Miers Remorse: Conservatives are right to be skeptical

http://www.opinionjournal.com ^ | 10/10/05 | JOHN FUND

[BCrago66]

I have changed my mind about Harriet Miers. Last Thursday, I wrote in OpinionJournal's Political Diary that "while skepticism of Ms. Miers is justified, the time is fast approaching when such expressions should be muted until the Senate hearings begin. At that point, Ms. Miers will finally be able to speak for herself."

But that was before I interviewed more than a dozen of her friends and colleagues along with political players in Texas. I came away convinced that questions about Ms. Miers should be raised now--and loudly--because she has spent her entire life avoiding giving a clear picture of herself. "She is unrevealing to the point that it's an obsession," says one of her close colleagues at her law firm.

[BCrago66]

I haven't read Mr. Fund's editorial yet - just scanned it - but it looks pretty exhaustive, and it's based upon actual reporting; on interviews with "more than a dozen of her friends and colleagues along with political players in Texas."

[nwrep]

Every one wants a paper trail!!

[msnimje]

"She is unrevealing to the point that it's an obsession,"

Can someone give me a single word that sums up this sentence?
.

[onyx]

I took the time to read the entire column.

This is what hearings are for --- to ask questions and evaluate the nominee.

Fund isn't falling in with the hysterical Kristol's and Coulter's.

[B Knotts]

Very good piece; thanks for posting!

[fizziwig]

"Fund isn't falling in with the hysterical Kristol's and Coulter's."

Midol should work nicely for both of them.

[MNJohnnie]

Just of the sake of argument, suppose Mr Fund is right in making the same argument that the Conservative Establishment made against Clarence Thomas. How is he going to get one of the "Solid Conservative heros of the judicial establishment" thur the Senate that just voted 90-09 to put the Terrorist Protection Amendment into this year's Defense bill? Not seeing too many "heros" in the Senate these days who looking willing to "fight the Dems" for control of the SC.

[GarySpFc]

Clearly John Fund has little understanding of a Proverbs 31 lady. She is humble and not open to grandstanding. Being quiet and operating in the background is part and parcel of their belief system.

[onyx]

I am thinking more along the lines of tranquilizers... the kind given to horses and wild ass mental patients.

[harrowup]

"She is unrevealing to the point that it's an obsession,"
Can someone give me a single word that sums up this sentence?

Objective. .

[Stellar Dendrite]

ping

[BCrago66]

Well I just read it. The editorial is pretty long, yet it provides little new information.

Miers is smart, but there are so many extrardinarily smart and courageous constitutionalists out there, like Janice Rodgers Brown and Alex Kozinski, making this nomination an error. And because she has never displayed any ideological or philosophical passion, there's nothing to prevent her from the left-drift of most Republican Supreme Court nominees, particularly when she's not too right-wing to begin with. I hope she withdraws or is voted down.

[Stellar Dendrite]

On other issues, Ms. Miers's record is one of initially supporting a conservative position and then abandoning it. She started out backing a plan to redistrict the City Council that had received the endorsement of two-thirds of Dallas voters in a 1989 referendum. When it appeared that plan would lose a court case on account of its alleged effect on minority representation, she backed a plan for single-member districts supported by liberals. "I formally debated her on the issue," recalls Tom Pauken, a former chairman of the Texas Republican Party. "She was a liberal then. I don't know about today, but in the last week all the liberals who've been on the council have been singing her praises."


Finally, a 1990 budget crunch forced the Dallas City Council to consider a property tax increase--its third in four years. Ms. Miers initially resisted the tax increase, then came around to the view that a property tax hike would be the fairest. The key vote came when the council voted 6-5 to add $900,000 to the budget proposed by the city manager as part of a 7% increase in the tax rate. Ms. Miers cast the deciding vote. Mr. Bartos, who had proposed an alternate plan for 5% across-the-board spending cuts on all departments except the police, was bitter that almost all of the proposed $900,000 budget increase was slated for library and arts funding rather than public safety.

[VRWC For Truth]

Time magazine quotes a Bush adviser as saying that the "driving force" behind Ms. Miers's appointment was White House chief of staff Andy Card, not Karl Rove. "This is something that Andy and the president cooked up," the adviser told Time.

I knew this was too amateurish work for Karl.

[Map Kernow]

"Miers' Remorse"---I LOVE it!!!!!!

[ARCADIA]

Can someone give me a single word that sums up this sentence?

"PHONY"

[streetpreacher]

Frigid

[fizziwig]

"or is voted down."

Although I have a wait and see attitude about Miers, if the nomination goes sour being voted down by the pubbies is how I want it to happen. It will show they have some cojones, at least in this instance, and that will be a good setup for a nomination of a stronger candidate. And if that happens, they had better fight tooth and nail for that candidate!!!!!!!

[Howlin]

ROFLMAO!

[Cautor]

Fund: "Harriet Miers is unquestionably a fine lawyer and a woman of great character. But her record on constitutional issues is nil, and it is therefore understandable that conservatives, having been burned at least seven times in the past 50 years, would be hesitant about supporting her nomination."

Not entirely true John. We have a vocal 30% of true believers here on FR that accept her w/out question. Miers is a perfect example of a faith-based candidate for these folks.