ConfirmThem

By Carol Platt Liebau Posted in SCOTUS — Comments () / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Here is a bio of Harriet Miers.

No one is sure about Ms. Miers' philosophy (at least outside The White House, and maybe not even there) -- which is a legitimate cause for unhappiness. But I think perhaps some of the criticism that is emanating from some D.C. conservatives is not only frustration with an opportunity wasted, but may also be a function of the fact that she is not a member of the Harvard/Yale/Supreme Court clerk/elite D.C. legal insider axis. (Don't get me wrong -- I love some "elite D.C. legal insiders." Some of my favorite people from law school fall in this category, though not the ones I'm referring to here).

The fact is that Harriet Miers graduated with a math degree in 1967. She rose to a number of prominent positions (several female firsts) in Texas -- not an easy task, given that she came up in the pre-flex time, pre-sexual harassment era.

She can't be a wimp. That much, at least, is clear. And just because she's not an insider in conservative elite judicial circles doesn't mean she's presumptively unqualified. The real question, however, is whether she's a judicial conservative. Appointing them seems to be important to the President, and he knows her well.

So a lot of the wailing and gnashing of teeth may turn out to be as premature as the full-throated liberal opposition to David Souter.