Harriet Miers the pick AP

[johnmecainrino]

Harriet Miers

[ohioWfan]

Then let's wait to find them out before we have a collective heart attack, OK?

Let's not draw conclusions based on lack of information and rumors, burst out into fits of anger and rage, and say it's because we're being 'good conservatives,' OK???

[NittanyLion]

The fact that any of this has to be debated in the first place is proof that W made a lousy pick. I don't care about the outcome. Either he's being cute to avoid a fight in the Senate with a stealth conservative instead of a jurist whose earned the bona fides to be there, or he doesn't care about the people who elected him.

Yeah - let's take a look at the conversation on this forum. By my observation, 50-75% of posters are saying this is a horrible, disastrous pick. The other 25-50% are saying "just wait until we know more". Is anyone defending her as a fantastic, can't-miss pick?

I think that tells you all you need to know...with the White House and Senate in GOP hands, it shouldn't have come to this.

[LdSentinal]

ABA Fight

October 3, 2005 at 9:37 am. By Marshall --> About SCOTUSABA FightI’m hearing more about the ABA fight that carney posted about below. Apparently, Ms. Miers led the fight against the ABA taking a position in favor of abortion on demand. Several of those who worked with her during this fight attest to her courage and leadership on the issue. Ultimately, she led the call for a referendum as a last resort. She was apparently leading the fight against the ABA adopting a pro-Roe position from the very beginning of the discussion. One of those highlighting Ms. Miers role in this fight is Leonard Leo, who was also personally involved. Here’s his description of it from a memo this morning:

“As a leader of the bar, Harriet Miers was a fearless and very strong proponent of conservative legal views. She led a campaign to have the American Bar Association end its practice of supporting abortion-on-demand and taxpayer-funded abortions.”

I know everyone is — at best — confused by this selection. But the information is rolling in, and it may not be as bad as many think. I urge everyone to take a breath and hang on until we learn more

[maica]

Whatever. Glad you admit to being over 30

[cbkaty]

I'm pretty sure the lotto has been a major scam as far as how the proceeds were used.

Its no more of a scam than social security....all Texas Lotto funds go into the "general fund". Yes it was sold as a benefit to education (yea buddy!) but.....the reality of dedicated funding is another issue.

Also....let us all understand a basic principle; the public schools will burn every dollar given to them and still cry for MORE!!!!!

This is just another reason to put your kids in a religious private school.....

[Rutles4Ever]

Comparing the desire for a judicial originalist with wanting an activist is a nonsense analogy.

This is W's brand of affirmative action. Circumvent the proven quantities who've paid the dues and shown their mettle for an unknown quantity with a democrat past and no evidence whatsoever that she will fit the mold of Scalia and Thomas since, well, he's known her for twenty years.

[hummingbird]

Now there's some great leadership.

Texas was so thoroughly 'yellow dog' Democrat for so many years that it was almost like telling people you had a venereal disease if you admitted you were Republican. Wish I could pin down the moment the "mo"mentum turned in favor of the Republicans.

After Katrina and Rita, I think we can say LA political system is crooked and has been for years. Texas politics has its share of crookedness but also has idiosyncracies that make the terms "Democrat" and "Republican" almost useless.

That's why I can't go either way on Miers if I just go by party affiliation. I really don't know anything about her but you can bet I've got to do some catchin' up!

[dinoparty]

Um, OK. I sense that you are protecting your own turf. Fine. I am a lawyer, but love to laugh about the stupid pomposity of law schools and lawyers. Law school definitely does NOT make a person wiser, despite all the "think like a lawyer" garbage they feed you.
But I will defer to you in your claim that Business Schools are, in fact, the source of all wisdom.

[LdSentinal]

Harriet Miers

[SONbrad]

You may agree that she is a bad pick, but attacking someone solely based on their age, gender, or marital status and making disgusting innuendos with no prooof is nothing more than bigotry at its worst. In that regard 'faithincowboys' is no better than a klansman.

[beckysueb]

I support the president. No idiot here.

[SONbrad]

You may agree that she is a bad pick, but attacking someone solely based on their age, gender, or marital status and making disgusting innuendos with no prooof is nothing more than bigotry at its worst. In that regard 'faithincowboys' is no better than a klansman.

[demkicker]

Two points about not nominating any of the women so often named, or the men for that matter, that Bush has managed to get onto various Federal benches -

1) They declined to submit to the abuse required to pass through the Judiciary Committee again.

2) President Bush sees equal/greater value in having these strong conservatives on the Appellate Courts, so instead of having to go through two more nominations to fill two slots, he only has to ask one person to change her life.

Good point... Harriet Miers has been in charge of vetting all of these potential nominees. There's probably many good reasons Bush made this pick. I'm very torn over it myself, but think this is one of those times we really do just have to have faith.

And thanks, Howlin, for refreshing our memories about the Cheney naysayers when Bush picked him for his VP running mate. I'd forgotten about the hysteria and hope this will be a re-run outcome since I'm a huge Cheney fan.

Bush knows what is at stake. He cannot afford to risk a Souter-like disaster and he is evidently comfortable that he KNOWS Miers and her judicial philosophy. Once confirmed, we'll find out rather quickly if she leans conservative or not because of cases that are soon to be before the court. We'll soon know if the Miers pick will keep the GOPers away from the polls in droves or not...

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

This isn't what I helped campaign for, as a volunteer; and it's not what I supported, with numerous (and substantial) cash donations.

[TSchmereL]

Pathetic indeed. I am sick of being told to trust Bush. You can bet your ass Bush heard the complaining when he nominated Roberts; Bush knew we wanted a known, proven, conservative nominee with a clear conservative record. But with this nomination, Bush said, "Screw you, my loyal conservative base. I will not fight for you."

[Owen]

Mathematics:

McCain 1
Specter 1
Collins 1
Chaffee 1
Snowe 1
DeWine 1

That's 6, people, and the GOP majority in the Senate is 5.


Those are the MINIMUM votes from GOP Senators who would likely not support a hardline conservative nominee. A Luttig nomination to provide red meat to our most conservative folks here would yield a quiet FR and joy in the hearts of all, and certainly no such outcry that we're seeing here this morning -- and he'd never serve a day on the USSC because he is not confirmable. How do I know that? Because he was not nominated. Bush would have already asked those names above. He met with Specter again the day after Rehnquist died. He's not guessing at confirmability. He knows because he's been told.

Conservative picks have to be stealthy. There's no other way to get them confirmed. This pick is precisely that.

[sinkspur]

If she supported Clinton, it's a lot harder to take than Gore 88 without any explanation of what exactly made her think Clinton was wonderful enough to part cash for, and what made her change her mind

There were dummies on this website who have admitted they voted for Ross Perot, which was just as stupid as voting for Clinton.

Many conservatives were angry at Bush Sr. for raising taxes. Sounds like Meiers might have still been a Democrat in 1992. Lots of folks here voted for Clinton in 1992, as they were still Democrats as well.

[Junior_G]

Very well put.

[onyx]

Thank for that! You know, POTUS tipped his hand the other day when he opined that he was also looking at people who are not judges.

He knows Harriet. Trouble is, the democrats can't nail her on any judicial opinions...lol.

I trust POTUS. I would have preferred Janice Rogers Brown, but if the rats dump Harriet, he might come back with JRB.

[melancholy]

So was Reagan. This really means nothing - you can argue either way.

I'll actually argue one way:

If one is brought up a Republican, one learns the Dems' faults.

If one is brought up a Democrat, one experiences the Dems' faults and may very well mature and see the light.

The second is definitely no slouch!

Allessandro, get on the trolley bus and stop agitating.