Harriet Miers

I don't know anything about this second Bush appointment to the US Supreme Court, but the one remark I've read of hers concerns me:

"[President Bush] is the most brilliant man I've ever met."

Now, before we question her judgment, she may well have been surrounded by dunces her entire life. Somehow.

Anyway, on to the farce of confirmation hearings, in which she'll be asked a number of questions, such as where she stands on Roe vs Wade, and where she stands on Roe vs Wade, and also where she stands on Roe vs Wade. It's also likely that the issue will be brought up of whether she's in favour of Roe vs Wade.

She will, of course, refuse to answer this question, as, of course, she would privately have done when discussing her nomination with Dubya beforehand.

"Now, Harriet," he would have said, "I'm not going to nominate someone to the Court who supports Roe vs Wade, as you know. So - you're opposed to it, aren't you?"

And Ms Miers would have refused to answer the most brilliant man she had ever met. "Oh, George, you know I can't answer that, even though this is a private conversation and you won't nominate me unless I confirm that my views coincide with yours."

And George would have replied, "Of course I understand, Harriet. You don't need to tell me. I'll just take a punt, even though I've got a whole lot of other lawyers and judges I can appoint whose views on the subject I well know. It's not that important to me or my hard-line religious right lobbyists. We'll let it drop. Welcome aboard!"

So that's alright then.