Brit Hume pointed out that the justices that WERE conservative became active in DCs social life and were apparently influenced by it and that Miers is not part of the Washinton party circuit. She doesn't hobnob with the liberals. It had never occured to me that going to DC and socialsing with the liberals would influence a judges view.
Do you happen to know if Judges can accept pay for speaking and appearances? Shutting that off would eliminate what is nothing more than beltway politics from the list of things a Judge should properly be concerned with. By "beltway politics" I mean the things one would have to do be sought after for speaking engagements.