John Cornyn is a liberal Bushbot.
Great opinion piece by John Cronyn, someone who has known Ms. Miers for years, and is convinced of her abilities and suitability for the Supreme Court. He mentions what I had thought when I heard she was not of the 'legal elite'. She's been dealing personally with the law, and the consequences of bad laws and poor judicial decisions for many years as a courtroom lawyer. She'll bring something to the Supremes they haven't had in years; a dose of REALITY!!
The luminaries there now thought Kelo was good for the people.
Just about every ruling brings a further insult to the daily lives of Americans.
No to the Ten Commandments, No to parental notification of minors getting abortions, No to Christmas decorations in the public square.
Just what we need, more of the same!
Here's a good piece on Harriet Miers, without the hand-wringing.
Not exactly compliments for the 7 known Justices on the court. I think judges that tack left once appointed are falling victim to their own percived intellect. They come to believe they are smarter than written law and start making decisions based on their own thoughts and not what is written.
I am tired of this bogus reverse-snobbery used to brush away the disappointment conservatives feel over this appt. Maybe Miers will work out just great. Maybe she's the Common Sense judge I'm hoping for.
But I don't see, after all our faith and work...why do we have to "hope for the best"--
Good read and thanks for posting.
I'm reserving judgement until the hearings. I think that is the reasonable thing to do.
I do agree with some other FReepers who have indicated that Dr. Miers will indeed be the legacy of President Bush. If she turns out to be something other than what he stated, his legacy will be really damaged. I respect his remarks that he trusts her, and I think that's an important consideration. I just believe that people will (and rightly so) hold him responsible for how she does on the USSC.
I must admit I'm concerned.......
Harry Reid and Leahy (sp) both say
they asked Bush to nominate her.
She often gets to the Whitehouse at 5AM, leaves at 9PM, and has been leaned on heavily by GWB and his staff for years. She has practiced law for years, and served 2 years on the city council in Dallas. She does not have an elite education, nor is she a blue blood.
She's simply a hard working, plain spoken Texan who actually practices her faith in an admirable fashion. Seems like she's a reflection of the base of the Republican party, yet many are bent out of shape over her.
Rehnquist and many others did not have judicial experience before serving on the court. I am thrilled with GWB for nominating her, and methinks many senators will be surprised to learn that she is one tough cookie if they try to corner her. This is gonna' be fun.
FYI
RUSH is on Bill Bennett's show right now....
http://www.wjgr.com/default.aspx
I think the first, negative, knee-jerk reaction to the nomination on the part of Freepers was due to the fact that we were spoiling for a fight. I know I was.
I was ready for a Luttig-type nominee, an in-your-face Conservative that would provoke a monumental Senate battle, a filibuster and ultimately, the nuclear option.
Cooler heads have prevailed. The opportunity exists for us to get a lower-profile-Luttig type, without the same credentials, to be sure, but philosophically equivalent.
And all this, hopefully, without a fight.
Some thought should also be given to preserving the filibuster on judicial nominees. The Democrats have already painted themselves into a corner with their obstructionism; they've filibustered so many nominees that the country would back the nuclear option.
However, if we can "stealth" a nominee through, (an evangelical Christian, no less), without provoking the filibuster that Luttig might have prompted, we preserve the right for Republicans to filibuster at some point in the future(and may that day never come)when WE need to do it.
Perhaps I'm ascribing too much cleverness to the President and his staff with this scenario, but assuming Miers is what the Pres says she is, the shoe fits.
This is a good point. We could use a truck driver or a nurse on the US Supreme Court. Diversity is not just gender or ethnicity or color; it also includes people's backgrounds and occupations.
IIRC, the US Constitution does not require judicial background for Justices.
How about a NON-lawyer?
How many movies have been done with "ordinary guy" as a better than elites leader?
Why is Bruce Willis in Die Hard the everyman Captain America?
Because we believe that elites do not know much about the real world. (see Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlin. "Once upon a time there was a Martian named Michael Valentine Smith..."
From personal experience before judges, IT MATTERS that the judge has worked in the private sectore. IT MATTERS that the judge never worked outside of a government job.
I am not too excited about the nomination HOWEVER I do see the logic of doing this nomination this way.