Bill O'Reilly
Harriet, we hardly knew you
http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com |
The retreat of Harriet Miers from Supreme Court consideration
once again highlights the vicious ideological war being fought around the
country.
Ms. Miers seems to be a nice woman about whom nobody knows very
much. But from the get go, some conservative activists opposed her
nomination because they deemed her unqualified. Unqualified? The woman daily
advises the most powerful man in the world on legal issues that shape U.S.
policy. I mean that may be an indicator Ms. Miers has at least some
knowledge of the law, right?
My position was — give Harriet Miers a chance to answer the
questions in front of the Senate and the world. But noooooo — right-wing
ideologues simply did not believe she would advance the conservative cause
aggressively enough so she was unacceptable. And without conservative
support in the Senate, there was no way she would have been confirmed.
Enter Sen. Edward Kennedy, who voted against perhaps the most
qualified Supreme Court nominee in decades, John Roberts. In a statement
shortly after Miers withdrew, Kennedy said: "The only voices heard in this
process were the voices of the extreme factions of the president's own
political party. They had a litmus test, and before giving her a fair chance
to have her own voice heard, they decided Harriet Miers didn't meet it."
Yes, you read that right. Ted Kennedy is complaining about a
Republican litmus test for a Supreme Court nominee. The senior senator from
Massachusetts, a man who demands total acceptance of all facets of abortion
before he'll even consider a judicial nomination, is lamenting that Harriet
Miers was denied a fair hearing. Rod Serling would have loved this.
Is there anyone in this country who believes Kennedy would have
supported Harriet Miers knowing she is an Evangelical Christian who attends
a church that is pro-life? Anyone?
The whole Miers episode is another shoddy example of how the
political process is now so ideological, it is damaging to all Americans.
The Bush administration is beset with problems and needs a counterattack
issue. Harriet Miers was simply another negative so Bush bailed. Now, he'll
nominate a more ideological person in order to energize his conservative
base. If he can jazz up his core supporters, it will make it easier for him
to get through his other trials.
But what about us, the folks? Many of us don't want politics
being played when a vital Supreme Court vacancy needs to be filled. I don't
want litmus tests from any senator. I want a judge who understands the
intent of the Constitution and will check his or her ideology in the
cloakroom. Can't we just have smart, fair judges in this country?
Harriet Miers got a raw deal. Power politics did her in. Nobody
should be happy about any of this. She got supremely hosed.
Enjoy this writer's work? Why not sign-up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Bill O'Reilly is host of the
Fox News show, "The O'Reilly Factor," and author
of, most recently, "Who's Looking Out for You?" Comments by clicking here.
