Posted on 10/03/2005 10:43:26 AM PDT by The_Victor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Monday nominated White House insider Harriet Miers for a Supreme Court vacancy, triggering outrage from conservatives who questioned whether she would uphold their political views.
Bush chose Miers, a lawyer but not a judge whose opinions on key issues likely to come before the high court are largely unknown, to replace the retiring Sandra Day O'Connor.
Conservatives who formed the bedrock foundation of Bush's re-election last November immediately protested the nomination as a betrayal of his campaign promise to pick conservative judges, pointing to her past campaign donations to Democrats.
Miers, 60, a longtime ally of Bush's going back to his days as Texas governor and currently White House counsel, would be the third woman ever to serve on the Supreme Court if confirmed by the U.S. Senate. O'Connor was the first and Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been there since 1993.
"I believe that senators of both parties will find that Harriet Miers' talent, experience and judicial philosophy make her a superb choice to safeguard the constitutional liberties and equality of all Americans," Bush said in a hastily arranged Oval Office ceremony with Miers.
O'Connor, a moderate conservative, was the key swing vote on a number of 5-4 decisions on the closely divided Supreme Court. Democrats said much was unknown about Miers and that she would undergo intense scrutiny by the Senate.
The White House noted some Democrats had urged Bush to consider the Dallas-born Miers but would give no names. One of those, however, was Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat.
"I like Harriet Miers," said Reid, who had voted against John Roberts as U.S. chief justice in Roberts' confirmation vote last week. "In my view, the Supreme Court would benefit from the addition of a justice who has real experience as a practicing lawyer."
But some conservatives expressed concern that Bush had missed a historic opportunity to shift the balance of the court in a clear way by picking someone in the same mold as conservative justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.
"It is very hard to avoid the conclusion that President Bush flinched from a fight on constitutional philosophy. Miers is undoubtedly a decent and competent person. But her selection will unavoidably be judged as reflecting a combination of cronyism and capitulation on the part of the president," said William Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard magazine.
Manny Miranda, head of a conservative coalition called The Third Branch Conference, said Miers was "the most unqualified choice" for the high court since Lyndon Johnson tried to make Abe Fortas chief justice in 1968.
"I was hoping that the president would keep his campaign promise. He said he would name someone like Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. We thought he meant someone with a clear judicial record on particular issues," Miranda said.
Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn (news, bio, voting record) urged conservatives not to jump to conclusions and not to prejudge her.
Records show Miers has given money over the years to both Republicans and Democrats, including $1,000 to Democrat Al Gore's presidential campaign in 1988.
In 1987 she gave $1,000 to former Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen. Bentsen was the Democratic vice presidential nominee who ran against Bush's father in 1988.
In more recent years, Miers has regularly contributed to Republicans such as Bush.
I have the feeling you have not listened to Rush's show today.
Should be: ... I wouldn't read ...
Reagan was a democrat before democrats went 'looney tunes.' You can't compare being a democrat when Reagan was,,,with the 'nut-case' positions of the modern democratic party. That is a pathetic analogy.
Reality is that Brown was radioactive because she was on the "list" that the Gang of 14 agreed to.
Following in his father's footsteps.
For one thing, she's a devout Christian who once called for a vote of the full membership of the ABA over their pro-abortion rights stance.
Conservs may just end up getting the fight with the Liberals they've been yearning for.
Matters not what Reid or any of the Dems say "now". They've all worked with her and know her demeanor and little else.
Let's see here, so far she: (1) Made donations to Al Gore and other democrats, (2) Is supported by many democrats, and (3) Is supported by Harry Reid who finds her acceptable (when he found Roberts UNACCEPTABLE). This choice was HARDLY a conservative one!!
I'm not going to let the political affiliation of 20 years ago define my thoughts on Miers. Sorry that you don't like my analogy, but the labels change definitions over time, even from the time of Regean. Democrats in the 1980's were not the loony tunes they are today either.
Then please explain her support of Bill Clinton over Bush41 in '91? I rest my case.
"SOME" ---
Good eye, Dan, good eye!
That means they agreed she's NOT OBJECTIONABLE.
It makes her more confirmable, not less.
Link, please?
No, it means that she got all she was going to get. DUH.
Why would Miers contribute to Bentsen, Gore, and the DNC in 1987-88? Did she have a problem with Reagan's political philosophy and its continuation under Bush 41?
Maybe she had a problem with the gov from Arkansas?
Late in the article the author quotes one supposed conservative (I'm not denying his conservatism, I just can't confirm it):
"It is very hard to avoid the conclusion that President Bush flinched from a fight on constitutional philosophy. Miers is undoubtedly a decent and competent person. But her selection will unavoidably be judged as reflecting a combination of cronyism and capitulation on the part of the president," said William Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard magazine.Manny Miranda, head of a conservative coalition called The Third Branch Conference, said Miers was "the most unqualified choice" for the high court since Lyndon Johnson tried to make Abe Fortas chief justice in 1968.
"I was hoping that the president would keep his campaign promise. He said he would name someone like Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. We thought he meant someone with a clear judicial record on particular issues," Miranda said.
Following in his father's footsteps.
How so, senator turbin?
He may have been a good man, but you are known by the company you keep. He was a dim, Teddy Kennedy is a dim, the Impeached rapist is a dim, Hitlery is a dim ... (you get my point)
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