03 Oct 2005 Black Conservatives Speak on Miers Nomination

Uncertainty regarding the beliefs, affiliations and legal career of White House counsel Harriet Miers has produced a wide array of opinions from conservatives.

To follow are comments from black conservatives affiliated with Project 21:

Deneen Moore (New York, NY): “Is she a David Souter in a dress?  That’s just something we don’t know.  It’s disappointing that the ease of this nomination is taking precedence over her views of the Constitution.  Given the important issues to be decided by the Supreme Court, now is not the time to gamble on an unknown judicial philosophy.  A nomination should not be based on one’s sex or race, but on the nominee’s views on the Constitution.”

Marc Elcock (Des Moines, IA): “I’m cautiously optimistic.  Members from both sides of the aisle have recognized her considerable professional achievements and qualifications.  Her record of service has respected and advanced the rights of all American citizens.”

Mychal Massie (Bethlehem, PA): “I am guardedly optimistic about the selection of Harriet Miers.  With so little known about her judicial philosophy, we have only the President’s word and the assurances of rigid party ideologues on which to base our support.  That being said, we are disappointed at the least that the President did not nominate someone of unambiguous clarity as to their adherence to the original intent of the Constitution’s authors.”

Kevin Martin (Washington, DC): “We have been supportive of the President’s conservative agenda in the past, but he should not consider this support as coming without question.  With the nomination of Harriet Miers to a lifetime appointment to our nation’s highest court, we’d at least like an indication of her adherence to conservative ideals and her belief in a strict interpretation of the Constitution.  We’ve been disappointed in the past after blindly accepting that a nominee was conservative.  The White House must understand that a glowing endorsement in this case and under these circumstances should not be expected.”

Eddie Huff (Tulsa, OK): “People voted for President Bush because he always kept his word.  So far, he has not given us a reason not to trust him.  Let the President do his job.”

Jerry Brooks (Portland, OR): “All I can say at this juncture is that, until I have more information about Miers’ expected judicial temperament, I have no trust that President Bush has made the right choice for the Supreme Court.”

Ak’Bar Shabazz (Atlanta, GA): “I am disappointed by the President’s decision to nominate Harriet Miers.  Like many other conservatives, I expected a proven conservative to replace Sandra Day O’Conner.  When major cases are soon to be decided, this nomination appears to be an attempt to fill a ‘minority’ gap instead of a conservative one.  Conservatives deserved a better nominee for their loyalty to the President.”

Project 21 takes no position on the confirmation of any particular judicial nominee.

For more information, contact David Almasi at (202) 507-6398 x11 or [email protected], or visit Project 21’s website at http://www.project21.org/P21Index.html. New Visions Commentaries can be found at https://nationalcenter.org/P21NewVisions.html.