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Harriet Miers: Pro-Life and Pro-Roe v. Wade?

Many of the quotes the White House is using to persuade conservatives that Harriet Miers is one of them seem to be coming from Texas Supreme Court Judge Nathan Hecht, who describes himself as a 30 year friend and sometimes date of Ms. Miers. He was a junior colleague at the law firm she co-managed, and according to him, in large part responsible for her conversion to born-again Christianity.

The White House included Hecht on at least one of the conference calls it conducted Monday to shore up support for Miers Monday.

Beginning at 9 a.m., the White House and the Republican Party began organizing a series of nearly a half-dozen conference calls with conservative organizers to relieve anxieties about Ms. Miers's views. In one call, friends of Ms. Miers, including Justice Nathan Hecht of the Texas Supreme Court, testified to her evangelical Christian faith and devoted participation in the theologically conservative Valley View Christian Church in Dallas.

Mr. Hecht, in particular, assured them that she personally opposed abortion and had once attended "pro-life" events with him, said participants in the call. (He made similar statements in an interview with Marvin Olasky, editor of the Christian conservative World magazine, published on its Web site.) In Wednesday's New York Times, he describes her decision to convert. Even though, like President Bush, he says he never talked about abortion with her, they attended two some pro-life dinners together in the '90's. He's sure she's pro-life.

But, before the radical right goes orgiastic over this, Hecht also adds in this Times article:

"You can be just as pro-life as the day is long and can decide the Constitution requires Roe" to be upheld, he said.

One other thought: If I were a deeply spriritual and private person, as Ms. Miers appears to be, and one of my long-time friends started blabbing about my most personal beliefs and experiences to the media, he probably wouldn't remain a friend for long. What's wrong with this man? Does he really think he's helping her?

< Miers Is Not Unqualified From Lack of Judicial Experience | DeLay's New Defense: 'I Mispoke' >
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    Re: Harriet Miers: Pro-Life and Pro-Roe v. Wade? (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:41 PM EST
    It occurs to me that Bush's insistence that he has never talked about abortion with Meirs ought to be a problem for the Religious Right. If they accept that he tells the truth, it means the man just is not concerned enough about their primary issue to bring it up even once with someone he has kknown for ten years. His "conservatism" really is just a front, a put-on, a neo-con "Straussian" gambit to get power. On the other hand, the Dominionists have no use for truth, seeing their role as warriors for God, ready to use any means to seize power and establish a theocracy under the authority of God. Dobson's quote this morning indicates this might be the case. So, which is it? That he really does not talk about abortion, and therefore is engaged in a Straussian use-religion-to-achieve-power strategy? Or that he is engaged in a stealth strategy to turn power over to the Dominionists. Either way, democracy is not part of the equation.

    Re: Harriet Miers: Pro-Life and Pro-Roe v. Wade? (none / 0) (#1)
    by Kitt on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:42 PM EST
    I kinda understand - if I think real hard.

    Re: Harriet Miers: Pro-Life and Pro-Roe v. Wade? (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:42 PM EST
    It feels like everything I read on TalkLeft lately, is pro Miers, and I'm a little taken aback, if you don't mind me saying. This appointment reaks of nepotism. It's wrong, just plain wrong. You've read and heard about American Christian missionaries going into foreign countries, taking the natives over, forcing them to wear certain clothes that cover their offensive parts, say prayers in a language they don't understand, and bring them all in line with their American Christian interpretation of the word of Jesus. I believe this Miers appointment is a full blown attempt from Bush Administration Christians to get the American Government in line with the Bush concept of Christianity. Please fight this. Do not allow Bush to have this one. If Harriet Miers becomes a Supreme Court Justice, will the landscape of our country will forever be changed to a direction that we don't want to go. Stop Bush. Keep religion and politics and croneyism out of our government.

    Re: Harriet Miers: Pro-Life and Pro-Roe v. Wade? (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:42 PM EST
    gentlyweeping, Having read previous post of yours here, I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt before assuming you are just a troll trying to stir up trouble by posting untenable arguments while claiming to be a "supporter" of TL. But I can't believe you have thought through the consequences of your argument above. First you say the issue is nepotism, but then you spend the rest of your post arguing that the problem is Christians in government and elsewhere. Which is it? It seems pretty clear you have a problem with Christians, so why bring up nepotism as the issue? And as to your position on Christians in government, how are the actions of Christian missionaries relevant? Missionaries, by definition, are totally dedicated to converting people to their particular faith. That's their job. The fact that you disagree with their actions, and even regret their very existence, is completely irrelevant to the discussion of Harriet Miers' nomination. I see no evidence of Miers behaving like a Missionary in any area of her public life. In fact, all the evidence so far seems to be exactly the opposite; people are reported as saying that it is difficult to know what she personally believes. Next you state:
    I believe this Miers appointment is a full blown attempt from Bush Administration Christians to get the American Government in line with the Bush concept of Christianity.
    How is this any more true of Miers than of Roberts, or of anyone else in government who professes to be a Christian? Surely you do not intend to exclude from government service everyone who professes a particular religious faith? Is that what you mean by
    Keep religion and politics and croneyism out of our government.
    If you really mean that, then you don't understand what separation of church and state is all about. Miers should be free to hold whatever beliefs she chooses; she does not have the right to use her position in government to impose impose them on others. The confirmation hearings will show whether she understands this better than you seem to. BTW, how do you propose to keep politics out of government? Shall we abandon our experiment with democracy in favor of a monarchy?

    Re: Harriet Miers: Pro-Life and Pro-Roe v. Wade? (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:42 PM EST
    gentlyweeping: Since you are concerned about nepotism, I'd like to hear your views on the massive Kennedy infestation in politics here on the upper east coast. Or is is religion?

    Re: Harriet Miers: Pro-Life and Pro-Roe v. Wade? (none / 0) (#6)
    by Pete Guither on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:42 PM EST
    I think Harriet Miers is a horrible choice for the Supreme Court on a number of levels -- cronyism, loyalty to the current administration, etc. And while I'm sure she is a very good person and a good lawyer, when Bush said "I picked the best person I could find," I had this mental image of him looking around the living room, under the sofa, etc. (like his search for WMDs) and Harriet walks in the room. That said, I support her nomination at this time. At age 60, her long-term impact is likely to be limited. She's enough of an unknown that she could go a number of different ways on the court. And the alternative is likely some rabid young right-wing judge that would please the faux-Christian base and lead a theocratic revolution in the court.

    Re: Harriet Miers: Pro-Life and Pro-Roe v. Wade? (none / 0) (#9)
    by Aaron on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:42 PM EST
    Sure nominations to the Supreme Court in the past have had no judicial experience, but all of those nominations in recent times have been people who either held the highest public office or eminent positions in academia, and of all of whom had proven themselves to be individuals of powerful intellect and reason. And now we have Harriet Miers who has proven herself in the crucible of the Dallas city Council, the Texas lottery commission and as a Bush White House lapdog, are you freakin' kidding me!

    Re: Harriet Miers: Pro-Life and Pro-Roe v. Wade? (none / 0) (#10)
    by Aaron on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:42 PM EST
    Personally I think it's high time that we started restricting judicial nominations to the Supreme Court and high courts like the DC district to people who have at least 10 years of experience or more on the bench. Preferably 20 years experience. If you want to be a high judge in America you should have to pay your dues. These positions should not be political payoffs for loyal service.

    I don't believe for a minute that Bush hasn't discussed abortion with Miers. I don't. It is too important of an issue to have spent 10 years working with a person and not have discussed it. This just out: "Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers is among a group of congregants of a Dallas evangelical church who recently broke away due to differences over church rules and worship styles." http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/Supreme_Court Yeah right! Is this a Karl Rove manipulation or what? We're being set up, I tell you. We're being set up. Bush is a liar.