What They're Saying About Nomination Of Harriet Miers To Supreme Court

Vice President Dick Cheney: "I Think [President Bush Has] Found A Good One In Harriet Miers. I Think She'll Do A Great Job." (Vice President Dick Cheney, Telephonic Interview By Rush Limbaugh, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 10/3/05)

Cheney: "[I]'m Confident That She Has A Conservative Judicial Philosophy ..." (Vice President Dick Cheney, Telephonic Interview By Rush Limbaugh, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 10/3/05)

Cheney: "She Believes Very Deeply In The Importance Of Interpreting The Constitution And The Law As It's Written. She Won't Legislate From The Federal Bench." (Vice President Dick Cheney, Telephonic Interview By Rush Limbaugh, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 10/3/05)

James C. Dobson, Focus On The Family Chairman: "We Welcome The President's Nomination Of Harriet Miers To The U.S. Supreme Court. ... Harriet Miers Appears To Be An Outstanding Nominee For The Supreme Court." (Focus On The Family Action, "Dobson Welcomes Miers' Nomination," Press Release, 10/3/05)

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE): "It Appears The President Has Made A Sound Choice In Harriet Miers. From Every Indication It Seems That She Has The Qualifications And Experience To Serve On The Supreme Court. Based On Her Background And Experience, If Confirmed, She Would Undoubtedly Bring A New Perspective And Balance To The Court." (Sen. Ben Nelson, "Nelson Statement On The Nomination Of Harriett Miers To Serve As Associate Justice Of The Supreme Court," Press Release, 10/3/05)

Sen. Nelson: "The President Should Be Commended For Taking Such Care And Time To Nominate Someone Who Could Garner The Same Broad Bipartisan Support That John Roberts Did." (Sen. Ben Nelson, "Nelson Statement On The Nomination Of Harriett Miers To Serve As Associate Justice Of The Supreme Court," Press Release, 10/3/05)

Sen. Nelson: "I'd Like To Thank The President For The Effort He Made Reaching Out To Me And Many Of My Colleagues To Discuss This Nomination." (Sen. Ben Nelson, "Nelson Statement On The Nomination Of Harriett Miers To Serve As Associate Justice Of The Supreme Court," Press Release, 10/3/05)

Chuck Colson, Founder And Chairman Of Prison Fellowship Ministries: "You Look At The Sum Total Of Her Record And See Someone Whose Very Much In Line With The President's Thinking, And I Trust George Bush On This. He Gave Us Roberts, Who Is A Clearly One Of The Best Appointees To The Court In My Lifetime, And I Think Harriet's Going To Be A Perfect Vote On That Court Along With Roberts." (Fox News' "Your World," 10/3/05)

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC): "President Bush Has Made A Solid Pick For The Supreme Court. ... Her Legal Experience Combined With Her Life Experience Makes Her A Solid Choice. ... In My Opinion, There Will Be No Filibuster As She Is A Mainstream Conservative Who Will Be A Strict Constructionist On The Supreme Court. " (Sen. Lindsey Graham, Press Release, 10/3/05)

CNN's Ed Henry: "[I]n The Words Of Veteran Republican Senator John Warner, A Key Swing Vote On All This, It Appears The President Hit A Second Straight Home Run." (CNN's "The Situation Room," 10/3/05)

Henry: "[T]here Was Some Interesting Praise From Top Democrats Like Chuck Schumer And Diane Feinstein Who Voted Against Roberts Saying She Does Not See Any Negatives With This Nomination And More Importantly The Senate Democratic Leader Also Had Very Warm Words And In Fact He Is The Man Who Initially Raised The Name Of Harriet Miers Directly To The President." (CNN's "The Situation Room," 10/3/05)

Henry: "[T]his May Not Have Been An Orthodox Pick, But From Right To Left, A Lot Of Praise For It." (CNN's "The Situation Room," 10/3/05)

Wendy Long, Former Law Clerk To Justice Clarence Thomas: "She's Going To Modestly And Strictly Interpret The Constitution And Laws. It's A Lot Of What We Heard From John Roberts." (CNN's "Live Today," 10/3/05)

Long: "I've Met Her During The Course Of The Administration. She's A Very Bright Woman, But She's Modest And Understated. She's Very Prudent. She's Discrete. All Those Are Important Qualities For A Judge." (CNN's "Live Today," 10/3/05)

Spence Abraham, Committee For Justice, Co-Chair: "I Have Had The Chance To Work Closely With Harriet Miers For The Past Four Years And Am Confident That She Will Bring The Same Integrity And Intelligence To The Court Which She Has Displayed In The Important Legal And Governmental Posts She Has Held." (Committee For Justice, "CFJ Congratulates President On Miers Nomination," Press Release, 10/3/05)

MSNBC's Mike Viqueira: "In Other Words, He May Have Here A Nominee That Is Acceptable To Virtually All Republicans, And Enough Democrats In The Senate To Confirm This Nominee, Harriet Miers." (MSNBC's "News Live," 10/3/05)

MSNBC's Pete Williams: "Well, For Groups Who Want To Oppose Her, There's Nothing To Hang Their Hat On This Morning." (MSNBC's "News Live," 10/3/05)

Williams: "There's Some Suggestion That What The Democrats May Be Saying Is That, She's Quote-Unquote Not Qualified For The Job. But At The Same Time That Will Put Them In A Bit Of A Difficult Position. Because Some Congressional Democrats Have Said, What We Need Is More Diversity, A Breadth Of Experience On The Court. Like Days Past, When More Of The Supreme Court Justices Did Not Come From The Federal Bench Farm Team." (MSN BC's "News Live," 10/3/05)

Christian Coalition: "Christian Coalition Of America Is Pleased That President Bush Named A Replacement For Justice O'Connor To The Supreme Court Who He Says Will Not Legislate From The Bench. Even Though She Has No Judicial Experience, She Has Spent Many Years Of Her Career Serving As The Personal Attorney To The President And Supporting His Conservative Agenda While Serving As An Attorney In The White House." (Christian Coalition, Press Release, 10/3/05)

Christian Coalition President, Roberta Combs: "As A Woman, I Am Honored That The President Would Appoint Another Woman To The Supreme Court. Ms. Miers Has An Excellent Career Record And Has Accomplished Many Firsts For Women. She Was The First Woman To Be Elected The Texas State Bar Association And The First Woman To Be Hired In Her Law Firm And To Become President Of The Law Firm. I Trust That She Will Be An Excellent Addition To The High Court And All Americans Will Be Proud Of Her." (Christian Coalition, Press Release, 10/3/05)

NPR's Juan Williams: "The President Once Said That She's A Pit Bull In A Size Six Shoe ... I Think It Hints At Her Tenacity And Her Intellect. You Don't Rise Up To Head The Bar In Texas, To Run For The Number Two Spot In Terms Of The ABA Without Being Someone Who Impresses Your Legal Colleagues As Absolutely One Of The Best. And She's One Of The Best By All Measures, Liberal Or Conservative." (Fox News' "Fox News Live," 10/3/05)

Former Associate Deputy Attorney General And Clerk To Justice O'Connor Andrew McBride: "Harriet Miers Like Justice O'Connor, A Decade Or Two After, Is A Trail Blazer, Is Someone Who Was An Example To Women In The Law." (Fox News' "Fox News Live," 10/3/05)

Former Harriet Miers Colleague Karin Torgerson: "I Think What She Will Bring To Her Job Is The Ability To Study Everything That Comes Before Her And To Boil Down The Facts ... And Apply The Constitution To Those Facts And Circumstances." (Fox News' "Fox News Live," 10/3/05)

Former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh: "She Has Had A Distinguished Record In The Private Practice Of The law. She Has Held Public Office. That's A Refreshing Change From The Long String Of Justice Nominees Who Have Come Strictly From The Federal Judiciary." (Fox News' "Fox News Live," 10/3/05)

William Owens, President Coalition Of African-American Pastors: "We Are Pleased With The President's Nomination Of Harriet Miers To The U. S. Supreme Court. The President Pledged To Appoint Judges Who Will Apply The Law Rather Than Make Up New Law, And We Believe He Has Not Disappointed Us So Far." (Coalition of African-American Pastors, Press Release, 10/3/05)

Owens: "Harriet Miers Is An Excellent Choice And The Coalition Of African-American Pastors Is Very Happy With This Selection." (Coalition of African-American Pastors, Press Release, 10/3/05)

Very good post on various views regarding this.

Harriet Miers seems ok to me. At first I was scared, the reports on some past opinion she might have made supporting gay adoption of children … that really scared me, not to say what I was hearing about her academic support for an international criminal court.

The first words out of Laura Ingraham is that, she is very deeply disappointed. She did mention that some (unnamed) conservative know-it-all and I suppose insider of some sorts is assuring her that, to effect, “relax, Harriet is ok”. Nevertheless, Ingraham still feels, the appointment is so important that viz “why even take a chance” and just nominate someone who without question has a strong conservative record.

The conservative know-it-all and probable insider told Laura Ingraham that Harriet is “a Christian” and pro-life.

Well, the most important issue for me isn’t whether the nominee is a Christian or pro-life. Maybe that’s important to President Bush, but not to me, not the most important thing. I mean, Bush is a Christian, but there are a whole lot of things the Prez has done that really pissed me off. So just because someone is a Christian doesn’t mean the person is a good choice – I love Christians and a good Christian is a winner. Today, if the left has it’s way, the Christians will be the next Jews for the gas chamber, you can bank on it. Our forefathers who authored our constitution were Christians in large part. But, being a Christian and pro-life isn’t the deal with me.

Is Bush more committed to his personal friends, that conservative principal? I think so. And, Bush isn't a conservative. So, I really don't care if she's a "Christian". I mean, so was Jim Jones I suppose. And I am not interested in Bush's personal friends. I am a right-winger. And I love history. And my forefathers are the founders of our nation, but also forefathers before them whom I love and respect, going back eons. What’s important to me, the issues in the times we live today, is what is going to be done about stopping the invasion of illegal aliens and balkanization of our country, winning the war on terrorism (e.g. the court’s stand on terrorists taken prisoner et all), overturning recent rulings that take our property rights away, States Rights and the right of a State to define marriage as only between a man and a woman (thus, I could move to that State if things got too crazy in a State I am currently living in).

But then I watched a 4/22/05 address that Harriet Miers gave (shown on CSPAN) to the Republican National Lawyers Association.

Hey, she sounded ok to me.

She sounded conservative to me.

I think there is only one soft spot on this woman, thin skin, and that is I think she truly believes in “diversity”.

And, in that regard, I believe her point of view in that regard is her sympathetic outlook regarding homosexuality.

I could be wrong, but there was something she said at her address in response to a question, and there are some indication regarding such in statements from her past.

Do not take this wrong, but I also believe she is close to the Cheney family.

She is liberal regarding the gay lifestyle?

Obviously, at this time, I have no idea what her stand is regarding illegal aliens, and some would say her opinion in this regard is irrelevant to rulings she would make on the court. But, in that, one would be wrong, it is relevant and she will be making rulings that would impact our nation in that regard.

But, overall, her delivery from 4/22/05 left me feeling very good about her, confident, and for a nominee who is isn’t suppose to be and “ideologue”, she struck me as someone who has memorized her “ideology” and is sticking with it – defined sentences which speak of an ideology about law, and yes politics, and the court. So, in that regard, when questioned by the Democrats I wonder, she will probably give memorized replies and that is ok. I don't think she is as smart as the first nominee, but she will do ok. As far as gay sympathy, I am not going to let that let me down. And what I heard from her in CSPAN sounded good to me, and I’m a realist and actually don’t mind an ideologue as long as the ideologue who supports the meaning and intent of the constitution and has respect for our forefathers who authored our freedoms.

The logic of our freedom, of America’s freedom, sprang directly from her degradation brought about by subjugation, the subjugation of our forefathers, of their religion, of our people, and laid the foundation in the wise written words of the constitution to lay the foundation in natural law for freedom and ongoing freedom for future generations.

I heard that logic of freedom in what she had to say, and it made me feel good.

So, for now, I’m ok with her.

So, for now, good pick Mr. Prez. For now. Because, from what I'm hearing, if you blew it, you've really blown it.

I am never going to vote for anyone named Bush again. I already decided that, before this nomination. So it has nothing to do with that. There are things I like about Bush, and don't like. After he leaves office, I am not going to harp on the negatives of President Bush. I am going to focus on the next leader, who will stand for conservative principle, and, yes, be an ideologue.

I want an ideologue. I want a right-winger. I want a right-wing Supreme Court of the United States. I want a right-wing President, Senate, House, Court, I want it all.

And why not?

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