Everyone knows by now President Bush has nominated Harriet Miers to the SCOTUS. Here is the background from
the Washington Post:
Born and raised in Dallas, Miers, 59, is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, where she majored in mathematics. She went on to law school at SMU, earning her law degree in 1970 and going on to clerk for a federal judge in Dallas. In an era when there were few female lawyers, Miers set out for the top.
According to published reports, she was the first woman hired by Locke Purnell Boren Laney & Neely, a Dallas firm whose history extends to the 1890s. She went on to become a top commercial litigator whose clients included Microsoft and the Walt Disney Co.
Miers, who is not married and does not have children, was active in professional organizations and eventually was elected head of the Dallas and Texas bar associations, where she was known for encouraging members to do pro bono work.
If Miers encountered any gender bias along the way, she is not one to talk about it. "She is one of those people who just decides, 'I'm going to do a good job and good work and good results will win out over any biases people may have,' " said Clements, a fellow female lawyer who regards Miers as a trailblazer. "She just overcame any obstacles with hard work and dedication and being a very good trial lawyer."
Miers met Bush in the 1980s, and was drafted to work as counsel for his 1994 gubernatorial campaign. In 1995, he appointed her to the Texas Lottery Commission. After working as a lawyer in Bush's presidential campaign, she came to Washington with him in 2001.
FWIW she has
never been a judge. (NY Times)
Regardless, now that the President has done his job of nominating a judge, we need to let the United States Senate do its job of deciding whether to confirm John Roberts to a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court. No one should be rushing to judgment. The Senate Judiciary Committee headed by Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Patrick Leahey (D-VT), must be allowed to do their work, and that includes an in-depth review of the nominee and hearings to allow for questions and answers. In case you need a reminder on why we get worked up about partisan nominations click
here and
here.
We need to keep in mind that the justices must be committed to the basic tenets of the foundation of our democracy, which is the independence of the Court, not an ideological agenda.
