15 Oct 2005
Action out of the pins
Well, we now know that Harriet Miers is a great bowler who knocks ’em dead up at Camp David:
“You know, she’s a very gracious and funny person,” said Joshua B. Bolten, the director of the Office of Management and Budget whom Ms. Miers succeeded as deputy White House chief of staff in 2003. “I was racking my brain trying to think of something specific.”
In the next breath, Mr. Bolten recalled relaxing with her at Camp David. “She is a very good bowler,” he said. “For someone her size, she actually gets a lot of action out of the pins.”
I’m sure this fascinating insight will put her conservative critics at ease. Here’s another statement offered in her defense:
“Harriet is a person who is incredibly capable and hard-working and fair and honest,” said Susan L. Karamanian, an associate dean at George Washington University Law School and a Democrat who was mentored by Ms. Miers as a young lawyer in her Dallas firm nearly 20 years ago.
“When I practiced with Harriet, I never once heard her make a serious negative comment about anyone,” Ms. Karamanian said. “And now for someone who’s dedicated her life to working so hard in the profession, and treating everyone so fairly, to be the object of these statements is just incomprehensible to me.”
Well, I don’t doubt that she is an “incredibly capable, hardworking, fair and honest” person, but she can be all those things and still be totally unqualified for the United States Supreme Court. How many capable, hardworking, fair, honest people do you know personally, readers? How many of them do you think would be good Supreme Court justices? The question isn’t whether Miers is good at her job, or whether she’s a good person, but whether she’s qualified for the Supreme Court. Her defenders don’t seem to be able to make the case that she is.
A conservative commenter, responding to an earlier post, wanted to know whether “the left” was for or against Harriet Miers’ nomination. Answer: I don’t know; I’m me, not “the left.” Personally, I have seen nothing to make me think she’s even close to being someone who’s qualified for the position of Supreme Court Justice. I’m annoyed with President Bush for nominating her, because, let’s face it, she’s a lightweight. On the other hand, of course, I’m happy that she doesn’t seem to be a firebreathing “movement conservative,” although, of course, none of us really has a clue what decisions she’d be likely to start making if she makes it through the confirmation process.
I still don’t believe that she’s going to go ahead with this. I still think she’s going to opt out, and say “Thanks, but no thanks,” and then President Bush will make peace with the right wing of the GOP by nominating someone conservative enough for their taste.
Good post. Unlike you, I’m on the left — at times the
far left. Yet, it was not until I read the letters and notes she wrote to Bush over the years that I began to have doubts that she could make any decision that would
be contrary to his beliefs. Perhaps not fair to come to
such a conclusion but how do you define “lightweight”.
musafir
October 15th, 2005 at 19:33permalink
What do you mean, “unlike you”? I’m not enough of a lefty for you, huh? Some people think I’m a commie, for God’s sake. I just can’t win, can I?
I say she’s a “lightweight” because I’ve seen nothing to indicate she’s any kind of a serious thinker or scholar, or even what you might consider an intellectual. I don’t doubt she’s a good lawyer, but there’s no proof she’s got the skillset one would like to see in a Supreme Court justice.
dumpendebat
October 15th, 2005 at 19:39permalink