President Bush made his choice for the next Supreme Court Justice known today. This morning he announced that his selection to replace Sandra Day O’Connor is Harriet Miers, his White House council and longtime friend. This selection will divide both parties with members from both sides of the aisle taking positions for and against her.
Miers has practiced law for a long time but has never served on the bench. This seems to turn some people off though just last month many were indicating that Bush should select such a person. Since she has never been a judge she has no juicial opinions, written or otherwise. Her paper trail is scant at best and only her inner circle will actually know how she feels about many of today’s hot button issues.
Some conservatives will not be happy because there is no indication that she is the hard line constructionist that Bush promised to put on the bench. Others will be happy that Bush chose a woman and one who could very well appease the democrats.
Some liberals will be unhappy with her because she sought to have the Texas Bar Association put the abortion issue up for referendum. Many will look at this as a stance against abortion though her intent was to have the bar take no position on the issue saying that the association should not take a position on an issue that has caused so much division in the country. Many will question the move as cronyism. Some liberals, on the other hand, have already expressed that they like the nomination.
This will be interesting because it is obvious that this nominee does not appear to meet the requirement for filibuster under the gang of 14 compromise. She will however, come under intense scrutiny because there is not much of a public record from which to take a decision. Of course with the liberals this does not matter. John Roberts was probably the most qualified legal mind in the country and some still voted against him.
I will trust that the President knows this woman well enough to know how she feels about issues and that he knew what he was doing when he selected her.
Some people from each party are not happy and this could be a problem though I think she will ultimately be confirmed. Ann Coulter, Pat Buchanan and Rush Limbaugh are staunch conservatives who are not overly happy with the choice. This in and of itself could garner a few democratic votes.
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