A friend who is a practicing attorney and Conservative Republican stalwart has been on the fence about Miers. He sent me this by John Fund, in which he decides he is against the Miers nomination. I responded:
I still support her.
I don’t really understand the problem this article supposedly discloses. So, while she is working for Bush, in the snakepit that is the White House, she keeps her own views to herself? This is supposed to make me worried? It sounds like she is one of the half-dozen people in DC who are not ego-maniacs, who puts her client first and keeps her mouth shut. Sounds like the behavior of a grownup. Uncommon in DC?
The idea that she will somehow stay “loyal” to what Bush would like her to do once she is on the court is meaningless. She will read the briefs, and vote, like everybody else. Bush won’t be standing over her shoulder, and in three years he will be gone. This is a non-issue.
I still think that a practicing lawyer instead of a professor or appellate judge is a great idea, which will make the Court provide better service to the legal community and its clients. I am personally sick of useless and overly complicated multi-author opinions from the court that give you no useful guidance. Maybe Roberts and Miers can steer the court toward issuing opinions that can actually be a basis for giving advice to people whose liberty is at stake, or who have to answer to thousands of shareholders and millions of customers and shareholders.
I see that Ann Althouse has arrived at a similar conclusion. Good.
The hearings will be very valuable, because it is certainly true that very little is known about Ms. Miers, by most people. I suspect that she will “surprise” people by being very smart and well-informed. She would not have gotten to where she is professionally if she were not smart and well-prepared for important events like the upcoming hearings. With expectations thus lowered, I expect she will do very well at the hearings.
The crap-storm on the Right has, it seems, temporarily derailed the Democrats’ attack machine. They must be enjoying all this. I would be if I were them. They are wisely following Napoleon’s advice, to not interfere when your enemy is destroying himself.
But, I think that neither the angry Righties or the anti-anything-from-Bush Lefties — once they get going, and they will — will prevail here. The Senate will want to move this along and get it over with.
Watch the Intrade contract. I suspect it will rally starting with the opening minutes of her appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee.