And as for qualifications, let’s dispense once and for all with this “most qualified person for the job” rhetoric. After every such pick, a reporter asks if they were the most qualified for the job and the President (whoever he is) always says yes. Please. There are lots of qualified candidates and, in light of that fact, each President is inevitably drawn back to political considerations.
In this case, you have to assume that the political consideration was to win by avoiding a fight, and yet get the type of justice that he wanted all along. Someone who could splinter and defuse the opposition, slip through without a fight, and then make everyone happy when she got there. Suz Tzu would be proud.
Don't get me wrong. I would have loved to have someone with a record that we could throw in the Democrats face, have the battle, and show America what obstructionists they are and then win. I think it would have been a better short-term political move and would have helped energize the troops. But that is neither here nor there at this point – and has nothing to do with how a judge will think and act once they get on the bench.
In the final analysis these things don't matter. What matters is that the President chooses someone who matches his own philosophy, which was endorsed by the American public. What matters is the Constitution, and having judges who will interpret it strictly in accordance with an understanding of the original intentions of those who wrote and ratified it. I hope that's what we've got in Harriet Miers.
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Article comments
1 - billy
george bush could slaughter a fetus and eat it on the white house lawn and you would be cheering him on.
2 - Maurice
billy
maybe you should read the post first and then comment...
3 - Steve S
This article is about trusting in the President's decision?
In this day and age, and with the Iraq war, terrorism, Katrina, Brownie at FEMA, and other, absolutely embarassing leadership results, people already either trust the President or they don't.
4 - John
I believe we will learn very quickly whether the DNC can stomach someone who believe the Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God to be taken literally. I think with having a born-again fundamentalist Christian, President Bush has forced the DNC's hand. They will have a hard time
not showing their anti-Christian bias.
Right now the moveon.org and company are probably frustrated with the Democrat senators speaking highly of a born-again Christian. It could be Reid and other Democratic Senators are looking at Miers BC (Before Christ). They maybe do not realize the new Miers.
The foolishness of God is wiser than men. God loves to confound the wise, mighty, and self-righteous.
5 - Georgio
She is a born again Christian..that alone should disqualify her..she won't interpret the Constitution ...she will interpret the bible and pass laws on what it says..plus I understand she never had kids so what the hell does she know about families...your right about one thing though ..the right should love her ,,she is the right wing fanatic Christian that we fear and hate..
6 - RJ
"I hope that's what we've got in Harriet Miers."
Yabut, we DON'T know, because she is such a non-entity...
A non-entity who gave money to Al Gore in 1988...
7 - alethinos
I think at this point the Republicans, seeing that the Dems couldn't find their collective asses, let alone a cogent question for Roberts, think they can just sail this one right by them without so much as a "Yah, but, hey" from them... They'd likely be right.
I certainly believe in God. I believe in Jesus. What I don't believe in is someone who is a Catholic in a State that is OVERWHELMINGLY Baptist and suddenly, just as she's climbing the POLITICAL ladder decides this is the time to abandon the Church and go on to "find Jesus".
Alethinos
8 - RogerMDillion
"As conservatives have shouted from rooftops for years, the President gets to choose."
The conservatives apparently weren't listening.