The Redhunter

Each of you knows what it takes to achieve these extraordinary accomplishments: it takes brains, courage, tact, and the ability to keep your eye on the ball. These are traits that make for a successful Associate Justice: one who can achieve consensus among her colleagues, and find the common ground that makes for a majority decision.

Look at the many people and organizations that have been impressed by Ms. Miers’ intellect and communications skills. In a distinguished career as a trial lawyer, Ms. Miers has represented clients such as Microsoft, Walt Disney Co. and SunGard Data Systems Inc. These companies had their choice of dozens of lawyers, but chose Ms. Miers. Her peers in the Dallas Bar chose her to lead them, and so did the thousands of attorneys of the State Bar of Texas. She has won the respect and admiration of legislators both in her home state and in Washington.

Make no mistake. We do not argue that Harriet Miers deserves a spot on the Supreme Court because she is female. We do argue that being female has led her to have experiences and insights that add to her qualifications to serve on the Court. Like Justice O’Connor, she has broken ground for women in the legal community, and a new generation of women lawyers has been able to succeed because they have stood on the shoulders of attorneys like her.

Like Justice O’Connor, and many of the other finest justices to serve on the Court, Harriet Miers has real-world political experience. In 1989, she was elected to a two-year term as an at-large candidate on the Dallas City Council. She served as general counsel for the transition team of Governor-elect George W. Bush in 1994, and from 1995 until 2000, she served as Chairwoman of the Texas Lottery Commission, a voluntary public service position she undertook while maintaining her legal practice and other responsibilities. After then-Governor Bush appointed Ms. Miers to a six-year term on the Texas Lottery Commission, she served as a driving force behind its cleanup.

Ms. Miers would come to the Court as have 10 out of the 34 Justices appointed since 1933, including the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist and the late Justice Byron White—without prior judicial experience, but with a rich background in legal, political and civic life. Harriet Miers deserves the chance to bring her talents to the Court. We urge you to vote “yes” when it her confirmation is brought to the Senate floor.

Sincerely,

(the strongest bunch of female legal scholars, law school deans, bar association chairs, and elected officials you can tap—I’d be glad to assist)

Kathryn Jean Lopez posted this on NRO yesterday, and as you may imagine, was utterly disgusted.

Well, so am I. Do I have to point out to my own party that being the first woman anything is not a qualification to sit on the Supreme Court?!?!

Yes I know that some of you point the the paragraph below all the "first" business and say "but it takes 'brains, courage, tact, and the ability to keep your eye on the ball' to achieve those things."

But none of those things, either, are reasons for conservatives to support her for the Supreme Court.

Once again, do I have to point out to my own party that liberals can have "brains, courage, and tact" too? They have certainly kept their "eye on the ball", steadily moving the court to the left for forty-plus years and making sure that key decisions such as Roe and Griswold do not get reversed.

If this letter had come from the DNC we'd be laughing. No, we'd be howling and rolling in the isles. Every right-wing blog would gleefully reprint it and use it as an example of political correctness.

But for it to come from our party is simply embarassing.