Goodbye to Harriet Miers
Posted on October 27, 2005
Harriet Miers has withdrawn from her nomination to be the next Supreme Court Justice. Bush and the White House bowed to pressure from the far right who weren't convinced that she's be enough of an idealogue for their purposes. Senate Minority leader Harry Reid commented on the news:
"The radical right wing of the Republican Party killed the Harriet Miers nomination. Apparently, Ms. Miers did not satisfy those who want to pack the Supreme Court with rigid ideologues."I, for one, am absolutely sick and tired of this "stealth nominee" business. If the next nominee is a rabid foe of Roe vs. Wade, and of women's rights, he/she should just come out and say so. The American people need to know what they're getting. If Bush wants to appoint someone who doesn't believe there is a right to privacy in the constitution, then he should just say so -- and make the nominee say so. Because when the American people hear how out of the mainstream some of the people on the short list are, I don't think they're going to like it."I had recommended that the President consider nominating Ms. Miers because I was impressed with her record of achievement as the managing partner of a major Texas law firm and the first woman president of the Texas Bar Association. In those roles she was a strong supporter of law firm diversity policies and a leader in promoting legal services for the poor. But these credentials are not good enough for the right wing: they want a nominee with a proven record of supporting their skewed goals."
"In choosing a replacement for Ms. Miers, President Bush should not reward the bad behavior of his right wing base. He should reject the demands of a few extremists and choose a justice who will protect the constitutional rights of all Americans."