To: NOW Chapter Leaders
From: the NOW National Action Center
Dear Activists,
The nomination of Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court has dominated the media for ten days now, but what do we really know about the woman who would fill retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's seat - the woman who will be the critical fifth vote on women's rights?
Here's What We Know About Miers
Miers is a George W. Bush loyalist, having worked closely with him for more than a decade. Bush defended her nomination, saying: "But you got to understand, because of our closeness, I know the character of the person." Reportedly, Miers told David Frum that Bush was the most brilliant man she'd ever met.
Miers has no paper trail and has never served as a judge. Her judicial philosophy and approach to fundamental rights as a Justice may be impossible to determine, even with a Senate hearing. And, unlike the right wing, NOW has been consistent over the years and steadfast in our rejection of blank-slate nominees.
According to close friend Nathan Hecht (considered the most conservative member of the Texas Supreme Court) and other Texas conservatives, Miers' opposition to abortion is widely known and has been for more than 15 years.
Prominent women who met with Miers in Dallas during her campaign for the City Council relate that she was vociferous in her opposition to abortion, even in the context of protecting the clinics from violent demonstrators, repeatedly referring to "killing babies" during their conversations.
In 1993, as president of the Texas Bar Association, Miers led an effort to overturn the American Bar Association's position in support of abortion rights.
A Disastrous Replacement for O'Connor
The fact that the right-wing is bickering over whether Miers "is conservative enough" offers no comfort to feminists. We don't know much, but from what we do know, we can confidently say that Miers is not a nominee we can support, and that she is very likely to be the 5th vote to overturn Roe v. Wade on the Supreme Court.
Miers would be a disastrous replacement for O'Connor, who was the swing vote to preserve many of our fundamental rights: the basic protections of Roe v. Wade, a health exception to state-level abortion restrictions, affirmative action in college admissions, and Title IX's promise of equal educational opportunities for women and girls, among many others.
Speak Out and Tell Senators: Vote NO if you don't KNOW
We must be insistent in our demands that the Senate Judiciary Committee press Miers for answers, and that they refuse to accept dodges and evasion.
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