Miers will not back out. Here are a couple of paragraphs from the legalunderground:
Probably the harshest criticism leveled at Miers stems from her only foray into pure politics: her two-year term as an at-large member of the Dallas City Council from 1989 to 1991. She didn't run for re-election after she won the State Bar presidency. It was a tumultuous time on the council, with contentious issues such as the Wright Amendment, Dallas' light-rail system and council redistricting all in play. Although none contacted would speak for attribution, some of her former council colleagues still criticize Miers as uncommunicative and worse. Yet others praise her.
. . .
Says Miers: "I'm not universally liked by everyone because I have very strong views of what's right and wrong, and I take my positions seriously and I fight for them strongly. And the role on the council was different in the sense that you really, in that arena, have to take the positions you feel are in the best interest of the city. And on a variety of very controversial issues, I felt very strongly about them and took a very aggressive position, and as to some of the council members, that made me unpopular because they were on the other side of those issues."
Probably the harshest criticism leveled at Miers stems from her only foray into pure politics: her two-year term as an at-large member of the Dallas City Council from 1989 to 1991. She didn't run for re-election after she won the State Bar presidency. It was a tumultuous time on the council, with contentious issues such as the Wright Amendment, Dallas' light-rail system and council redistricting all in play. Although none contacted would speak for attribution, some of her former council colleagues still criticize Miers as uncommunicative and worse. Yet others praise her. . . .
Says Miers: "I'm not universally liked by everyone because I have very strong views of what's right and wrong, and I take my positions seriously and I fight for them strongly. And the role on the council was different in the sense that you really, in that arena, have to take the positions you feel are in the best interest of the city. And on a variety of very controversial issues, I felt very strongly about them and took a very aggressive position, and as to some of the council members, that made me unpopular because they were on the other side of those issues."
-------
But:
For the most part, Miers operated in the background, leaving her colleagues perplexed about her political ideology. She also had a tendency to switch stances on critical issues, a trait supporters said showed her thoughtfulness but that critics labeled indecision.
"We spent about 1,200 hours together and had in excess of 6,000 agenda items, and I never knew where Harriet was going to be on any of those items until she cast her vote," former council colleague Jim Buerger said. "I wouldn't consider her a liberal, a moderate or a conservative, and I can't honestly think of any cause she championed."
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051009/REPOSITORY/510090326/1013/NEWS03