Ok, Texans, can we find some good scuttlebutt on Miers?

[crispini]

She's from here after all. Let's start asking around, and do some research. I bet most of us know plenty of LAWYERS and JUDGES! :)

Wikipedia entry to get us started:

Harriet Ellan Miers is the White House Counsel in the Presidential Administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, replacing Alberto Gonzales who was appointed Attorney General. She was previously Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff. President Bush nominated Miers on October 3, 2005 for Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, replacing Sandra Day O'Connor.

Miers, a Texas native, studied at Southern Methodist University, where she earned undergraduate and law degrees. She was an attorney in private practice until 2000 and was George W. Bush's personal lawyer. In 1985, she became the first female president of the Dallas Bar Association and in 1992 became the first woman to head the Texas State Bar. She was also elected to one term as an at-large member on the Dallas City Council.

During George Bush's term as Governor of Texas, Miers chaired the Texas Lottery Commission (1995-2000) and then followed Bush to Washington, DC, serving as Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary during the first two years of his presidential term. In 2003, she rose to the post of Deputy Chief of Staff and is said to be a close personal friend of the president. In November 2004, Bush named her to succeed Alberto Gonzales, his nominee for Attorney General, to the post of White House Counsel, the chief legal advisor for the Office of the President.

more
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Miers

Wow -- her Dallas connections -- I should be able to rake up some GOOD gossip on this lady. :evilgrin:

First thing I see: Chair of the Texas Lottery Commission from 95-00 -- if I recall correctly, aren't there all KINDS of corruption allegations going on around the Texas Lottery Commission?

[Xipe Totec]

1. Looks like another Brown stain.

A candidate with no experience or qualifications other than being a friend of *.

[hlthe2b]

3. Anyone have Lexus/Nexus access?

[hlthe2b]

2. where's GOPagainstGW?

He's been heavily involved in the Texan lawyers taking on Delay, I believe...

[crispini]

6. He got TS'ed.

[jarnocan]

4. on CNN

They just mentioned that (as above) she is his personnel lawyer, and NOT a judge at all.
So the presidet appoints his personnel lawyer as a Supreme Court Judge? That's pretty unbeleivable.
They are counting on the Dems not fighting too much because she isn't as conservative and doesn't have as much of a history of being a corporate hack or republican operative.
So who will fight her more the right or left?
Pretty funny.
The Bush regeime needs to be impeached. Priority #1. ugh. How will this impact on that?

[saltpoint]

5. I heard she used to be a lounge singer in a dive in Odessa.

Just joshin'.

But until I learn any more about Miers one way or the other, I'm going to run with that version.

I already hated Bush. Nothing he's done with this nomination will improve that.

[fasttense]

7. Here's a little something on her

Miers is a Dallas-based lawyer and chairwoman of the Texas Lottery Commission. The former president of the State Bar of Texas and Dallas City Council member has done legal work for Bush and his political committee. As chair of the lottery commission, Miers came under fire when former commission executive director Lawrence Littwin sued the state's lottery operator, GTECH, for allegedly pressuring Miers to fire Littwin. Littwin and his attorneys have suggested throughout the proceedings that GTECH was allowed to keep its state lottery contract in exchange for former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes' silence. Barnes, a former GTECH lobbyist, stated under oath that he helped George W. Bush enlist in the Texas Air National Guard as an alternative to going to Vietnam 31 years ago.

http://www.publicintegrity.org/report.aspx?aid=231&sid=200

[Gary173]

8. I'm not a Texan, but check this out

It's worth noting that the Texas Lottery Commission was formerly mismanaged by the current White House Counsel, Harriet Miers

http://www.chompy.net/blogs/sarah/archives/003052.html

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[crispini]

10. The G-Tech thing.

My memory served me right -- and it looks like that whole thing did occur during Miers' stint as Texas Lottery Commission chair.

Follow the money. It’s 1997. Top-gun George Jr. is governor and GTech is in deep doo-doo with Texas lottery regulators. Texas is the nation’s biggest, most lucrative lottery and GTech was about to lose its contract, worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The state’s lottery director was sacked following revelations that GTech had put the director’s boyfriend on the company payroll while he was under indictment for bribery. A new clean-hands director, Lawrence Littwin, ordered an audit, terminated GTech’s contract and put it out for rebid. Littwin also launched an investigation into GTech’s political donations.

Then a funny thing happened: The Texas Lottery Commission fired Littwin.

Almost immediately thereafter, the Bush-appointed commissioners canceled the bidding for a new operator, though the low bidder had already been announced to replace GTech. The commissioners also halted the financial audit, ended the political payola investigation and gave the contract back to GTech.

http://www.lottoreport.com/gtechbush.htm

Edited to add: That whole thing connects back in with Ben Barnes and the TANG thing!

[crispini]

12. Littwin's lawsuit

"In December 1998, Lawrence Littwin, the former Executive Director of the Texas Lottery Commission from June 1997 to October 1997, filed suit against GTECH in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas alleging that GTECH, as operator of the Texas lottery, unlawfully attempted to have Mr. Littwin removed as Executive Director of the Texas Lottery Commission in order to continue its alleged unlawful control of the Texas Lottery Commission and the Texas lottery. The specific causes of action alleged by Mr. Littwin include alleged tortious interference by GTECH with Mr. Littwin's employment relationship with the Texas Lottery Commission which caused him to be removed as the Executive Director; alleged conspiracy with unspecified third parties to maintain control of the Texas Lottery Commission and the Texas lottery; and various alleged civil violations by GTECH of the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization Act (18 Sections 1961(4) and 1962(b), (c) and (d)) ('RICO')."

Littwin and his attorneys have suggested throughout the proceedings that GTECH was allowed to keep its state lottery contract in exchange for former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes' silence. Barnes, a former GTECH lobbyist, admitted under oath that he helped George W. Bush enlist in the Texas Air National Guard rather than go to Vietnam 31 years ago.

http://www.publicintegrity.org/report.aspx?aid=522

Wonder what happened in the lawsuit?

[Divernan]

11. What's her sexual orientation? Gay?Straight?Neither?

There's no mention of any family - past or present. Does she have siblings? If so, what do they do? Possibly holding politically connected jobs? Does she come from oil money? dirt farmers? How much of a drinker is she? Who are her circle of friends? What clubs does she belong to?

Her intellectually incestuous, all SMU undergrad AND law education indicates a marked lack of interest in the world outside of Texas, and a bias toward non-Christians.

On what basis are people stating she is pro-choice? Is she on the board of planned parenthood? Doubt it.

Her personal facts assume a very high level of importance since there are no judicial opinions by her or about her clients, to judge her by. So far, there is not even reference to any cases in which she represented anyone in court.

How could ANYONE call Bush the most brilliant man they ever met?

[CoolOnion]

13. Another Roy Cohn?

60-ish unmarried female...hmmmm...is she a closeted homophobe? Could be. This, from a friend in the GLBT community:

"Among the activities I heard Dubya list for Harriet Miers was service with:


Among the activities I heard Dubya list for Harriet Miers was service with:

EXODUS MINISTRIES
http://exodus.to/ministry.shtml

Exodus International
Exodus is a nonprofit, interdenominational Christian organization promoting
'Freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ,' challenging ...

These guys endorse "reparative therapy" (Shock tactics and torture to convince gays that they really like the opposite sex more than they like "therapy sessions")
They are also notorious for popping up in gay bars - NOT making converts, but trolling for tricks - some "conversions" seem to be of short duration ....
Exodus International
Exodus is a nonprofit, interdenominational Christian organization promoting
'Freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ,' challenging ...
http://exodus.to/ministry.shtml

"These guys endorse "reparative therapy" (Shock tactics and torture to convince gays that they really like the opposite sex more than they like "therapy sessions")
They are also notorious for popping up in gay bars - NOT making converts, but trolling for tricks - some "conversions" seem to be of short duration ...."

[crispini]

18. I think it's the wrong Exodus

At least according to Wonkette.

http://www.wonkette.com/politics/white-house/mierss-shameful-secret-128664.php

[CoolOnion]

19. Ohhhh...ok, I'll pass along your link--thanks

[CoolOnion]

14. Maybe we should let the Republicans implode on this one

Check out this entry, from Right Wing News:

Disaster, thy name is Harriet Miers
http://www.rightwingnews.com/

"George Bush's decision to appoint Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court is bitterly disappointing.

"Miers is a Bush crony with no real conservative credentials, who leapfrogged legions of more deserving judges just because she was Bush's pal. She used to be Bush's staff secretary for God's sake and now she's going to the Supreme Court while people like Michael Luttig, Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown & Emilio Garza are being left on the sidelines...

"...Keep in mind that we're talking about a woman who has donated to Al Gore, Lloyd Bentsen, & the Democratic National Committee before. You want a candidate who has "Souter" written all over her? You want a candidate who can't be trusted to overturn Roe v. Wade? Well, her name is Harriet Miers."

Of course, we'll still gather our anti-Miers info, but if the base is unhappy, let's hang back a little and let the in-fighting begin!

[crispini]

16. I'm beginning to wonder if that was the point.

I think maybe her nomination was designed to crash and burn for some reason. Can't fathom why though?

[GOPisEvil]

15. If she's involved with GTECH and the TLC, she's dirty.

Filthy, I bet.

[WestHoustonDem]

17. Oh she's dirty all right!

She's also tied to the National Guard scandal. http://www.pnionline.com/dnblog/attytood/archives/002383.html

[MagickMuffin]

20. Newspapers already all over it

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/12807302.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2005/10/03/miers_had_stormy_tenure_at_texas_lottery?mode=PF

http://www.pnionline.com/dnblog/attytood/archives/002383.html

<<snip>>

Here's how Newsweek's Michael Isikoff, on July 17, 2000, described her initial foray in the morass of Bush's Guard service:

The Bushies' concern began while he was running for a second term as governor. A hard-nosed Dallas lawyer named Harriet Miers was retained to investigate the issue; state records show Miers was paid $19,000 by the Bush gubernatorial campaign. She and other aides quickly identified a problem--rumors that Bush had help from his father in getting into the National Guard back in 1968. Ben Barnes, a prominent Texas Democrat and a former speaker of the House in the state legislature, told friends he used his influence to get George W a guard slot after receiving a request from Houston oilman Sid Adger. Barnes said Adger told him he was calling on behalf of the elder George Bush, then a Texas congressman. Both Bushes deny seeking any help from Barnes or Adger, who has since passed away. Concerned that Barnes might go public with his allegations, the Bush campaign sent Don Evans, a friend of W's, to hear Barnes's story. Barnes acknowledged that he hadn't actually spoken directly to Bush Sr. and had no documents to back up his story. As the Bush campaign saw it, that let both Bushes off the hook. And the National Guard question seemed under control.

[Czolgosz]

21. I have spoken with probably two dozen lawyers and judges who have come

across Miers professionally. So far, most of what I hear is that she's pretty middle of the road ideologically but a bit of a politically motivated ass-kisser for whomever can advance her career. I've run into one person who thinks she's an unholy bitch, but most everyone else thinks she's not difficult to get along with.

Everyone I have spoken with agrees that she's as unqualified a Supreme Court nominee as anyone can remember in modern times, but there seems to be some consensus that she's not nearly as right-wing nor as activist as Roberts, and it's hard to imagine Bush nominating anyone less ideologically biased.

For what it's worth, I think it's too early to call the fight either way, and I'm just offering this as a preliminary indication of what I'm hearing from other lawyers.

[crispini]

23. LOL

"politically motivated ass-kisser"

You know, from an issues POV, she might not even be that bad for us liberals, but I'm pretty disgusted with the totaly cronyism going on here. It's just so incestuous. She's just so obviously a made woman in the Texas Republican mafia. Yick.

[CitySky]

24. lifetime appointment

nobody's butt will be worth kissing any more, once her own hiney is on the highest court in the land. for all we know, she'll be a fine justice. :shrug: at least as a practicing lawyer she had a chance to get some clue about what goes on in a courtroom.

[efhmc]

26. Worse than C. thomas? How is that possible?

[MagickMuffin]

22. MoveOn looking for help: Fact Checking, Research

http://www.political.moveon.org/judgefacts?id=6078-3467789-Htid3D4P6hOPefHo8bQYfQ&t=3

[sonias]

25. SaveTexasReps blog entry

http://www.savetexasreps.com/
Meirs’ Not Quite a Blank Slate

There are at least 4 things I’m aware of so far that ain’t so sweet.

1. She was Texas Lottery Commissioner and got to know Ben Barnes and GTech pretty well.

2. In 1998, she "investigated" the allegations that Barnes got Bush out of the National Guard.

2. She got mixed up in a ponzi scheme by former Longhorn kicker/punter and Saints #1 pick Russell Erxleben.

3. She once told David Frum that Bush was "the most brilliant man I’ve ever met."

It’s that last one that really makes me question her judgement.

Worry! All the above have links on blog site.

Sonia

[lavenderdiva]

27. would this be what you had in mind?

look at this thread on DU:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1827628&mesg_id=1827628

veeeerry interesting...