The New Republic’s Ryan Lizza did a Nexis search and found a grand total of three articles written by Harriet Miers. The Nexis database goes back about 20 or so years, so that’s probably the total number of pieces we’re dealing with.
But one in particular may have significance during the Supreme Court confirmation process. In 1992, while Miers served as the head of Texas’ state bar association, there was an awful tragedy in which two lawyers and two judges were shot and killed in a Fort Worth courthouse. Miers reflected on the violence in an article for Texas Lawyer.
The hearings also underscored that the lack of resources in some areas of the state not only has a dramatic impact on the courts’ performance of all of their obligations, but also unduly burdens the ability of lawyers to maintain a private practice. Lawyers must, in the interest of the administration of justice, be aggressive advocates for increasing the resources available for the representation of indigent defendants.
Additionally, we are reminded that success in fighting crime in our nation is more than treating symptoms. We will be successful in solving our massive crime problems only when we attack the root causes. All of us, men and women, young and old, must pledge ourselves to address the ills that surround us in our communities.
We all can be active in some way to address the social issues that foster criminal behavior, such as: lack of self-esteem or hope in some segments of our society, poverty, lack of health care (particularly mental health care), lack of education, and family dysfunction. [Emphasis added.]
If this strikes you as the kind of sentiment expressed by a liberal, then we’re in the same boat. Indeed, as Ezra put it, “Couldn’t have said it better myself. But then, I work at a liberal magazine.”
Do I mention this to make Miers’ nomination more palatable to progressive readers? Not really; this was written in 1992 and it seems Miers has grown increasingly conservative ever since.
I do, however, hope it’s items like this one that fill conservatives with anxiety, just a little more.