Harriet Miers
31st White House Counsel
In office 2004 – 2007
Under President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Alberto Gonzales
Succeeded by	Fred F. Fielding
Born	August 10, 1945 (age 61) Dallas, Texas
Political party	Republican
Profession	Lawyer

Harriet Ellan Miers (born August 10, 1945 in Dallas, Texas) is an American lawyer, and former White House Counsel. On January 4, 2007, she submitted her resignation from the position of White House Counsel, effective January 31 .^[1] Image File history File links HarrietMiers. ... The White House Counsel is a staff appointee of the President of the United States. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... The presidential seal was first used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Alberto R. Gonzales (born August 4, 1955) is the 80th and current Attorney General of the United States. ... Fred Fisher Fielding (born March 21, 1939) is senior partner at Wiley Rein & Fielding, a Washington, D.C. law firm. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Nickname: Big D Location in the state of Texas Country United States State Texas Counties Dallas, Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall Incorporated 2 February 1856  - Mayor Laura Miller Area    - City  385. ... The Republican Party is a one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Democratic Party. ... English barrister 16th century painting of a civil law notary, by Flemish painter Quentin Massys. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Nickname: Big D Location in the state of Texas Country United States State Texas Counties Dallas, Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall Incorporated 2 February 1856  - Mayor Laura Miller Area    - City  385. ... English barrister 16th century painting of a civil law notary, by Flemish painter Quentin Massys. ... The White House Counsel is a staff appointee of the President of the United States. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ...

President George W. Bush nominated her on October 3, 2005 for Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The nomination was met with opposition from conservative groups and others unhappy with her credentials, and on October 27, President Bush withdrew her nomination, saying Miers had asked him to do so. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties Libertarian Party State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest judicial body... Sandra Day OConnor (born March 26, 1930) is an American jurist who served as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ...

Early life and education

Miers was born in Dallas, Texas, and spent most of her life there until 2001, when she moved to Washington, D.C. to work in the Bush administration. She describes herself as a "Texan through and through." ^[2] The fourth of five children, she is the daughter of real estate investor Harris W. Miers, Sr., and his wife, the former Sally Richardson. Nickname: Big D Location in the state of Texas Country United States State Texas Counties Dallas, Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall Incorporated 2 February 1856  - Mayor Laura Miller Area    - City  385. ... Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D... The Bush administration includes President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, Bushs Cabinet, and other select officials and advisors. ...

Miers entered Southern Methodist University intending to become a teacher. The economic plight of her family was so dire that she almost dropped out in her freshman year, but she was able to find part-time work that put her through college. Then her father had a debilitating stroke. When a lawyer helped organize her family's financial situation, Miers was inspired to enter law school ^[3]. Miers graduated from Southern Methodist University with a bachelor's degree in mathematics (1967) and from its Law School with a Juris Doctor degree (1970)^[4]. She was admitted to the bar in Texas 1970, and has not been admitted to the Washington DC bar. Dallas Hall at Dedman College at SMU The Laura Lee Blanton Hall during a rare snow Southern Methodist University (also known as SMU) is a private, coeducational university in University Park, Texas, (an enclave of Dallas). ... A stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is suddenly interrupted by occlusion (an ischemic stroke- approximately 90% of strokes), by hemorrhage (a hemorrhagic stroke - less than 10% of strokes) or other causes. ... A bachelors degree (Artium Baccalaureus, A.B. or B.A.) is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases and countries, five or six years. ... The SMU School of Law, founded in February 1925, was renamed Dedman School of Law in February 2001 in honor of its benefactors, the late Robert H. Dedman Sr. ... Doctor of Law, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Juris Doctor (abbreviated J.D. or JD, from the Latin) is a degree in law offered by universities in a number of countries. ...

In 1979, after she made partner in her law firm, she still felt something was missing in her life. After a series of long discussions with Nathan Hecht, her close friend and colleague at the law firm, she became an evangelical Christian. ^[5] Justice Nathan L. Hecht is a justice of the Texas Supreme Court. ...

In the late 1990s, while Miers was on the advisory board for Southern Methodist University's law school, she helped create and fund a Women's Studies lecture series named after pioneering Texas lawyer, Louise B. Raggio, who was a mentor to Miers (see [1])^[6].

Career

In the summer of 1969, between her second and third years of law school, Miers worked as a clerk for Belli, Ashe, Ellison, Choulos & Lieff, the San Francisco law firm founded by "King of Torts", the eccentric attorney, Melvin Belli. Miers was immersed in tort law. Her supervisor was Robert Lieff, then a partner in the Belli firm and later a founder of the nationally prominent plaintiffs' law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP. In a 2005 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Lieff stated that Miers "saw what we did for people who needed to get a lawyer and were only able to get a lawyer by a contingent fee." ^[7]. Melvin Mouron Belli (29 July 1907, Sonora, California - 9 July 1996, San Francisco, California) was a prominent American lawyer known as The King of Torts—and by detractors as Melvin Bellicose. He had many celebrity clients, including Zsa Zsa Gabor, Errol Flynn, Chuck Berry, Muhammad Ali, Sirhan Sirhan, Jim and...

After graduating from law school, from 1970 to 1972, Miers was a law clerk for the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Joe E. Estes. In the United States and Canada, a law clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. ... U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. ...

From 1972 until 2001, Miers worked for the Dallas law firm of Locke, Liddell & Sapp (and predecessor firms prior to mergers). She was the first female lawyer hired by the firm, and later became its president. When the merger that created Locke, Liddell & Sapp took place in 1999, she became the co-managing partner of a legal business with more than 400 lawyers. In 2000 the firm settled a lawsuit which accused the firm of having "aided a client in defrauding investors"^[8] for $22 million; according to the Class Action Reporter, Miers "said the firm denies liability in connection with its representation of Erxleben. 'Obviously, we evaluated that this was the right time to settle and to resolve this matter and that it was in the best interest of the firm to do so,' Miers said."^[9] Locke, Liddell & Sapp is a United States law firm, based in Dallas, Texas, created by merger in 1999. ...

As a commercial litigator, she represented clients including Microsoft and the Walt Disney Company. Microsoft is one of few companies engaging itself in the console wars Where they are up against sony, nintendo, and of course sharps new console which may cause a threat. ... Alternate meanings: Disney (disambiguation) The Walt Disney Company (also known as Disney Enterprises, Inc. ...

In 1986, Miers became the first female president of the Dallas Bar Association. In 1992, Miers became the first woman to head the State Bar of Texas. She has also served as chair of the Board of Editors for the American Bar Association Journal and as the chair of the ABA's "Commission on Multi-Jurisdictional Practice". American Bar Associations Washington, DC office The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. ...

While head of the State Bar of Texas, Miers joined an unsuccessful effort to have the American Bar Association maintain its then-official position of neutrality on abortion. The ABA had adopted neutrality on abortion in 1990 in Chicago at its annual meeting. By the summer of 1992, at its annual meeting in San Francisco, the issue was again pending before the ABA assembly. Miers, who had not been involved in the Chicago meeting, supported ABA abortion neutrality in San Francisco on two grounds, stating that the State Bar of Texas was statutorily prohibited from taking positions on political issues, and that, as a unitary bar state, Texas had made bar membership a licensure requirement, thus forcing all Texas attorneys to financially support whatever position the ABA were to hold. American Bar Associations Washington, DC office The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. ...

In 1989, Miers was elected to a two-year term as an at-large member of the Dallas City Council. She did not run for reelection in 1991 after a restructure of the city council converted Miers's at-large seat, elected by voters citywide, into a single-district seat.

Miers met George W. Bush in January 1989 at an Austin dinner, an annual affair held for legislators and other important people. Nathan Hecht, a mutual friend and Miers's date, made the introduction. Miers subsequently worked as general counsel for Bush's transition team in 1994, when he was first elected Governor of Texas. She subsequently became Bush's personal lawyer, and worked as a lawyer in his 2000 presidential campaign. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... In politics, Governor of Texas is the title given to the chief executive of the state of Texas. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

Since September 1994, Miers has contributed to the campaigns of various Republicans (at about the same time she began to work for George W. Bush), including Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Phil Gramm, and Pete Sessions, with recorded contributions to Republican candidates and causes totaling nearly $12,000. Her earlier political history shows support for the Democrats during the 1980s, with recorded contributions to Democratic candidates and causes, including the Democratic National Committee, the Senate campaign of Lloyd Bentsen and the 1988 presidential campaign of Al Gore, totaling $3,000. Her last recorded contribution to a Democratic cause or campaign was in 1988. Ed Gillespie said that she was a "conservative Democrat" at the time. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison Kay Bailey Hutchison (born July 22, 1943) is the senior United States Senator from Texas. ... William Philip Phil Gramm (born July 8, 1942, in Fort Benning, Georgia) served as a Democratic Congressman (1978-1983), a Republican Congressman (1983-1985) and a Republican Senator from Texas (1985-2002). ... Categories: People stubs | 1955 births | Members of the U.S. House of Representatives | Texas politicians ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... Former Vermont Governor Dr. Howard Dean is the current Chairman of the DNC. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal campaign and fund-raising organization affiliated with the United States Democratic Party. ... Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr. ... The election was held on November 8, 1988. ... Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ... Edward Gillespie (born 1962) is an American conservative Republican political lobbyist. ...

Personal life

Miers's mother and two of her brothers still live in Dallas; a third brother lives in Houston, Texas. She also had a sister, Kitty, who is deceased. Miers never married and has no children. Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht has been described as Miers's "companion" and "on-again, off-again boyfriend"; he has known her for over 25 years. After her nomination to the Supreme Court, Hecht was cited as an unofficial spokesperson representing her views. Nickname: Space City Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Country United States State Texas Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Incorporated June 5, 1837 Government  - Mayor Bill White Area  - City  601. ... The U.S. state of Texas has two courts of last resort: the Texas Supreme Court, which is the highest state appellate court for civil matters (including juvenile delinquency, which the law considers to be a civil matter and not criminal) and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the highest... Justice Nathan L. Hecht is a justice of the Texas Supreme Court. ...

She is a close friend of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and former Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman. In several countries, Secretary of State is a senior government position. ... Condoleezza Rice (born November 14, 1954) is the 66th United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush to hold the office. ... The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture concerned with land and food as well as agriculture and rural development. ... Ann Margaret Veneman (born June 29, 1949) is currently the Executive Director of UNICEF. She was the first woman to become the United States Secretary of Agriculture. ...

Government service

Prior to assuming the position of White House Counsel, Miers had served as White House staff secretary, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. Before joining the Bush administration, Miers was a lawyer in private practice for 27 years, handling business cases, and acting as then-Governor Bush's personal lawyer. She served as the first female president of both the Dallas Bar Association and later the State Bar of Texas, and also served one term on the Dallas City Council. The White House Counsel is a staff appointee of the President of the United States. ... The Staff Secretary is a position in the Executive Office of the President of the United States, responsible for the communication going to the president. ... Joshua B. Bolten, the current White House Chief of Staff. ... The Dallas Bar Association or DBA is a professional organization providing resources for attorneys and the public in the city of Dallas, Texas. ... The State Bar of Texas (the Texas Bar) is an agency of the judiciary under the administrative control of the Texas Supreme Court. ...

In 1995, George W. Bush, then Texas governor, appointed Miers to chair the Texas Lottery Commission. Some have credited Miers with reforming the commission after a previous corruption scandal ^[10].

Her tenure has also been criticized, however. In 1997, the commission under Miers hired Lawrence Littwin as executive director, but then fired him five months later. At the time, the contract to operate the lottery was held by the politically connected GTech Corporation (see [2]), which had obtained the contract with the help of a former Lieutenant Governor of Texas (Democrat Ben Barnes) ^[11]. Littwin, as director, began an investigation into whether GTech had made illegal campaign contributions and whether GTech owed the commission millions of dollars for breaches of its contract. He stated that Miers ordered him to stop the investigation. He brought a lawsuit alleging that he was fired in retaliation for the investigation and to ensure that GTech would keep its contract (see [3]). According to Texans for Public Justice, GTech paid Littwin $300,000 to settle the suit (see [4]). GTech is a company based in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, in the United States. ... Lieutenant Governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in state government. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... Ben Barnes (born April 17, 1938) is an American lobbyist and former Lieutenant Governor of Texas. ...

Miers resigned from the lottery commission in early 2000, a year before her term ended. She said her resignation had nothing to do with lagging sales in the system's biggest game, Lotto Texas, but rather that she wanted to allow her successor time to prepare for rebidding the lottery's primary operator contract.

There was some speculation during Bush's 2000 campaign that Bush would appoint Miers to the position of Attorney General. This was seen as possible with her trusted role as Bush's personal attorney, her many appointments during his tenure as govenor. This also recalled William French Smith who was Ronald Reagan's personal attorney before being named Attorney General. Miers was not chosen and John Ashcroft became Attorney General instead.

In January 2001, Miers did follow Bush to Washington, D.C., serving as Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary during the first two years of his presidency. In that role, she opposed the administration's 2001 decision to stop cooperating with the ABA rating of judicial nominees. In 2003, she was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. 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 adviser for the Office of the President. Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D... American Bar Associations Washington, DC office The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. ... Alberto R. Gonzales (born August 4, 1955) is the 80th and current Attorney General of the United States. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... The Executive Office of the President (EOP) consists of the immediate staff of the President of the United States, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the President. ...

Miers is said to be one of Bush's closest personal friends, and appears given to effusive praise for the President. According to former Bush speechwriter David Frum, Miers has called Bush the most brilliant man she had ever met ^[12] and says he was the "best Governor ever" (see [5]). She also stated that "serving President Bush and Mrs. Bush is an impossible-to-describe privilege" and noted that Bush's personal qualities "make a brighter future for our nation and people all around the world possible." (see [6]). David J. Frum (born 1960) is a Canadian-American former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, and the author of the first insider book about the Bush presidency. ...

Miers' last public speech before her nomination was given to the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce on June 2, 2005. The North Dallas Chamber is a chamber of commerce located in Dallas, Texas. ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Supreme Court nomination and withdrawal

Main article: Harriet Miers Supreme Court nomination

President George W. Bush nominates Harriet Miers on October 3, 2005.

On July 1, 2005, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her intention to retire upon the confirmation of a successor. Bush appointed Miers as head of the search committee for candidates to replace O'Connor. On July 19, 2005, Bush announced John G. Roberts, Jr. as O'Connor's replacement. After William H. Rehnquist died of thyroid cancer on September 3, Bush withdrew this nomination and renominated Roberts for Chief Justice of the United States. The Senate confirmed the nomination on September 29. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Harriet Miers. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Harriet_Miers_Nominated. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Harriet_Miers_Nominated. ... October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sandra Day OConnor (born March 26, 1930) is an American jurist who served as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. ... July 19 is the 200th day (201st in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 165 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Honorable John Glover Roberts, Jr. ... William H. Rehnquist has served as the Chief Justice of the United States since 1986. ... Thyroid cancer is cancer of the thyroid gland. ... September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the judicial branch of the government of the United States, and presides over the Supreme Court of the United States. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Meanwhile, then-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (Democrat-Nevada), recommended Miers as O'Connor's successor ^[13][14][15] Bush took the recommendation seriously, factoring into account suggestions by several senators that the nominee should come from outside the appellate court system ^[16]. This caused several commentators to draw parallels with the 2000 election, when Dick Cheney, the head of Bush's vice-presidential search committee, was ultimately selected as the running mate ^[17]. The Senate Minority Leader is a member of the United States Senate who is elected by his or her party conference to serve as the chief Senate spokesmen for his or her party and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. ... Harry Mason Reid (born December 2, 1939) is the senior United States Senator from Nevada and a member of the Democratic Party. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The United States courts of appeals (or circuit courts) are the mid-level appellate courts of the United States federal court system. ... Richard Bruce Dick Cheney (born January 30, 1941) is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President George W. Bush. ...

On October 3, 2005, Bush nominated Miers to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Miers' nomination was criticized from people all over the political spectrum, based on her never having served as a judge, her close personal ties to Bush, and her lack of a clear record on issues likely to be encountered as a Supreme Court Justice. Many notable conservatives vigorously criticized her nomination, and numerous conservative groups normally considered part of Bush's political base planned to mount an organized opposition campaign. Summing up the complaints from all sides that her appointment was an exercise in cronyism, social satirist Calvin Trillin wrote: October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Crony redirects here. ... Calvin Trillin (born Kansas City, Missouri, December 5, 1935) is an American journalist, humorist, and novelist. ...

Who's willing to draw water for George Bush and carry it?
Harriet.
Who worked to take his DWI rap and bury it?
Harriet.
Who thinks that anyone critical of him is Judas Iscariot?
Still Harriet.
Rah! Rah! Rah!^[18]

Early one-on-one meetings between Miers and the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee were said to have gone poorly, and the White House considered suspending them to focus on preparation for the confirmation hearings. In an unprecedented move, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter and ranking Senator Patrick Leahy also requested that Miers re-do some of her answers to the questionnaire submitted to her by the Committee, noting that her responses were "inadequate", "insufficient", and "insulting" because she failed or refused to adequately answer various questions with acceptable accuracy or with sufficient detail. Her answers also included an error on constitutional law where she mentioned a constitutional right for proportional representation which the Supreme Court had previously ruled did not exist. In addition to the demand for new questionnaire responses, the Committee repeated its request to review internal White House documents that would illustrate her experience as White House Counsel and the constitutional issues she worked on. The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary (informally Senate Judiciary Committee) is a standing committee of the United States Senate, the upper house of the United States Congress. ... The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary (informally Senate Judiciary Committee) is a standing committee of the United States Senate, the upper house of the United States Congress. ... Arlen Specter (born February 12, 1930) is a United States Senator from Pennsylvania. ... Patrick Joseph Leahy (born March 31, 1940) is the senior United States Senator from Vermont. ...

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) stated shortly afterwards that "I think, if you were to hold the vote today, she would not get a majority, either in the Judiciary Committee or on the floor." However, Specter, the committee chairman rejected the notion that Miers' nomination was shaky. He said that most senators were waiting for the hearings before making up their mind. "There are no votes one way or another", he said on CBS' Face the Nation. On October 19, 2005, Specter and Leahy announced their intent to begin confirmation hearings for Miers on November 7, 2005. Charles Ellis Chuck Schumer (born November 23, 1950) is a Jewish American politician. ... Face The Nation logo, used until 2002. ... October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On October 27, 2005, the White House announced that Harriet Miers had asked President Bush to withdraw her nomination, citing fears that the nomination would create a "burden for the White House and its staff and it is not in the best interest of the country." President Bush stated that the Senate's interest in internal White House documents "would undermine a president's ability to receive candid counsel," and he had "reluctantly accepted" her request. Miers was the first Supreme Court nominee to withdraw since Douglas H. Ginsburg in 1987, and the seventh to do so in U.S. history. October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... North façade of the White House, seen from Pennsylvania Avenue. ... Douglas H. Ginsburg Douglas Howard Ginsburg (born May 25, 1946) is the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. ...

Although many in Washington and in the media expressed surprise at Miers' decision to withdraw, the move was widely anticipated. Some commentators suggested the White House's staunch refusal to release documents relating to Miers' White House service provided a pretext for withdrawal.

Bush nominated Samuel Alito for the seat on October 31, 2005 and he was confirmed on January 31, 2006. Miers remained as White House Counsel for another year, until announcing her resignation on January 4, 2007 ^[19]. Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. ... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The White House Counsel is a staff appointee of the President of the United States. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ...

See also: Bush Supreme Court candidates

John Roberts is sworn in as Chief Justice by Associate Justice John Paul Stevens in the East Room of the White House on the same day as his confirmation, September 29, 2005. ...

Awards and honors

Sandra Day OConnor (born March 26, 1930) is an American jurist who served as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. ... The National Law Journal, a periodical founded in 1980, provides timely legal information of national importance to attorneys, including federal circuit court decisions, verdicts, practitioners columns, coverage of legislative issues, and legal news for the business and private sectors. ... The National Law Journal, a periodical founded in 1980, provides timely legal information of national importance to attorneys, including federal circuit court decisions, verdicts, practitioners columns, coverage of legislative issues, and legal news for the business and private sectors. ... The National Law Journal, a periodical founded in 1980, provides timely legal information of national importance to attorneys, including federal circuit court decisions, verdicts, practitioners columns, coverage of legislative issues, and legal news for the business and private sectors. ... The Anti-Defamation League (or ADL) is an advocacy group founded by Bnai Brith in the United States whose stated aim is to stop, by appeals to reason and conscience and, if necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people. ... Sarah Tilghman Hughes (August 2, 1896 – April 23, 1985) was the United States District Court judge who swore Lyndon Johnson into office on Air Force One after the Kennedy assassination, becoming the first (& as of 2006 only) woman in U.S. history to swear in a Chief Executive. ... The stated Mission of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) is to safeguard the welfare and security of Jews in the United States, in Israel, and throughout the world; to strengthen the basic principles of pluralism around the world, as the best defense against anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry... The Dallas Bar Association or DBA is a professional organization providing resources for attorneys and the public in the city of Dallas, Texas. ...

Timeline

• August 10, 1945: Harriet Miers born in Dallas, Texas.
• 1967: Miers graduates from Southern Methodist University with a bachelor's degree in mathematics
• Summer 1969: Miers works for the firm of Belli, Ashe, Ellison, Choulos & Lieff
• 1970: Miers graduates from Southern Methodist University School of Law with a law degree
• 1970-1972: Miers works as a law clerk for Joe E. Estes, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• 1972: Miers begins working in private practice for the Dallas firm of Locke, Liddell & Sapp and predecessor firms prior to mergers.
• 1986: Miers becomes the first female president of the Dallas Bar Association
• January, 1989: Miers meets George W. Bush.
• 1989-1991: Miers elected an at-large member on the Dallas City Council; did not run for reelection.
• 1992: Miers becomes the first female head of the State Bar of Texas.
• 1994: Miers works as general counsel for Bush's transition team when Bush becomes governor of Texas.
• 1995: She becomes Bush's personal lawyer.
• 1995: Texas governor George W. Bush appoints Miers to chair the Texas Lottery Commission.
• 2000: Miers resigns from the Texas Lottery Commission, a year before her term ended.
• 2000: Locke, Liddell & Sapp settle a lawsuit asserting that "it aided a client in defrauding investors" for $22 million.
• 2000: Miers as a lawyer in his 2000 presidential campaign.
• 2001-2003 Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary
• 2003: Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy
• 2004: White House Counsel, the chief legal adviser for the Office of the President.
• 2005: Nominated to Supreme Court.
• October 27, 2005: Supreme Court nomination withdrawn.
• January 4, 2007: Resigned as White House Legal Counsel.

August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Nickname: Big D Location in the state of Texas Country United States State Texas Counties Dallas, Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall Incorporated 2 February 1856  - Mayor Laura Miller Area    - City  385. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Dallas Hall at Dedman College at SMU The Laura Lee Blanton Hall during a rare snow Southern Methodist University (also known as SMU) is a private, coeducational university in University Park, Texas, (an enclave of Dallas). ... A bachelors degree (Artium Baccalaureus, A.B. or B.A.) is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases and countries, five or six years. ... Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, as imagined by by Raphael in this detail from The School of Athens. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The SMU School of Law, founded in February 1925, was renamed Dedman School of Law in February 2001 in honor of its benefactors, the late Robert H. Dedman Sr. ... Doctor of Law, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Juris Doctor (abbreviated J.D. or JD, from the Latin) is a degree in law offered by universities in a number of countries. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... In the United States and Canada, a law clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. ... U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Locke, Liddell & Sapp is a United States law firm, based in Dallas, Texas, created by merger in 1999. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Dallas Bar Association or DBA is a professional organization providing resources for attorneys and the public in the city of Dallas, Texas. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The State Bar of Texas (the Texas Bar) is an agency of the judiciary under the administrative control of the Texas Supreme Court. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... In politics, Governor of Texas is the title given to the chief executive of the state of Texas. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ...

See also

• John Roberts
• Unsuccessful nominations to the Supreme Court of the United States

John Glover Roberts Jr. ... Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. ...

References

• Miers' responses to the Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire (PDF)
• Bush statement on Miers withdrawal
• Text of Miers' Letter to President Bush

The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... ABC News is a division of ABC television and radio networks (ABC), owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Todays San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Todays San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... David J. Frum (born 1960) is a Canadian-American former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, and the author of the first insider book about the Bush presidency. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

News articles

• Washington Post profile
• Dallas Morning News profile
• News story on possible SCOTUS nomination
• CNN announcement of Miers as candidate and review of issues before SCOTUS
• AP: "Bush: Miers a 'pit bull in size 6 shoes'"
• Dallas Bar Association Fellows Honor Legal Trailblazer Harriet E. Miers
• Down to the Last Detail - Legal Times: Bush's pick for White House counsel sports an exacting style
• Senate Review of Harriet Miers Should Be Thorough and Complete - Human Rights Campaign
• Miers Led Bid to Revisit Abortion Stance of the ABA
• By helping out Bush, Miers built her career - The Boston Globe
• Miers Known as a Hard-Working Advocate for the President - The New York Times
• Quiet but Ambitious White House Counsel Makes Life of Law - The Washington Post
• Ex-aide: Miers opposed abortion in 1989; stance now is unknown - The Dallas Morning News
• Standard Publishing Article Profiles Harriet Miers, April 4 2001 -reprint.
• Strong Grounding in the Church Could Be a Clue to Miers's Priorities - The Washington Post
• CounterPunch, The Scoop on Harriet Miers
• New Supreme Court Nominee's Ties to Bush's National Guard Scandal

Other links

• FindLaw profile
• Harriet Miers at the Notable Names Database
• Official White House biography
• "Ask the White House" - interview
• Campaign contributions made by Harriet Miers
• Locke Liddell & Sapp
• Scholarly paper, "Presidential Strategies in Supreme Court Justice Selection"
• Law.com, "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America: L-M"
• Harriet Miers and Microsoft
• Valley View Christian Church
• Who Is Harriet Miers?
• Who is Harriet Miers? (Planned Parenthood)
• Miers's public financial disclosure reports from her tenure in the White House
• State Bar of Texas member profile
• Harriet Miers' president's opinions written for the Texas Bar Journal during 1992-93
• Satiric Harriet Miers Blog
• Harriet Miers legal news and resources
• Republican tremors A toxic mix of money and power has sustained Republicans in the United States for a generation. Sidney Blumenthal exposes a corrupt system approaching legal nemesis.
• Satirical transcript of Harriet Miers' confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee

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Notes

1. Fletcher, Michael A. "Quiet but ambitious White House counsel makes life of law." Washington Post. June 21, 2005. [7]
2. Palast, Greg. "Dear Richard, don't say we didn't tell you." The Guardian. January 21, 2004. [8]