"...NO OTHER MERIT..." Harriet has merit aplenty. Don't distort the meaning of Hamilton's advice.
He was on the end of the same EXACT criticism because of his long friendship with Washington.
In fact, on the death of WAshington he said "I have lost an aegis very important to me." He KNEW that his influence was multiplied because of his relation to George.
You are acting as though the friendship with someone should DISQUALIFY them. That is not at all what Hamilton meant.
With Miers, it's the only qualification she has. The defense in her favor by guys here is simply "Bush knows her".