Being a FOB will get you a JOB

Just ask Harriet Miers....because she's the next nominee for the United States Supreme Court. The President just finds it impossible to nominate someone that isn't A: a friend, B: a former employee of his father, or C: a major campaign person of his.

I haven't had a chance yet to review her history, but I find it interesting that the President didn't choose an appellate court justice. John Roberts spent a hiccup on the appellate courts, and Ms. Miers has never been a judge. Typically, those picked for the Supreme Court have a judicial background of some sort. Granted, William Rehnquist didn't have that background, but he spent fourteen years before becoming Chief Justice. Mr. Roberts has not.

Likewise, Ms. Miers is being nominated without a shred of judicial experience, and it's to the most important court in the nation. John Roberts skated deftly past questions from senators, and was confirmed by a large majority, and I don't have too big a problem with it. I wish he'd explained his positions more forthrightly, but he has good background experience with the Supreme Court's workings, so he is qualified enough for me.

Harriet Miers, though, needs to be thoroughly questioned, and needs to answer those questions, because her only reason for being nominated, it seems, is that she's a woman taking a woman's spot, and that she's a Friend of Bush. I fear her nomination will compromise the independence she is supposed to have as a Supreme Court justice. Any White House case that comes up to the high court is going to require her recusal, meaning there is a good chance of a deadlock. Not good. Not good at all.