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October 04, 2005
Another Politically Astute Court Pick
President Bush has selected his nominee to replace Sandra Day O'Connor, the Supreme Court's first woman justice and frequent swing vote, and her name is Harriet Miers.
She is a former Dallas City Council Member, was once Mr. Bush's personal lawyer, former head of the Texas State Bar Association, and has never served as a judge.
Indeed, her philosophical views on hot-button issues such as civil rights, reproductive choice, government regulation, and the role of the judiciary are nearly a complete mystery. We suspect this is exactly what Karl Rove had in mind.
This administration has been taking on water (in the case of Katrina, literally) for months, and Mr. Bush's public approval numbers are the lowest of his presidency, only above a Watergate-plagued Richard Nixon among modern presidents at this point in their second term.
Mounting casualties, bills and no end in sight in Iraq, rising gas prices, investigations and indictments of top Republicans, and the two recent hurricanes have quickly clipped the sails of Mr. Bush's second-term, 51-49% "mandate".
In this sense Miers' nomination is a wise choice. While some on the left and right are understandably anxious over her absolute lack of any paper trail or record of her basic views, that there's "no there, there" to attack is welcome news for a White House that doesn't need to open another front in its ongoing and costly political war.
Just as John Roberts was, we expect Ms. Miers will be easily confirmed. The question is, who are these two judges really? Will Roberts be a William Rehnquist or a David Souter? Will Miers be an O'Connor or a Priscilla Owen?
We'll just have to hold our breath, wait and see. Only Mr. Bush and his inner circle know for sure, and maybe not even they do. Nerve racking, to say the least.
Posted by houtopia at October 4, 2005 09:00 PM