loved and studied American history, and with the political correctness of today it is getting much harder to find material that is not spun to suit an agenda.

Your own book on Amazon also looks interesting - it will be my next purchase.

[InsensitiveConservative]

That's fine reading but what is her stance on the Hapless Toad?

[woofie]

I spoke to her cleaning lady and she commented on the lack of dirt surrounding Ms Miers.

[Ol' Sparky]

Questions are being raised about Harriet Miers' politics because published records show her making contributions of $1,000 to Lloyd Bentsen in 1987, Al Gore in 1988, and the Democratic National Committee that same year. Hecht says, "She was a Democrat years and years ago, in the early 80s."

So, she voted for Jimmy Carter over Ronald Reagan?

Why would a conservative Christian support pro-abortion Algore for President and contribute money to his campaign?

[DallasMike]

I wrote about the Olasky interview here earlier this morning. I know Valley View Christian Church where Miers is a member and it's a good, solid, pro-life, Bible-believing church. I think that anyone who is pro-choice would feel terribly out of place there.

 

       

        <-------- Visit Stingray blogsite for conservative Christian commentary

[ZULU]

Pliable.

Easily duped.

And what do expect her church members to say about her?

She's obviously a nice lady, but what has that got to do with the Supreme Court?

I guess Laura chose this one.

[Hildy]

Because smart people change. I don't feel the exact same way I felt 20 years ago, do you?

[Plutarch]

If membership in a conservative evangelical church, and being the closest doughnut on the tray are the chief qualifications for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, then she is a brilliant pick.

[deport]

I spoke to her cleaning lady and she commented on the lack of dirt surrounding Ms Miers.

---

But if there is any you can rest assured it will be found and brought forth here on FR..... This forum does a good job of that along with spreading unfounded rumors.

[onyx]

The two TX senators?

[woofie]

Yea, I hear he is a Lizard Woman ...a race of extraterrestials who have mated with with humans centuries ago....