Hearing Tony Snow on the Radio as well as many of his callers.... Yeah I am surprised that he made this pick which seems to be pleasing nobody.
So here are my problems with this pick
1) Cronyism Much?
Lets face facts, when you get to the level that you work with the president things can get a tad incestious.. Thats a given. But taking some one from his sanctum sanctorum doesn't show a president who is focused much on the best person for the job. She could make John Roberts look like a legal moron but John Roberts at least -looked- like his own man. And given the go it alongism on issues like Immigration, the grotesque federal spending.... We in the party aren't to happy with that
2) She wasn't even the best qualified Woman on the wish lists
Look at some of the federal court judges bush passed up. We have people who are unquestionably great legal minds. People who are part of the kind of national law radar.
3) She ruins the Bush Diversity Mojo
You look at the Bush Picks on Diversity, and they all tell a story. Much like a Clarence Thomas the Bush appointees for diversity are all people who clawed up to the top of the ladder through hard work and preserverance. This isn't what we are getting
Now Aj ( who got square with me on the RINO roundup snafu) is not unhappy with the choice. And while I will agree we won't get a souter because this is Bush's lawyer we will run into a problem of message when we deal with problems like Michael Brown at FEMA, or another Ms. Myers with an appointment problem over in HOMSEC. Appointments aren't about just who can do the job, they are to some degree politically driven.
LLama Butcher ( a man after my own heart in the past on Battle Star Galactica... not the new one) is also very underwhelmed about this pick. Though i do think the "Abe Fortas in a Skirt" call is a bit much from some quarters..... Ok I really can't visualize abe in a skirt
**shudders**
Over at Wizbang He pulls a quote from the President.
"I've known Harriet Miers for more than a decade. I know her heart and I know her mind."
Isn't that like how he knows the Thugocrat Vlad Putin over in Russia? and remember all the times russia gave us the finger after Bush "knew" Vlad ( hopefully not in a biblical sense)
I do have to say I am with AJ and not the folks at Wizbang on the contributions issue. A whole bunch of folks jumped ship once the GOP took over the majority in the house and senate in 94. And despite Alfonse Gore's envirowhackaloonism back in 88 he was fairly moderate to conservative at the time as was Lloyd Bentson.
Over on National Review they pick from the President's speech a few good easter eggs
In her work respecting the War on Terror and the threats posed to our country by misuse of foreign and international law, Ms. Miers has applied the Constitution as the Framers wrote it
She has shown a commitment to advancing the rule of law through her participation in activities of the Federalist Society, the American Tort Reform Association, and other legal organizations.
That however seems to be the only easter eggs the president has given us on her.
Tim Chapman over on Townhall lays out the obvious white house spin. But the problem with the Sledge Hammer answer "Trust me, I know what I'm doing" Is the president has given every slice of the conservative pie clear reasons not to trust him. The President has allowed runaway spending of the government, he has had a war plan which is not what I would deam a "Plan A approach" I think quite honestly it is on plan G or H. The social cconservative agenda hasn't gotten much either. All we can say is Bush has kicked @$$ with the American Military and set up a foundation for a serious peace... but thats all he has given us.
The man is in LBJ territory for domestic spending.... he just *ISN'T* conservative by any reach of the imagination.
Over in Volokh land David Bernstein puts out the "Real" Strategy behind this
Conservative political activists want someone who will interpret the Constitution in line with conservative judicial principles. But just as FDR's primary goal in appointing Justices was to appoint Justices that would uphold the centerpiece of his presidency, the New Deal, which coincidentally resulted in his appointing individuals who were liberal on other things, perhaps Bush sees his legacy primarily in terms of the War on Terror, and appointing Justices who will acquiesce in exercises of executive authority is his priority, even if it isn't the priority of either his base or the nation as a whole.
Frankly I think this is less the case with Roberts, But with Miers I do see that as whats going on.
The choice was uninspired, politically silly, and just bad.
In his attempt to be bland and please everyone he seems to have pleased no one
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