Adam Graham
Time for Plan B
By Adam Graham
As a writer, I have a computer that has countless half-finished columns and stories. Now, there are many finished stories and columns, this being one of them, but the reason some are started and never finished is a few hundred words in, I look and say, "This is not going to work." And move onto something else.
Whether he chooses to acknowledge it or not, President Bush has reached this point with his nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. Ms. Miers is a nice Christian lady who regularly attends church and probably has an excellent relationship with Christ. There are many women in my church who are the same, this does not mean they should be on the Supreme Court.
When Ms. Miers was nominated, I kept an open mind. I hoped the Confirmation hearings would show forth what type of judge she'd be. However, as I look at what's come out in the press, I have to ask myself that with what I know now, is there any way I can conclude that Harriet Miers is qualified to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court? The answer's no.
A Supreme Court Justice should have at least an above knowledge of the Constitution. Nothing in her comments so far have indicated that she has even this. While, I'm concerned with her views on Roe v. Wade and other Constitutional issues, I'm more concerned that she has no apparent judicial philosophy. When Senator Specter says that at 60, Ms. Miers needs a crash course in Constitutional law, it's a terrifying prospect.
With Miers on the court, we'd face the possibility of a judge who is in the best case scenario, is merely a yes-woman for the Conservative wing, or in the worst case, a moderate constantly twisting in the wind trying to find a group of judges to concur with that sounds best. The fact is that either way, the lifetime Miers appointment is the highest form of cronyism imaginable. It's a bad choice all around. It lessens the credibility of Republicans when talking about the need for strict constructionists on the court and the need for good judges.
Following the amazing credentials of John Roberts, we are introduced to a candidate who is supremely unqualified. The administration has handled the whole situation poorly from start to finish from the revelation that Miers had her license to practice law in DC suspended because she forgot to pay her dues, to meetings with Senators that went so poorly that some people favorable to the nomination called her to stop them to make sure no further damage was done.
In the end, President Bush and Miss Miers have a tough and unenviable decision to make, but they need to pull the plug on this nomination. She's not qualified and she's not going to be confirmed. For this reason, I oppose the Miers nomination and if she's not withdrawn, she deserves to be voted down by the full Senate.
© Adam Graham
As a writer, I have a computer that has countless half-finished columns and stories. Now, there are many finished stories and columns, this being one of them, but the reason some are started and never finished is a few hundred words in, I look and say, "This is not going to work." And move onto something else.
Whether he chooses to acknowledge it or not, President Bush has reached this point with his nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. Ms. Miers is a nice Christian lady who regularly attends church and probably has an excellent relationship with Christ. There are many women in my church who are the same, this does not mean they should be on the Supreme Court.
When Ms. Miers was nominated, I kept an open mind. I hoped the Confirmation hearings would show forth what type of judge she'd be. However, as I look at what's come out in the press, I have to ask myself that with what I know now, is there any way I can conclude that Harriet Miers is qualified to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court? The answer's no.
A Supreme Court Justice should have at least an above knowledge of the Constitution. Nothing in her comments so far have indicated that she has even this. While, I'm concerned with her views on Roe v. Wade and other Constitutional issues, I'm more concerned that she has no apparent judicial philosophy. When Senator Specter says that at 60, Ms. Miers needs a crash course in Constitutional law, it's a terrifying prospect.
With Miers on the court, we'd face the possibility of a judge who is in the best case scenario, is merely a yes-woman for the Conservative wing, or in the worst case, a moderate constantly twisting in the wind trying to find a group of judges to concur with that sounds best. The fact is that either way, the lifetime Miers appointment is the highest form of cronyism imaginable. It's a bad choice all around. It lessens the credibility of Republicans when talking about the need for strict constructionists on the court and the need for good judges.
Following the amazing credentials of John Roberts, we are introduced to a candidate who is supremely unqualified. The administration has handled the whole situation poorly from start to finish from the revelation that Miers had her license to practice law in DC suspended because she forgot to pay her dues, to meetings with Senators that went so poorly that some people favorable to the nomination called her to stop them to make sure no further damage was done.
In the end, President Bush and Miss Miers have a tough and unenviable decision to make, but they need to pull the plug on this nomination. She's not qualified and she's not going to be confirmed. For this reason, I oppose the Miers nomination and if she's not withdrawn, she deserves to be voted down by the full Senate.
© Adam Graham
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