DNC: DOES MIERS' LOYALTY LIE WITH THE PRESIDENT OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

[MaineDem]

For Immediate Release
October 4, 2005

Contact: Josh Earnest - 202-863-8148

DOES MIERS' LOYALTY LIE WITH THE PRESIDENT OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE?

Washington, DC - Yesterday, President Bush named close confidante
Harriet Miers, who has been involved in virtually every aspect of the
President's political career, to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the
United States Supreme Court. Miers served as Bush's attorney both while
he was a businessman and when he was Governor of Texas. Later, she moved
with Bush to the White House where she held a number of important
positions, culminating in her latest role as White House Counsel. Bush's
comment today that Meirs, "knows exactly the kind of judge I'm looking
for," -- as well as her long professional association with Bush -- begs
the question about whether her loyalty lies with the Bush Administration
or with the American people.

"The question remains whether or not Miers can be independent on the
bench, given her close association with the Bush White House," said
Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney.
"Harriet Miers has led many internal investigations of the various
scandals and controversies that have engulfed the Bush White House.
Miers should recuse herself from any ongoing internal investigations at
the Bush White House while she sits as a nominee to the United States
Supreme Court."

As the White House Staff Secretary, Deputy Chief of Staff, and finally,
as White House Counsel, Miers' handling of the following issues for the
Bush White House relate to her qualifications to serve as an independent
voice on the Court.

While a key advisor to the President of the United States, what was
Harriet Miers' role in the following?

Bush's Failed Foreign Policy
* Disclosure of the identity of Valerie Plame as a covert CIA agent by
a White House source, and the internal investigation thereof.

* The preparation of the 2003 State of the Union, during which
President Bush repeated false claims about Iraq's efforts to secure WMD
materials from Niger.

* The development of the Bush Administration's policies on the
detention and interrogation of enemy combatants within the U.S., and of
those detained by U.S. forces at Guantanamo Bay and in Iraq.

* The Bush White House's response to evidence of rampant abuse and
torture of Iraqi prisoners by American military and intelligence
personnel at Abu Ghraib prison.


Cronyism and No-Bid Contracts
* The legality and propriety of awarding no-bid contracts to specific
corporations for the provision of goods and services in Iraq, and the
subsequent review of those transactions.

* The investigation and subsequent resignation by the Administration's
chief procurement officer, David Safavian, for alleged receipt of
illegal payments.

* The decision to award no-bid contracts to specific corporations for
post-Katrina clean up.

* Bush Administration's decision to suspend requirement for Katrina
contractors to have an Affirmative Action plan for veterans, minorities,
women, and disabled persons.

* Bush Administration's decision to suspend Davis-Bacon prevailing wage
rules, allowing contractors to hire employees at depressed wages.


Failing to Protect Individual Rights in the Courts
* Shaping the position of the Bush Administration taken before the
Supreme Court on issues related to 1) affirmative action, 2) displaying
the Ten Commandments on public property, 3) access by the disabled to
courthouses, and 4) funding for legal assistance for the poor.

* Shaping Bush Administration positions eventually taken in any case
currently pending before the Supreme Court.

Bush's Special Interest Agenda
* Determining the policy of the Bush Administration on specific issues
before the Congress including: the Bankruptcy bill, the Class-Action
bill, the Patriot Act, and the Medicare drug bill.

Abuse of Power
* The refusal to allow the Chief Actuary of the Medicare system to
testify regarding the actual cost of the President's Medicare
Prescription Drug Bill when it was pending before Congress.

* The failure to disclose participants in Vice President Cheney's
Energy Task Force.


Political Stonewalling
* The inquiry surrounding President Bush's National Guard record during
the 2004 campaign.

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee,
www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any
candidate or candidate's committee.

[Greeby]

1. You have to ask?

Bush nominated her, what else do you need? :eyes:

[jackthesprat]

10. Agree.

someone with your name at "mlive" forum; that you?

[Greeby]

12. Doubt it

Have no clue what mlive forum is :shrug:

[mzmolly]

2. YEAH!!! I love the new improved DNC!

Great point/question/phrasing. :toast:

[mzmolly]

3. Recommended.

BTW.

[acmavm]

4. I will absolutely recommend this as well. I am so sick and tired of

hearing the 'better accept her or he'll nominate someone worse' shit I could barf.

Once upon a time the democratic party stood for something. Now apparently it just lays down for everything (not according to this article or everyone here, but there sure are a lot of people ready to just let bush** completely screw up the Supreme Court without a whimper).

[KoKo]

5. Excellent list of questions. Wonder who will ask them?

I wonder if Meirs could be prosecuted after the fact if she's confirmed, too. If Bush Conspiracy ever gets proved and Miers was complicit with any of the evil doings of this administration, could she be removed from the Supremes? :shrug: Might be a way to go..if Democrats are sure that Bushies will be brought down in the next year or two.

Kind of a far fetched though, I guess.

[xkenx]

6. Fundies Believe in the Dominance of the Male

so Harriet Miers, after walking behind in the footsteps of B*** can be counted upon to do his bidding, or to find a male on the court to emulate (Scalia?). This person is our worst nightmare.

[opihimoimoi]

7. The Bush Loyalty Factor is enough to prevent.....REJECT HER

NEXT?

[intheflow]

8. I love it when the DNC "gets" it.

Now if we could only get them to "get" it about the anti-war movement, we'd be set. Still, I'm glad to see they're thinking about Miers and why she was nominated.

[jobycom]

9. Perfect! That should be the meme we stick on this candidate.

It should be the point we make about every Republican, every croney appointment Bush makes. Do they care about the country, or only about their party, and their candidate?

[BrightKnight]

11. separation of powers

This appointment would erode the separation of powers. The Supreme Court is not intended to be an extension of the Whitehouse. The court must be strong , independent, and competent.

[MrBenchley]

13. Great post...

Thanks for putting it up!

[AntiCoup2K4]

14. ALL of Chimp's appointees are based on loyalty to him.

I think that's why Powell & Asscrotch left after he stole the 2004 election, actually. I don't excuse either of them for their part in the destruction of American democracy, but I get the feeling that neither of them was ever 100% on board with the PNAC agenda.

[hughee99]

15. It should be neither...

A supreme court justices loyalties, IMHO, should be to the law. To be loyal to the american people invites a tyranny of the majority. To be loyal to any individual invites a tyranny of the minority.