Collecting all our Miers information

[Jim Lane]

The thread that Skinner started had several valuable links about Miers's role in the Texas state lottery corruption. I used those links to add a paragraph on that subject to the Wikipedia article about her -- thanks, all!

The problem is that there are so many other posts about Miers (in several different threads) that it's hard to keep track. What I've done is to use the Wikipedia article to seed a Demopedia article. You'll find it here: http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/index.php/Harriet_Miers This Demopedia article can be a place for collecting information in one place and making it more accessible than something buried in the forum archives.

Anyone can edit the Demopedia article to add or correct material. (The only restriction is that you must have been a registered DU member before December 7, 2004.) If you don't yet have a Demopedia account, see the instructions on the Main Page: http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/index.php/Main_Page

The Demopedia software automatically records, in the page history, who made each edit. Therefore, you don't need to sign your edits to the article. Just improve it as you see fit -- and be bold! That's how collaborative writing works.

[crispini]

1. Good.

:kick:

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Anyone hear Hartmann on Majority report last night?

He claimed that Miers firm, while she was managing partner, was involved in activities that resulted in multi-million dollar fines. Twice.

I haven't seen any web references yet.

[Jim Lane]

4. Miers's law firm paid $22 million to settle the case

It wasn't exactly fines, but a settlement of a class action. Go to http://bankrupt.com/CAR_Public/000501.MBX and search for "Liddell".

Miers was co-managing partner of the firm at the time. The suit alleged that the firm knew that one of its clients was engaged in a Ponzi scheme. Miers said the firm denied liability but was paying the $22 million because "it was in the best interest of the firm to do so."

[BlueEyedSon]

5. Thanks for the quick reply! Was there a second suit/settlement? nt

[Jim Lane]

6. Yes, here's the link to the Forums thread with more information

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4964421&mesg_id=4964421

[Paligal]

3. Mier's abortion stance- some research

I am not sure how to amend the Demopedia item, but have gathered the following items with regard to Miers' stance on abortion. Note that the Wikipedia has two different listings for her. One is accessed by clicking on the link at the homepage, and the other by typing her name into the search bar. The Nathan Hecht fact is from the manual search:

1."She is on the extreme end of the anti-choice movement," said Lorlee Bartos who managed Miers' first and only political campaign and said they discussed abortion once during the race. "I think Harriet's belief was pretty strongly felt," Bartos said Monday. "I suspect she is of the same cloth as the president." Ms. Bartos said Ms. Miers told her she was "pro-choice in her youth" but underwent "a born-again, profound experience" that caused her to oppose abortion."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/washington/stories/100405dnnatabortion.d644831.html

2. She donated money to the very man who brought the Nebraska partial birth abortion ban case to the Supreme Court, Donald B Stenberg
http://www.newsmeat.com/washington_political_donations/Harriet_Miers.php

3. She has been romantically linked with Texas Supreme Court judge Nathan Hecht (Wikipedia), who has been vocally anti-choice in his rulings, according to the Republican National Coalition for Life: http://www.rnclife.org/faxnotes/2000/mar00/00-03-24.html

4. This quote from another thread worries me:
Quoting Mr. Hecht on Ms. Miers's judicial philosophy: "She's an originalist -- that's the way she takes the Bible," and that's her approach to the Constitution as well -- "Originalist -- it means what it says." Mr. Hecht says he and Ms. Miers "went to two or three pro-life dinners in the late 80s or early 90s."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1823612#1823623