President Bush has made a fairly weak political move by nominating Harriet E. Miers to replace the retiring justice Sandra Day O'Connor as a Supreme Court justice. Although keeping to his indirectly stated wish to nominate a minority or a woman, the president's nominee provides neither party - nor the public - with a firm basis to form an opinion of where she will stand on key issues. In a time when the Bush administration is attempting to recover from being routinely criticized by both Democrats and Republicans concerning the faltered response to Hurricane Katrina and the continued quagmire in Iraq, Miers' personal loyalty toward the president would seem to be an attractive asset.
Corporate attorney and White House counsel, Miers, 60, has been working closely with the president for more than a decade. Once described by the president as a pit bull in size 6 shoes
this surprise nominee has the appeal of a strong, level-minded personality with a fierce advocacy toward the president to boot. Although Bush claims she shares his own legal philosophy, there appears to be no paper trail that would shed light onto her political leanings besides just the obvious conservative title she stands by. Republicans are thus left disappointed - doubting she will be the justice to pull the Supreme Court to the right - while Democrats are concerned she could turn out to be a stealth candidate that will unknowingly sway the court to the right if she is confirmed.
Despite their reservations, Democrats should be thankful for Bush shying away from a controversial nomination. On the other side, Bush himself may not be in the clear from his own party - perhaps by backing down, he has actually stirred up more distrust and aggravation from his own supporters. As for Miers, it should be hoped that a more definite picture will be provided of her political opinions - whether conservative or moderate - before the Senate votes on her nomination around Thanksgiving. 17
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