[linkinpunk]

under her leadership the lawyers' association supported

First of all, isn't it possible that the lawyers organization took stands that she did not agree with?

And secondly, if a company VOLUNTARILY sets goals for hiring minorities, that is one thing. If a GOVERNMENT entity forced a company to do so, it is totally different.

I am an employer. One location we have is surrounded with more minorites than in our other locations. So it made sense for us to look for minority employees.

But the government did not force us to do it.

I don't see any evidence that she supported government forced quotas.

[em2vn]

Do you actually think that if she found a cause for sex and race set asides in private she would not find a reason to do the same in the public arena of the Supreme Court? It would seem that a lawyer may have had some inkling that set asides were unconstitutional even if done in private practice. Her failure to do so indicates that she views sex and racial set asides as being constitutional

[flashbunny]

" I don't see any evidence that she supported government forced quotas."

yet she supported affirmative action as a part of the government WRT the fire department when she held local office.

Also, there are reports from white house insiders that she was in favor of the quota system in the recent supreme court case involving the state of michigan university admissions.

She has a definite pattern of behavior. Not a very conservative one at that.

If this was a clinton appointee who did the same things, what would you think of them as a nominee? Would you still be rationalizing her behavior?

[ellery]

How about racial quotas for elected officials, aka government-mandated, taxpayer-funded quotas?

Miers was a councilwoman when Dallas was sued for not having "proportional representation" of minorities on council (i.e., they hadn't gerrymandered enough safe African American and Hispanic districts. Miers testified in this case; the the transcript is here: http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/miers.pdf

Basically, she seemed as if she was trying to have it both ways. She (rightfully, I believe) made the point that race differences are often superseded by economic and geographical differences, and even says she opposes the philosophy of drawing lines just to create minority districts.

But then she says this (page 56):
"I certainly hope that if the system, if the 10-4-1 system is the system that we're going to do business under, that the lines be drawn to accomplish the purpose that it was designed to accomplish, which is the increase of minority presence on the Council, which is important."

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And this (page 42/43):
Q: In your appointments you have occasion to make in the future do you intend to reflect ethnic diversity in those appointments?

A: I absolutely do. I feel that the reflective nature of those boards and commissions is critical to the health of the community.

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And this (page 49): "The daycare moeny that was deleted I have asked to be restored because they principally benefit women and minorities in my view."

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And this (page 36): "I don't think there is any question that creating single-members districts resulted in minorities being elected when otherwise they had historically not been." (Q: Okay.) "And that is a distinct advantage of the system."

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And this (speaking about her own at-large seat, page 35):
"I think the community had recognized that the at-large seats had been occupied by white representatives from north Dallas and that that was not right and shouldn't happen."

Q: Okay. And had a -- if we can use the term viable minority candidate filed for the position you filed for prior to the time you filed, you would not have filed, is that correct?

A. That's correct.

Q. And the reason for that, I take it, is that you recognize that historically you would have had a substantial advantage over that minority candidate in the race, isn't that correct?

A. No, I wanted to see minority representatives elected at large in this community. And I felt like the time was right that such a candidate could be elected, and I had other things to do.

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On pages 11-12, she also discussed her vote in favor of having Dallas police patrol a local lake as a "symbolic" statement to the South (disadvantaged, minority) section of the city, so that they would feel like part of the larger city. This, even though another locality had offered to handle these patrols at no cost to the city.

In my view, these are simply not the words and actions of someone who believes in color- and gender-blind, merit-based hiring in government or the private sector.