There has been no shortage of excitement with President Bush's recent appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court.
It started out with the contentious nomination of John Roberts. Next thing you know, the ailing Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist died and Roberts was made chief justice fairly quickly without any of us actually knowing much more about him than his name.
With a vacancy remaining on the bench, Bush then nominated Harriet Miers on Oct. 3, to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
This is precisely why her potential role on the Supreme Court is so influential.
For those who have lived in a political void for the last few years, O'Connor often provided the crucial vote in the event of a tie on the rather partisan Rehnquist court. To replace O'Connor with anyone risks the critical balance of power the court has maintained. Thus, we must ask: Who is Harriet E. Miers?
Considering she has never served as a judge previously, it's difficult to predict what kinds of rulings she will make. One can't review the paper trail of her previous decisions - she hasn't made any. Bush himself has avoided any questions regarding specific issues, even claiming he's unable to recall discussing abortion rights with her. He refers to Miers as a woman of "principle and deep conviction," according to The Washington Post. What those principles are and what those convictions may have in store for the United States is unclear.
Citing her lack of judicial experience, Bush said she would bring something positive to the Supreme Court, coming from "outside the judicial monastery," as Sen. Patrick Leahy described it, according to USA Today. Her empty record is not unusual; indeed, the late Rehnquist had not served as a judge prior to his nomination to the Supreme Court.
It's strange though: I thought Bush would instinctively nominate another conservative ideologue. Miers' nomination makes me suspicious because she has certainly not been painted as such. Perhaps Bush realizes this, even though the castrated Democratic opposition is powerless to oppose his nominations, it would reflect badly on his legacy were he to nominate another Antonin Scalia.
All accounts of Miers depict her as a generally conservative lawyer, often referencing her reputation for thorough work. Though her work ethic may be formidable, her position on abortion - the most crucial issue to potentially come before the Supreme Court - is ambiguous given her actions. She has been known to donate modest sums of money to at least one pro-choice group, and has also attempted, while president of the Texas Bar Association, to rescind the organization's official pro-choice stance.
Many defend her actions, arguing she sought to eliminate controversial positions from the Texas Bar out of a belief that the organization should remain impartial on all such issues, not only abortion. It's impossible to know if this is true or not, and she may have simply been acting on conservative moral beliefs. Even so, these ambiguities have led some to believe Miers might uphold Roe v. Wade if the case is revisited and have even led to fierce opposition from Bush's own Evangelical base, many of whom lambaste Miers for not condemning abortion outright.
I hope more will be revealed about the mysterious Miers, yet my instincts tell me that as a Bush nomination, she is most likely a staunch social conservative. And though I'm not usually prone to prejudice, I tend to get nervous chills when Bush is able to refer to someone as "sharing my philosophy."
-Kris Petersen is a political science and music senior.
-This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail to letters@thedailyaztec.com. Anonymous letters will not be printed - include your full name, major and year in school.
Harriet Miers Timeline
1945: Harriet Miers born in Dallas, Texas
1967: Graduates from Southern Methodist University with a bachelor's degree in mathematics
1970: Graduates from Southern Methodist University with a law degree
1970: Hired as a law clerk for U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas Chief Judge Joe E. Estes
1972: Begins working in private practice in Dallas, Texas
1980s: Meets George W. Bush
1986: Becomes the first female president of the Dallas Bar Association
1989: Elected an at-large member on the Dallas City Council; did not run for re-election.
1992: Becomes the first female head of the State Bar of Texas
1994: Works as general counsel for Bush's transition team when Bush becomes governor of Texas
1995: Becomes Bush's personal lawyer
1995: Bush appoints Miers to chair the Texas Lottery Commission
2000: Resigns from the Texas Lottery Commission a year before her term ended
2000: Lawyer for Bush's 2000 presidential campaign
2001: Made assistant to the President and staff secretary
2003: Becomes deputy chief of staff for policy
2004: Appointed White House counsel, the chief legal adviser for the Office of the President
Source: www.wikipedia.com
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