In her initial response to questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, Harriet Miers acknowledged that her law license in the District of Columbia was suspended this year after she failed to pay dues to the DC Bar Association. For someone who was serving as White House counsel at the time, it’s not encouraging sign.
Making matters far worse, Miers also had her law license suspended in Texas, too.
Specter said Miers must provide “amplification on many, many of the items” included in the first questionnaire.
Miers quickly replied, writing that she would comply with the new request. She also wrote that “as a result of an administrative oversight,” her Texas law license was suspended for 26 days in 1989 because of unpaid dues.
In other words, the person the president has nominated for the Supreme Court — the person Bush said is the single most qualified person in America for this position — has had her law license suspended twice.
Also note that one of the principal talking points for Miers is her allegedly legendary attention to detail. Think Progress reminds us that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, among others, said Miers would do well on the high court because she is “very detail oriented” and “very meticulous.”
Except, that is, when it comes to keeping her law license up to date.
Once again, Bruce Fein’s quote helps put this nomination in perspective: “The tipping point in Washington is when you go from being a subject of caricature to the subject of laughter. [Miers is] in danger of becoming the subject of laughter.”