Harriet Miers and Kitzmiller v. Dover - Update 8

Harriet Miers and her views on church and state may have a bigger impact on the ultimate outcome of the Kitzmiller v. Dover case than anything that goes on in court this week. Background articles from the Washington Post and other sources are below.


Thursday

One article discusses the conservative revolt , also here, and more commentary: the Dissed Intellectuals from Harold Meyerson and Telling Words from David Broder.John Dickerson at Slate comments in Gods vs. Geeks:

In this battle, the White House has clearly sided with the churchgoing masses against the Republican Party's own whiny Beltway intellectuals. The Bushies have always mistrusted their own bow-tied secularists, but the rift has never before been so public. "This is classic elitism," says a senior administration official of the GOP opposition to the Miers nomination. "We often blame the left for it, but we have it in our own ranks. Just because she wasn't on a shortlist of conservatives who prepared their whole life for this moment doesn't make her any less conservative … and just because she hasn't penned op-eds for the Wall Street Journal doesn't mean she hasn't formed a judicial philosophy.

Wednesday

An article on Miers' church background. See comments below under the Tuesday heading.

And now an article on the nomination confusion and George Will's opinion.


Tuesday

Don't miss the latest humor on Bush's nomination at ScrappleFace.

Here is a blog that discusses her religious background and views. This would seem to indicate that she would not take a position hostile to theism or to scientific viewpoints with implications consistent with theism. It would also tend to indicate that she will be sophisticated enough to be aware of the religious implications of Darwinian theory.

And this on replacing the all important swing vote. Seems like Anthony Kennedy could now often be the one whose vote determines the Court's rulings.

More from the Post: Now, commentary; and reaction from both sides of the aisle.

More commentary here and here. The President's comments today, responding to complaints from the Right.


Monday

Background information from the Washington Post can be found here and here and here.

And now this article, that may give some idea of her views on social issues.