Miers Backed Race, Sex Set-Asides (WaPo)

[jefferson_dem]

Miers Backed Race, Sex Set-Asides
She Made Diversity A Texas Bar Goal

By Jo Becker and Sylvia Moreno
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, October 22, 2005; A01

As president of the State Bar of Texas, Harriet Miers wrote that "our legal community must reflect our population as a whole," and under her leadership the organization embraced racial and gender set-asides and set numerical targets to achieve that goal.

The Supreme Court nominee's words and actions from the early 1990s, when she held key leadership positions as president-elect and president of the state bar, provide the first window into her personal views on affirmative action, an area in which the Supreme Court is closely divided and where Miers could tip the court's balance.

Her tenure at the bar association also could provide new fodder for conservatives opposed to her nomination, as President Bush seeks to quell a rebellion on the right over his selection of Miers.

To some conservatives, the types of policies pursued by the Texas bar association amount to reverse discrimination. One of the chief complaints on the right against Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales was that he clashed with conservatives who wanted to take a harder line against affirmative action.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/21/AR2005102102139_pf.html

[Straight Shooter]

1. Miers really is a mixed bag of rocks, isn't she? n/t

[GrumpyGreg]

2. I think lil ole Ms Meirs could be full of surprises.

[DaveColorado]

3. She'll be anti choice for sure

I'm not so sure about some of her other positions.

[GrumpyGreg]

4. You never know. I've seen people like her who have always

sort of been in the background,worked hard,and did "the right thing" finally come into their own and surprise a lot of people.

[Name removed]

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