I haven't heard anyone (paticularly a senator) articulate why Mier's is "not qualified" so I would say the author is dead on in his analysis of the opposition.
Really? I've read and heard hundreds of friends, FReepers, and writers argue just that very convincingly.
Moreover, I have not heard a single person argue convincingly that Miers is qualified.
I don't believe any Senator has expressed a conclusion, but various rationales that feed into the "why/why not" analysis have been expressed by Senators.
Although Schumer added he would give Miers the benefit of the doubt on her knowledge of constitutional issues, he seemed surprised she was not yet prepared to talk about some cornerstone privacy cases from 1921 and 1964."She is not a constitutional lawyer, she never purported to be a constitutional lawyer, but she clearly needs some time to learn about these cases," he said.
He was also dubious of the possibility of confirmation hearings by Nov. 7.
"Given my first little discussion with Harriet Miers, I don't think we can do this on Nov. 7, just because there's so little there, there was so little actual information exchanged."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/v-pfriendly/story/356640p-303997c.html
Earlier this week, President Bush asserted -- as his father did after naming Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas -- that Miss Miers is the most qualified nominee in the country.Sen. Trent Lott, Mississippi Republican and Bush supporter, took issue with that answer.
"Is she the most qualified person?" he asked aloud on MSNBC this week. "Clearly, the answer to that is 'No.' There are a lot more people, men, women and minorities that are more qualified in my opinion by their experience than she is."
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20051007-111713-8663r.htm
"The record we have so far is simply insufficient to assess the qualifications of this nominee," Kennedy said. "While her resume lists impressive qualifications as a practicing attorney, it simply does not give the Senate -- or the public -- sufficient information to determine her qualifications to be a Supreme Court Justice and her commitment to core constitutional values."Liberals Express Concern; 'Miers Must Answer Questions' -- 10/03/2005
The latest doubts voiced by a prominent conservative came from Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and the chamber's third-ranking GOP leader. Santorum, who trails a Democratic challenger in polls heading into next year's election, said in response to a question during a stop in Pennsylvania on Thursday that he had not made up his mind how he would vote on Miers and took a jab at Bush for choosing her."I don't know yet," Santorum said, according to an account yesterday in the Public Opinion newspaper of Chambersburg, Pa. "But I am concerned President Bush nominated someone who is a blank slate. I'm disappointed he wanted to nominate someone like that instead of someone with a record."