Posted on 10/18/2005 9:43:27 PM PDT by Stellar Dendrite
Bush shows himself to be indifferent, if not hostile, to conservative values.
With a single stroke--the nomination of Harriet Miers--the president has damaged the prospects for reform of a left-leaning and imperialistic Supreme Court, taken the heart out of a rising generation of constitutional scholars, and widened the fissures within the conservative movement. That's not a bad day's work--for liberals.
There is, to say the least, a heavy presumption that Ms. Miers, though undoubtedly possessed of many sterling qualities, is not qualified to be on the Supreme Court. It is not just that she has no known experience with constitutional law and no known opinions on judicial philosophy. It is worse than that. As president of the Texas Bar Association, she wrote columns for the association's journal. David Brooks of the New York Times examined those columns. He reports, with supporting examples, that the quality of her thought and writing demonstrates absolutely no "ability to write clearly and argue incisively."
The administration's defense of the nomination is pathetic: Ms. Miers was a bar association president (a nonqualification for anyone familiar with the bureaucratic service that leads to such presidencies); she shares Mr. Bush's judicial philosophy (which seems to consist of bromides about "strict construction" and the like); and she is, as an evangelical Christian, deeply religious. That last, along with her contributions to pro-life causes, is designed to suggest that she does not like Roe v. Wade, though it certainly does not necessarily mean that she would vote to overturn that constitutional travesty.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
ping.
you can use bugmenot.com to bypass registration
Why do people always post excerpted articles that require registration? Man...that just ticks me off.
:)
Rift, rift, rift!!!!
Bork is bitter.
Bork for the Court!!
(And why the hell shouldn't he be bitter.)
Thanks, llevrok. I was just kidding, but thanks anyway. I appreciate it.
Slouching towards gungrabbing.
I guess Mr. Bork would concider all the Republican Senators on the Senate Judiciary committee to be lukewarm then.
Thier Statements...
Mr. Brownback (R) I congratulate Harriet Miers on her nomination to be Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and I look forward to learning at her confirmation hearing whether she possesses a firm commitment to the Framers' Constitution and to the rule of law, Brownback stated. I am hopeful that Ms. Miers will be, as President Bush promised, a qualified nominee in the mold of Justices Scalia and Thomas who will strictly interpret the law and will not create law.
Brownback, a member of the Judiciary Committee and chairman of the Constitution Subcommittee, previously commented that he hoped the President would nominate a jurist who would strictly interpret the Constitution and who has a well-formed judicial philosophy and stated positions on important issues.
Brownback continued, I have said in the past that I would like a nominee with a proven track record on important issues to all Americans and whose judicial philosophy is well-formed. I am not yet confident that Ms. Miers has a proven track record and I look forward to having these questions answered. President Bush has a long-standing working relationship with Ms. Miers and I trust the President knows her heart and her mind. Even so, the confirmation process has just begun and questions about her views on the Constitution need to be answered. As President Bush and President Reagan have commented in the past, in this regard I feel we must trust but verify.
Mr. Coburn (R) Harriet Miers deserves a fair and thorough hearing and confirmation process. I look forward to learning more about her qualifications and judicial philosophy in the coming days, Dr. Coburn said, adding that he plans to meet with Miers this week.
Mr. Graham (R) President Bush has made a solid pick for the Supreme Court.
Harriet Miers has been in the legal trenches throughout her career and has a tremendous understanding of how the law works in peoples everyday lives. Her legal experience combined with her life experience makes her a solid choice.
I hope for and anticipate a smooth confirmation process with a significant bipartisan vote in support. In my opinion, there will be no filibuster as she is a mainstream conservative who will be a strict constructionist on the Supreme Court.
Mr. Sessions (R) My conversations with Harriet Miers indicate that she is a first-rate lawyer and a fine person. Her legal skills are proven and her reputation throughout the legal community is excellent. It is not necessary that she have previous experience as a judge in order to serve on the Supreme Court. Its perfectly acceptable to nominate outstanding lawyers to that position. I look forward to the confirmation process and to learning more about her judicial philosophy.
Mr. Cornyn (R) "The President has announced his nominee to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court of the United States: Harriet Miers, currently serving as White House Counsel. As he did with Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., the President has chosen an outstanding nominee for our nation's highest court. The Senate should consider this nomination in both a thorough and expedient manner.
"Harriet Miers is a brilliant legal mind. She is a woman of outstanding character who clearly understands what it means to follow the law. She is deeply committed to public service, and has a distinguished history of professional achievement. It is clear that her past experiences have well prepared her for the honor of serving our country as a Supreme Court Justice. I strongly support her nomination.
"It is important that we put aside partisanship, and that the Senate fulfill its constitutional responsibility of advice and consent. This fine nominee must be treated with civility and respect, not as a political pawn. I hope that we in the Senate can move forward in a manner worthy of the American people."
It's called ''property''. Perhaps you've heard of the concept? (No bets, either way, on that one.)
Sorry if you find the Constitution inconvenient. Perhaps you can apply for a position on the Supreme Court when Hitlery is elected, eh?
(signed) Your Friendly Neighbourhood Professional Writer
Gotcha covered.
That bears repeating.
Oh, . . . That Robert Bork!!. Well, never mind.
I fully concur.
Bork gives us a new refinement to the definition:
" SOUR GRAPES "
What a small man -- in every sense of the word.
"Bork Here! Still Opposed! Number of days opposed is mounting steadily, and should soon reach the tipping point. And remember, not only do I still oppose this nominee for what we don't know about her, but I also oppose her because she is one of those nut-case gun owners who thinks the 2nd amendment applies to her"
:->
Still in the (now-minority) waiting-to-see camp.....
My apols for the poor phrasing.
Take a valium. I was kidding, my friend. But I guess the smiley face confused you. (The bets still out on that one.)
Your neighborhood unprofessional writer.
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