LGBT Community Responds to Miers Withdrawal, concerned over next nominee

[Democrats_win]

http://www.temenos.net/articles/051102.shtml

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Community reacted today to news that the nomination of Harriet Miers to the United States Supreme Court has been withdrawn. LGBT Activist Keith Boykin referred to the withdrawal as a "stunning political setback for President George Bush"

LGBT organizations and activists acknowledge that extreme right, anti-gay organizations succesfully blocked Miers nomination. They share a concern that these groups will have control over choosing the next Supreme Court nominee.

“This was an extremist veto of Miers’ nomination,” said Joe Solmonese, Executive Director of the Human Rights Campaign. “Her withdrawal today demonstrates that the president is beholden to extremist groups rather than to the American people.”

On October 06, The Washington Post reported that regular meetings had been occurring between the White House and anti-gay advocates. The weekly meetings, designed to build support for judicial nominees from social conservatives, included senior White House staff, Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, Republican Senators and representatives from anti-gay organizations such as the Eagle Forum, the Family Research Council and the Free Congress Foundation.

Eric Stern, Executive Director of the National Stonewall Democrats stated: "Anti-gay activists have corrupted the judicial selection process in the Bush White House, and they are now demanding a nominee that will serve their needs rather than those of the American people. President Bush has an opportunity to break the control held by these activists over the federal government by expanding his nomination selection process to include representatives of the gay and lesbian community, not just activists who seek to harm our families."

[TaleWgnDg]

1. In all honesty, wtf makes anyone *feel* safe about Miers

In all honesty, wtf makes anyone *feel* safe about Miers politics or legal theory (legal philosophy) once on SCOTUS?

Really now!

Miers may have demonstrated a "Christian" charitable view in some of her past actions. She may have been demonstrating this view and manner in her workplace at times as well as in the general community while in Texas.

However, there's a hell of a canyon between voluntary charitable deeds versus permanently cementing mandatory due process rights and equal protection rights in law as to GLBTs. I feel -- yes, it's my opinion -- that Miers may have been "charitable" toward the gay community at times, but I doubt very strongly that she would have cemented those actions into protective laws through SCOTUS decisions. This voluntary charity thing is classic conservative Republican modus operandi.

Thus, the GLBT community and those who support them shouldn't feel a cold draft when Miers "withdrew" her nomination.

On the other hand, GWBush's I-am-not-showing-my-cards-but-trust-me-because-Miers-is-a-Christian religious test that Bush's uber-rightwingnuts didn't accept, set in place (quite stupidly on his behalf) an acceptable manner to reject future nominees. Think about it. Bush has paved the way that progressives can reject his next SCOTUS nominees. Hopefully, Democrats and moderate Republicans can muster a backbone in the Senate!


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