Transcript of Miers 14 page 1993 speech to Executive Women of Dallas (pdf format)

Washington Post ^ | 1993 | Harriet Miers

[USAConstitution]

...when you hear the Courts blamed for activism or intrusion where they do not belong...Stop and examine what the elected leadership has done to solve the problem at issue and whether abdication to courts to make the hard decisions is a not too prevalent tactic in today's world....

Where else do we hear a lot today about the Courts.[sic] The law and religion... Abortion clinic protestors have become synonymous with terrorists and the courts have been the refuge for the besieged... The ongoing debate continues surrounding the attempt to once again criminalize abortions or to once and for all guarantee the freedom of the individual women's right to decide for herself whether she will have an abortion. Questions about what can be taught or done in public places or public schools are presented frequently to the courts.

The law and religion make for interesting mixture but the mixture tends to evoke the strongest of emotions. The underlying theme in most of these case is the insistence of more self-determination. And the more I think about these issues, the more self-determination makes the most sense. Legislating religion or morality we gave up on a long time ago. Remembering that fact appears to offer the most effective solutions to these problems once the easier cases are disposed of... Where science determines the facts, the law can effectively govern. However, when science cannot determine the facts and decisions vary based upon religious belief, then government should not act...

[SmoothTalker]

This keeps getting better and better. What was GW thinking?

[Cicero]

There's also that famous phrase "individual women's" in the same sentence.

I've never had a fetish about grammar, but I have to say that Miers is a really atrocious stylist. Trying to figure out exactly what she is saying is like wading through mud.

[chris1]

If Bush repeats his little line about her being the most qualified, he definately needs a drink or two. This is getting just silly.

[af_vet_1981]

Wow. I'm speechless.

I'm not.

The person who gave that speech is not a conservative.

[Stellar Dendrite]

ping

[af_vet_1981]

To be more accurate,
The person who gave that speech was not a conservative at the time.

[RobbyS]

Well, she would have to explain how "self-determination" does not necessarily lead to upholding the right of privacy.

[SerpentDove]

I am a pro-lifer too. WAY pro-life.

But I wrote this tonight: An Open Letter to Dr. James Dobson.

I respect Dr. Dobson very much, and I feel pretty miffed that he was evidently badly betrayed by the administration.

I feel both he and the President need to address this. And if the President fails to address this, it will speak volumes about him, I am afraid.

[Generic_Login_1787]

You or anyone else can bust on me or rub it in or whatever, but I was willing to compromise on almost every other point to get a solidly pro-life Justice. But if Miers is not that, then there's nothing left.

I for one won't do that. The only important thing right now is that Miers goes down (voluntarily if possible, by vote if necessary) and Bush nominates someone we can all rally behind.

[Politicalmom]

And EEEEEVIL.

[chris1]

There is nothing to support. We have been saying that from day one, yey have been mocked over and over by the bot army. They are so reluctant to admit a mistake that they just attack attack attack without providing any evidence whatsoever in support of Meirs.

[flashbunny]

LOL

Nice attempt at backpeddling.

You almost had to label yourself a traitor.

[GOPJ]

bump

[Cicero]

Frankly, I would rather see President Bush indicted than see another flaming liberal idiot get onto the Supreme Court with lifetime tenure. I don't think this mess is going to go away anytime soon, regardless of what Fitzgerald and the MSM come up with.

In fact, I'm inclined to agree with the thesis that Bush will respond to unfriendly indictments by asking Miers to gracefully withdraw, because he will have more than enough on his plate dealing with the press in full Watergate mode.

[Soul Seeker]

I wish.

Politicians are a different breed. You have to scare the hell out of them to do the right thing, and even then they try to broker a way out of it. Remember the filibuster deal? Totally won, the American people were with us, and the seven Judas' stabbed us in the back.

They may pull this nom or vote it down, they may not. If it does go down, be looking for what they do next. They'll try to defeat putting a solid Constitutionalist scholar with the appropriate Judicial philosophy up there one way or another.

[Austin Willard Wright]

A lot of the anti-Miers folks may use this as opportunity to start asking more questions (just questions) about what George Bush was "thinking" on other issues such as the Iraq war which most of them support;. Sometimes they act as if George Bush is a good twin on Iraq (who can do no wrong) and an evil twin (who is tainted by cronyism and bad judgement) on Miers.

[af_vet_1981]

LOL Nice attempt at backpeddling. [SIC] You almost had to label yourself a traitor.

Not backpedaling

I always wanted to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

That speech is indefensible though.

I wonder if the President has read it yet.

[Petronski]

Now I'm pissed.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Do you still support the nomination of Harriet Miers?

[chris1]

If we get Gonzales, that would just about be the final nail in the coffin.