Miers Backed Ban on Abortion in 1989 Campaign

Posted on October 19, 2005

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 - Harriet E. Miers, the Supreme Court nominee, disclosed on Tuesday a 1989 survey in which she supported banning abortion except to protect the life of the pregnant woman. The disclosure alarmed abortion rights supporters but failed to assuage the concerns of some conservative Republicans.

Ms. Miers’s answers to the survey were delivered to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday as part of her responses to a questionnaire for Supreme Court nominees, in which she emphasized that courts should not make “social policy.”

Because she spent her career as a corporate lawyer before joining the Bush administration, the documents provided the first public glimpse of her approach to the Constitution.

The 1989 survey, which Ms. Miers filled out for the anti-abortion group Texans United for Life when she was a candidate for the Dallas City Council, constituted the clearest indication yet of her personal views on abortion. It did not ask whether she believed that the Constitution protected a right to abortion.

“If Congress passes a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution that would prohibit abortion except when it was necessary to prohibit the death of the mother, would you actively support its ratification by the Texas Legislature?” the survey asked.

Ms. Miers answered yes. She told the group she would support a state ban on abortion, oppose public financing for abortions, participate in “pro-life” events and use her “influence as an elected official” to “promote the pro-life cause.”

So what does this mean? In my opinion this is good news, and should garner more support from the right, however many have already made up their mind, and don’t want to backtrack. Many still have other doubts, but this should ease some minds on the right. However, abortion is holy to the left, and this will more than likely bring out their opposition now. This news changes the dynamic drastically.

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2 Responses to “Miers Backed Ban on Abortion in 1989 Campaign”

Gribbit on October 19th, 2005 10:06 am

See what knee-jerk reactions create. I still say that Miers is supposed to be lefty fodder and the divisiveness of the right has fueled it.
RegularRon on October 19th, 2005 10:23 am

Does anyone really think this woman is going to be the main vote if “Roe v. Wade” came up again?? I mean come on.

My thing with her is, And yes I know Renquist wasn’t a Judge, but if I’m not mistaken he did argue cases infront of the Stenches on the Bench. And she has never even steped foot in it. Why does that bother me?? Because it just does.

And lastly, I can’t stand when a politicain says “Trust me”…He’s lieing like a rug. And sorry, I don’t trust Bush as far as I can throw him.

RR