Harriet Miers the pick AP

[johnmecainrino]

Harriet Miers

[maica]

Just getting home to reply to you ---

Another reason to consider the MSM's omission in pointing out that this pick

We were discussing legacy, [500 posts ago] and I am sure that Bush remembers how his father was swayed into naming Souter!! I would bet anything that Bush will not make a similar mistake.

I firmly believe that the key points of any issue are those points that are studiously ignored by the leftmedia. I am training myself to notice the silences.

[Eaker]

I don't know this Bush in his second term. Not the same Bush. Or was he ever?

Great question!

[ConservativeDude]

There are some here who would cheer of GWB put Arlen Specter on the court.

They'd say stuff like, "Bush and Rove cut a deal with him...he's become a conservative...you just don't know...you must trust them" and "at least now we have another Senate seat we can run Toomey again for" and so on.

That's really what this thread comes down to.

Either you trust GWB inherently. Or you want some evidence that this most important appointment is really a conservative.

There is no substantial evidence that she is a conservative jurist. There is evidence she is a devoted Christian, and a capable lawyer. And the Prez believes in her. But that's it. Conservatives were generally looking for something more than that. Especially in light of the Bush domestic record - including his recent statement about "racism" and New Orleans (which were perfectly in line with DNC types). There is plenty of reason to be not only skeptical, but angry. But some of the Bush bots aren't ever going to see the point. Which is fine. Just let them be.

[Owen]

So you think this is a bad choice?

Suppose this question is asked in the upcoming hearings:

Ms Meirs, are you a devout Christian?

Answer: Yes, I am.

What can they possibly say next? It will be some platitude of . . . can we truly expect a devout Christian to seperate themselves from their faith and rule on cases brought up fairly? Do you see the problem the Dems will have? They can't attack her for being Christian? They will hate that she is and make noises about too much religion in government, but they can only go so far because They Will Lose Their Seats.

People, this is about Karl Rove. He knows the Christian force in the US is still dominant. The Dems can't paint themselves overtly anti Christians or they lose votes.

[demlosers]

My main concern is her judicial philosophy: is she going to be an originalist,...

And that's all what counts. I don't care who the nomination is as long as he understands and abides to the original intent of the U.S. Constitution. All other matters are extraneous.

[riri]

You just summed up everything I am feeling. I am just so furious over this.

[Eaker]

There is plenty of reason to be not only skeptical, but angry. But some of the Bush bots aren't ever going to see the point.

Good point!

Post# 2589 is still out there.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

Trust, but verify.

[Owen]

Maybe we need to take a hard look at ourselves and ask why so many of us seem to be opposing the nomination of a devout Christian?

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

Fr. Drinan is a "devout Christian" as well, but I sure as heck wouldn't want him serving on the Supreme Court.

[YoungBlackRepublican]

Just curious but couldn't Bush have

1.Elevated Thomas or Scalia to Supreme Court Justice

2. Then nominated Lutig (or somebody similar)

3. Then nominated Brown (or somebody similar)

If he did that if would have been a blood bath but I'm ready to put my beliefs and conservatism up for debate against liberalism any day

[Sir_Ed]

Also, does anyone know what church she attends now?

I don't think she attends the Texas church anymore, but I haven't seen what church she goes to in DC.

If it's President Bush's church, isn't that a somewhat liberal Methodist church?

Ed

[hummingbird]

Yes, it was Stevens and Ginsburg I was wondering about and you are probably right that neither would retire knowing that Bush would get to pick their replacement!

[Stellar Dendrite]

[onyx]

He is not a SOUTHERN, conservative Christian. Drinian is a spiteful, left winger, and a disgrace.

[ConservativeDude]

World Magazine says she attends a conservative, Biblical church.

I see no reason to doubt that.

And I think it is a step in the right direction.

But it's a bit much to ask conservatives to hang our hat on that. Elizabeth Dole, after all, is a deeply dedicated evangelical. Anyone want to pretend she is a hard core conservative?

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Gee. I am amazed at the number of people on Free Republic who know Miers better than President George Bush does. Impressive. President Bush would save allot of time and money if he registered here and just got the opinion of a few fine folks on here how to run a Country.

With the all-wise, all-seeing idiots who jerk their knees because things don't go as they want them to and making the comments that they are, they only have themselves to blame after the votes are counted next election. No republican will be President - no Republican would WANT to be President - with a bunch of wussies for their base. They want it handed to them on a silver platter.

President Bush: wise decision, good choice.

[oosamon]

"Which is why anyone who has condemned her already is an abject fool."

I agree that we should withhold judgment at this point.

Of course, I understand where others are coming from. We've waited (and worked) for decades to be in the position we're in now: a Republican in the WH and GOP control of the Senate. Wouldn't it be great to have a fight about judicial philosophy, especially one that we're likely to win? Don't we at least deserve the kind of debate that would have been generated by nominating a Luttig, Sykes, Owens, Brown, etc.?

I practice law in San Francisco, surrounded by Harvard/Stanford/Yale/Berkeley-educated, left-leaning, Bush haters. I also happen to be an evangelical Christian. I would love for my colleagues to see again that their views are those of a mere minority. The nomination and confirmation of an obvious record-conservative would have been so glorious.

Still, what matters most to me (and, perhaps, to most of us) is the result: O'Connor's seat filled by a constitutionalist with a healthy respect for the separation of powers doctrine, who just happens to be pro-life, pro-family, and pro-America. I want someone smart, tough, thoughtful and focused. She should be a good communicator, fair-minded, and committed to listening to both sides in each case.

Do I think a Justice Miers would be that person? I don't know. It bothers me that I don't know. It bothers me that I'm having to "just trust" the President on this.

But Justice Miers could be exactly the person I want. Given that, I am willing to wait, to see how the confirmation hearings go, and, if she's confirmed, to see how she rules on important cases.

If I may be so bold, I propose that we all take a deep breath. Be frustrated that George Bush is so stubborn, so loyal and so not following our script. Be disappointed that the nominee is such an unknown. Fine. But let's not abandon the President or the GOP quite yet.

We've labored too hard to grow a conservative majority in this country to let our frustration divide us over a judicial nominee that may turn out to be (almost) everything we want her to be.

[Peach]

I'm okay with this decision. Not delighted or ecstatic, but okay. Because I trust him. We can see those who don't are freaking out.

BTW, Dobson was just on FNC and he fully supports her. He's thrilled an evangelical Christian will be on the Supreme Court.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

That's all true, but the man is a faithful Roman Catholic.

Robert Bork-even before he found religion-was an indisputably conservative jurist, who adhered to the plain text and meaning of the Constitution.

While Miers might be a wonderful woman, and a devout, faithful Christian, I'd rather be dazzled by an extensive paper trail, or a series of dazzling legal opinions.

What an individual believes personally and what they do publicly are two entirely different things, as far as I'm concerned.