Harriet Miers Nomination for Supremes
I'm doing a little asking around over the next few days for local lawyers opinions on Harriet Miers. Until I have a better feel for her, these are my initial reactions:
1. It's nice to have a local gal make good.
2. I don't really think of her as a conservative. Or a liberal.
3. IIRC she was a competent Texas State Bar President (and Dallas Bar Association President and City Council Person).
I swiped the most factual part of her bio from The American Justice Partnership’s site I have no idea what that organization is, but I didn’t copy any of their editorializing:
Before joining the President’s staff, she was Co-Managing Partner at Locke Liddell & Sapp, LLP from 1998-2000. She had worked at the Locke Purnell, Rain & Harrell firm, or its predecessor, from 1972 until its merger with the Liddell Sapp firm. From 1995 until 2000, she was chair of the Texas Lottery Commission. In 1992, Harriet became the first woman president of the Texas State Bar, and in 1985 she became the first woman president of the Dallas Bar Association. She also served as a Member-At-Large on the Dallas City Council.
Ms. Miers received her bachelor's degree in Mathematics in 1967 and J.D. in 1970 from Southern Methodist University. Upon graduation, she clerked for U.S. District Judge Joe E. Estes from 1970 to 1972.
Ms. Miers had a distinguished career as a trial litigator, representing such clients as Microsoft, Walt Disney Co. and SunGard Data Systems Inc. Moreover, when she left her law firm of Locke, Liddell & Sapp, Ms. Miers was serving as Co-Managing Partner of the firm which had more than 400 lawyers.
Thoughts on why Bush may have nominated her
These are just guesses, of course.
1. He's running scared due to his own low numbers and the bad times the Repubs are having lately, so he nominated a woman, which a lot of people wanted, and someone noone knows much about so he can't be criticized by anyone. In conjunction with this theory, I also think the Repub leadership may be putting pressure on him to not do weird things, which is probably making him do them even more.
2. He has some sort of understanding or agreement with her, or at least knows something we don't know (i.e., she's agreed to keep women barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen for him, and keep those pesky colored people in their place).
3. He just likes her, and thinks she'd be a good Supreme Court justice.
I actually think it's some combination of the three, but we'll see.
Once I've got more opinions on her from people who have interacted with her, I'll let y'all know what they think.
1. It's nice to have a local gal make good.
2. I don't really think of her as a conservative. Or a liberal.
3. IIRC she was a competent Texas State Bar President (and Dallas Bar Association President and City Council Person).
I swiped the most factual part of her bio from The American Justice Partnership’s site I have no idea what that organization is, but I didn’t copy any of their editorializing:
Before joining the President’s staff, she was Co-Managing Partner at Locke Liddell & Sapp, LLP from 1998-2000. She had worked at the Locke Purnell, Rain & Harrell firm, or its predecessor, from 1972 until its merger with the Liddell Sapp firm. From 1995 until 2000, she was chair of the Texas Lottery Commission. In 1992, Harriet became the first woman president of the Texas State Bar, and in 1985 she became the first woman president of the Dallas Bar Association. She also served as a Member-At-Large on the Dallas City Council.
Ms. Miers received her bachelor's degree in Mathematics in 1967 and J.D. in 1970 from Southern Methodist University. Upon graduation, she clerked for U.S. District Judge Joe E. Estes from 1970 to 1972.
Ms. Miers had a distinguished career as a trial litigator, representing such clients as Microsoft, Walt Disney Co. and SunGard Data Systems Inc. Moreover, when she left her law firm of Locke, Liddell & Sapp, Ms. Miers was serving as Co-Managing Partner of the firm which had more than 400 lawyers.
Thoughts on why Bush may have nominated her
These are just guesses, of course.
1. He's running scared due to his own low numbers and the bad times the Repubs are having lately, so he nominated a woman, which a lot of people wanted, and someone noone knows much about so he can't be criticized by anyone. In conjunction with this theory, I also think the Repub leadership may be putting pressure on him to not do weird things, which is probably making him do them even more.
2. He has some sort of understanding or agreement with her, or at least knows something we don't know (i.e., she's agreed to keep women barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen for him, and keep those pesky colored people in their place).
3. He just likes her, and thinks she'd be a good Supreme Court justice.
I actually think it's some combination of the three, but we'll see.
Once I've got more opinions on her from people who have interacted with her, I'll let y'all know what they think.