Miers Nomination a Chance for Democrats to Grab Lead Role

Many voices in the media have been saying of late that President Bush handed democrats a gift in his much criticized nomination of White House counsel Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. The conventional wisdom is that Miers’ apparent (and I say apparent because we know roughly as much about Miers as we do about the Sasquatch) lack of sterling conservative credentials (she has in the past contributed to Democratic political campaigns and the Democratic National Committee) has not only prevented a rightward lurch of the Court, but also served to alienate many of the President’s staunchest conservative supporters. The effect of these deep red hardliners jumping ship has been the tumbling of Mr. Bush’s job approval rating to an anemic all time low of 37 percent, making him slightly less popular than the avian flu.

It should seem a no-brainer, then, for Senate Democrats to ‘grease the skids’ on Miers’ nomination, if for no other reason than to claim something of an ideological victory on the Supreme Court and to also saddle Bush with yet another political albatross. This rosy scenario is overlooking one crucial, crucial thing however:

Harriet Miers is not qualified to serve on the United States’ Supreme Court.

I’m not sure about any of you, but, as an American, I want the absolute best and most qualified people serving on my Supreme Court. Say what you will about John Roberts, at least he had credentials that you couldn’t dispute, and as far as ideology goes, it’s usually hard to pick up a resume that impressive and be totally out of your mind. Giving thought to Roberts’ impeccable reputation, Harriet Miers in no way inspires the same sort of confidence.

Just last week, Sen. Arlen Specter, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee stated that Harriet Miers “needs a crash course in constitutional law”

A crash course in constitutional law?

Allow me to point out, for irony’s sake if nothing else, that the Supreme Court exists to resolve, above all else, matters of constitutional law. Now, I in no way wish to demean Ms. Miers’ successful career as a private attorney, but the notion of a charming and bright Texas woman enjoying a successful career in litigation, and then unexpectedly being nominated for the Supreme Court and receiving a “crash course in constitutional law” does not sound like a good plan for staffing the pinnacle of the judiciary, it sounds like the plot of a bad romantic comedy starring Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde 3: This Summer, Justice is Blind Blonde).

Bearing all that in mind, it must be noted that Democrats may in fact hold the key to whether or not Ms. Miers ever gets to sit on the Supreme Court. With the conservative establishment as fractured as it is, a concerted effort by Senate Dems could very well be all it takes to kill this nomination. If they do not do all they can to defeat the nomination of Harriet Miers, democrats will be making a grave mistake that will have potentially terrible repercussions for all Americans.

The fact of the matter is this, Harriet Miers is not qualified to serve on the Supreme Court, and the American people deserve better. Should Democrats ignore this fact on account of something like a moderate ideology or a short term political victory, they will be putting liberal special interests and their political gain ahead of the needs and concerns of the American people. They would be putting their party before their country, and the current GOP establishment already gives America as much of that as it can handle.

Besides, since Democrats are supposed to be “The Party of Hollywood”, it would be a shame to let George Bush steal such a good idea for a movie.