Has this ever happened before?
From the New York Times:
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 - The Supreme Court nomination of Harriet E. Miers suffered another setback on Wednesday when the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee asked her to resubmit parts of her judicial questionnaire, saying various members had found her responses "inadequate," "insufficient" and "insulting."
It gets worse.
Constitutional law scholars are dismayed by Miers'response:
Meanwhile, several constitutional law scholars said they were surprised and puzzled by Miers's response to the committee's request for information on cases she has handled dealing with constitutional issues. In describing one matter on the Dallas City Council, Miers referred to "the proportional representation requirement of the Equal Protection Clause" as it relates to the Voting Rights Act.
"There is no proportional representation requirement in the Equal Protection Clause," said Cass R. Sunstein, a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago. He and several other scholars said it appeared that Miers was confusing proportional representation -- which typically deals with ethnic groups having members on elected bodies -- with the one-man, one-vote Supreme Court ruling that requires, for example, legislative districts to have equal populations.
Sheesh. Did Miers mix up some of the answers on her cheat sheet?
Sen. Specter has scheduled the confirmation hearings to begin on Nov. 7. Democrats would like more time. I think Harriet Miers would like more time too.
That crash course in constitutional law is not going very well.
Harriet Miers Supreme Court Bush Reproductive Rights Politics cronyism Miers abortion Roe v. Wade
