new york | Perhaps it was Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) who best summarized the American Jewish community’s position on Harriet Miers.
“We know even less about this nominee than we did about John Roberts,” Schumer said Monday, Oct. 3, after President Bush nominated Miers, his White House counsel, to succeed Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Because Miers, 60, has never been a judge and has not weighed in on most controversial issues, her political and judicial philosophies are even less known.
“We’re in somewhat the same position as we were in with Roberts, in that the hearings will be very important,” said Mark Pelavin, associate director of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism.
Two major differences between the nominations already have emerged. First, Miers lacks the universal praise Roberts received for his intellect and experience. Miers also would be replacing O’Connor, who served as the swing vote in many contentious issues since 1981, raising the stakes of the confirmation.
“This is the battle that is going to swing the court one way or another,” said Phyllis Snyder, president of the National Council of Jewish Women.”I think we all have to sit back and pause and see what we know about her and don’t know about her. We have to do our research.”
JTA Washington Bureau Chief Ron Kampeas contributed to this report.