Harriet Miers: Rise and Fall
How quickly things change in politics. One moment it was all Harriet, Harriet Miers was everywhere. Harriet Miers with the President; Harriet Miers meeting and conferring with senators; newspapers and televison were overflowing with stories. And then just as suddenly, she was gone, pushed out by the very conservative groups that she was supposed to represent.
Was it too much to expect the lady to be given an opportunity to present her case for being a Supreme Court Justice? It looked that way. Many saw it as a battle of ideology. Never mind her qualifications and experience, was she the right conservative for the job? And the answer to that question was simply no.
Was it sexism? Few would want to even discuss this angle. In these times, it is quite fashionable to pretend that true equality has arrived, and that racism and sexism no longer exist.
Others highlighted her lack of experience on the bench, as if that was the only reason to oppose her. Yet even this, appears to be a smokescreen to hide their real intentions which was to make a case against Ms. Miers, and to force President Bush to choose a candidate much more in keeping with their ideological position.
I always thought that the most important requirement a justice could take to the bench was independence. Someone with a lifelong experience of court and judicial practice, and one who is quite willing to judge each issue with an open mind, will be my ideal candidate. But recent events suggest the contrary. Politicians, today, seem to follow a limited format. They create an agenda, and they simply stick to it. Any attempt to consider or take an impartial view is out of the question.
In the end it is startling, and somewhat sad, that Harriet Miers was undermined by the very crowd that you imagined would have been on her side. But this is the new politics which we see emerging everywhere, battles on every front, and the survival of the fittest.
So it is goodbye Harriet, and we shall wait for the next pretender.
How quickly things change in politics. One moment it was all Harriet, Harriet Miers was everywhere. Harriet Miers with the President; Harriet Miers meeting and conferring with senators; newspapers and televison were overflowing with stories. And then just as suddenly, she was gone, pushed out by the very conservative groups that she was supposed to represent.
Was it too much to expect the lady to be given an opportunity to present her case for being a Supreme Court Justice? It looked that way. Many saw it as a battle of ideology. Never mind her qualifications and experience, was she the right conservative for the job? And the answer to that question was simply no.
Was it sexism? Few would want to even discuss this angle. In these times, it is quite fashionable to pretend that true equality has arrived, and that racism and sexism no longer exist.
Others highlighted her lack of experience on the bench, as if that was the only reason to oppose her. Yet even this, appears to be a smokescreen to hide their real intentions which was to make a case against Ms. Miers, and to force President Bush to choose a candidate much more in keeping with their ideological position.
I always thought that the most important requirement a justice could take to the bench was independence. Someone with a lifelong experience of court and judicial practice, and one who is quite willing to judge each issue with an open mind, will be my ideal candidate. But recent events suggest the contrary. Politicians, today, seem to follow a limited format. They create an agenda, and they simply stick to it. Any attempt to consider or take an impartial view is out of the question.
In the end it is startling, and somewhat sad, that Harriet Miers was undermined by the very crowd that you imagined would have been on her side. But this is the new politics which we see emerging everywhere, battles on every front, and the survival of the fittest.
So it is goodbye Harriet, and we shall wait for the next pretender.
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