"She's a born-again Christian, owns a handgun, and headed the Texas Bar Association. I have a hard time understanding why this is a bad thing," Ed Naile, chairman of the Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers
The rush to judgment on Miers from the president's allies has been striking. Not only has it been immediate and widespread, it also has been - in many cases - extraordinarily immoderate," Ronald Cass, dean emeritus of Boston University School of Law and co-chairman of the Committee for Justice, writing for the website RealClear Politics, which is widely read by conservative activists.
“We are going to take as much time as we need. We do not have much paperwork. We do not have much of a record.” Senate Judiciary Committee, Pennsylvania Republican Arlen Specter.
“We don't confirm justices of the Supreme Court on a wink and a nod. And a litmus test is no less a litmus test by using whispers and signals.” And “The comments I have heard range from incomplete to insulting. Certainly it was inadequate, and it did not give us enough to prepare for a hearing. We will have to have more.” Sen. Patrick Leahy. Ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Apparently the White House believes she doesn't have any burden to prove she deserves a lifetime appointment,'' Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat.
"Setting a date for the hearing before we have gotten any information or documents is putting the cart before the horse. We know less about this nominee than we knew about any previous nominee." Sen. Charles Schumer D-N.Y.
“She was the nominee of the president of the United States who has consistently given us excellent nominees to the bench.” Sen. Jeff Sessions, a pro-life lawmaker from Alabama
"She has taken a public position as a candidate for Dallas City Council," [referring to a 1989 questionnaire she completed that shows she opposed abortion.] "She assures me these public positions are her own personal views, and as a judge she will look at the facts of a case, both pro and con, and then make her decision based on the law." Sen. Wayne Allard
“Nominating a constitutional tabula rasa [blank slate] to sit on what is America’s constitutional court is an exercise of regal authority with the arbitrariness of a king giving his favorite general a particularly plush dukedom.” Columnist Charles Krauthammer
“People want to know why I picked Harriet Miers. They want to know Harriet Miers’ background. Part of Harriet Miers’ life is her religion. Part of it has to do with the fact that she was a pioneer woman and a trailblazer in the law in Texas.” President Bush
“In a way, you can't blame the Bush administration for turning the conversation to Harriet Miers' religion. What else are they going to talk about? Her qualifications? Those, as we have learned in the two weeks and counting since President Bush nominated her to the Supreme Court, are a trifle thin.” Leonard Pitts Jr
“Just about everybody, except President Bush who has known and worked closely with Harriet Miers for many years, says that not much is know about what the Supreme Court nominee thinks.” Donald Lambro, Washington Times' chief political correspondent
"The tipping point in Washington is when you go from being a subject of caricature to the subject of laughter. She's in danger of becoming the subject of laughter." Bruce Fein, a Miers critic who served in the Reagan administration's Justice Department and who often speaks on constitutional law
As if to prove it… " the court may need a woman who's had more courtroom experience, like Courtney Love." Jay Leno
"…relentless march of vapid abstractions “whose” quality of thought and writing doesn't even rise to the level of pedestrian…" David Brooks, a conservative New York Times columnist
"The way she's being beaten up by the far right is very sexist. People should hold their fire and give people an opportunity to come before a hearing," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California
"She's got a very probing mind and a probing intellect. She is the kind of person who is, if there have been four arguments given; Harriet's going to look for the fifth," Condoleezza Rice
"Here's what I know about Harriet Miers. I know that she's a crony of the president. I know she thinks he's the most brilliant man she's ever met. I know that she was head of the search committee and wound up being the nominee, and I know that she is personally anti-choice. Those are things I know." Sen. Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat
"We are the last people on Earth to object to the news that she is a committed Christian. By the same token, this fact is not grounds for certifying her to us or to the public. ... Inferences drawn from an individual's religious affiliation have no place in decisions to nominate or confirm a judicial appointee." Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council
We find it patronizing and hypocritical to focus on her faith in order to gain support for Miss Miers." Jan LaRue, chief counsel of the conservative Concerned Women for America
Finally, with thanks to David Brooks, a few words from Harriet Miers herself:
"More and more, the intractable problems in our society have one answer: broad-based intolerance of unacceptable conditions and a commitment by many to fix problems."
"We must end collective acceptance of inappropriate conduct and increase education in professionalism."
"When consensus of diverse leadership can be achieved on issues of importance, the greatest impact can be achieved."
"We have to understand and appreciate that achieving justice for all is in jeopardy before a call to arms to assist in obtaining support for the justice system will be effective. Achieving the necessary understanding and appreciation of why the challenge is so important, we can then turn to the task of providing the much needed support."
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