Bush’s Nomination of Harriet Miers
So, Bush is nothing if not consistent. With a crucial, high-profile position to fill, one that could have a profound impact on the nation’s future, he disdains actually sifting through the country’s best and brightest. Instead, he chooses a personal friend, someone who combines absolute loyalty to himself with a notable lack of relevant qualifications.
I’m referring, of course, to Bush’s nomination of Harriet Miers to replace Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court.
More on Miers:
From the latter:
Once again, we consulted with Democrats and Republicans in the United States Senate. We received good advice from more than 80 senators. And once again, one person stood out as exceptionally well suited to sit on the Highest Court of our nation.
I wonder how many of those senators included Miers in their list of suggested appointees. From the New York Times article I linked to above:
Mr. Bush said this morning that the White House had consulted 80 senators to seek names in the selection process. But last week, Senator Charles E. Schumer, the New York Democrat who is on the judiciary panel, said that it was “consultation in name only” and that Ms. Miers called him to ask for suggestions in a conversation that lasted less than five minutes.
“There is no back and forth,” he said. “It’s just, ‘Give us some names.’ I said to her, ‘Look, I’d like to know who the president is considering.’ And she didn’t say anything.”
Heh. So, Miers came back to Bush after calling the senators, and gave him the list of suggestions, and he just glanced at for a second, then said, “Aw, heck, Harriet. Why don’t you do it?”
A few more fun quotes:
From a New York Times’ profile of Miers, written a few years back by Elisabth Bumiller (A woman of low profile in a job high-powered):
In 2001, Mr. Bush brought Ms. Miers to Washington with him as his staff secretary, a little known but powerful job in which she handled much of the paper flow to the president. Ms. Miers is a regular guest at Camp David and is often the only woman who accompanies Mr. Bush and male staff members in long brush-cutting and cedar-clearing sessions at the president’s ranch.
And this, from Joshua Micah Marshall (As with Justice Roberts…), quoting Matt Yglesias quoting David Frum:
In the White House that hero worshipped the president, Miers was distinguished by the intensity of her zeal: She once told me that the president was the most brilliant man she had ever met.
Whoa. In the Bush scheme of things, that’s the most unimpeachable qualification there is.
Finally, let’s read from her acceptance speech at the announcement of her nomination. I’m getting a real Sally Field vibe from this part:
And now I want to pause and thank all of those whose love and friendship and support have brought me to this moment. No one reaches a point in time such as this without tremendous sacrifice, help and encouragement of family and friends and colleagues.
I’m immensely grateful to the support and love that I feel for my brothers Harris, Robert, and Jeb, and their families, and the love and support that I knew from my father and my sister, Kitty — and the love and support I feel from her family.
I have a special note this morning for my mom: Thank you for your faith, your strength, your courage, your love and beauty of spirit.
October 3rd, 2005 at 9:18 am
For what its worth, it appears that even the general Conservative opinion on this nomination is luke-warm at best. Not only from a qualifications standpoint, but from a ideological standpoint as well.
October 3rd, 2005 at 5:14 pm
Dems need to oppose this one. Bush is on the run and the Republicans in the house and Senate are busy bailing out Frist and DeLay. Cause more MAYHEM for them.