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Skriven 2005-10-08 23:34:02 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (051008) for Sat, 2005 Oct 8
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President's Radio Address
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For Immediate Release
October 8, 2005

President's Radio Address


ÿÿÿÿÿAudio
ÿÿÿÿÿIn Focus: Judicial Nominations
ÿÿÿÿÿ

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week, I nominated an exceptional
individual to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme
Court of the United States. Harriet Miers is a remarkable woman and an
accomplished attorney. She has wide experience in the courtroom and at the
highest levels of government. And she will be an outstanding addition to
our nation's highest court.

Harriet Miers was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where she attended the
public schools. When illness struck her family, Harriet went to work to
help pay for her own college education. She stayed close to home in Dallas
to attend Southern Methodist University, and received a Bachelor's Degree
in mathematics.

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She remained at SMU for law school and earned a place on the law review.
After graduation, she was hired for a prestigious two-year clerkship for a
federal trial judge. From there, she went on to an extraordinary career in
private practice and public service and became a pioneer for women lawyers.

She was the first woman to be hired at her law firm, the first woman to
become president of that firm, the first woman to lead a large law firm in
the state of Texas, the first woman head of the Dallas Bar Association, and
the first woman elected as president of the State Bar of Texas.

In her law practice, Ms. Miers handled hundreds of cases in state and
federal courts, from massive commercial litigation to criminal cases to
civil disputes. She served in local government on the Dallas City Council,
and later held office in state government, as well.

As Ms. Miers rose through the legal ranks, she also put in long hours of
volunteer legal work on behalf of the poor and underprivileged, and served
as a leader for more than a dozen community groups and charities. Beginning
in the 1990s, Harriet Miers was regularly rated one of the top 100 lawyers
in America, and one of the top 50 women lawyers in the country.

Because of her skill and record of remarkable achievement, in 2001, I asked
her to work in my administration. For the past five years, Harriet Miers
has served our nation in critical roles, including White House Counsel, one
of the most important legal positions in the country. As counsel, Ms. Miers
addresses complex matters of constitutional law, serves as the chief legal
advisor during regular meetings of the National Security Council, and
handles sensitive issues of executive-congressional relations, among many
other essential duties. She has led the effort to help nominate outstanding
judges for the federal judiciary. She was in charge of the process that
resulted in the appointment of Chief Justice John Roberts.

Harriet Miers would come to the Supreme Court with a background in private
practice and high-government service, and this puts her in strong company.
Indeed, since 1933, 10 of the 34 justices came to the Supreme Court
directly from positions in the executive branch, such as the one Ms. Miers
now holds. And no Supreme Court nominee in the last 35 years has exceeded
Harriet Miers' overall range of experience in courtroom litigation, service
in federal, state and local government, leadership in local, state and
national bar associations, and pro bono and charitable activities.

Throughout her life, Ms. Miers has excelled at everything she has done.
She's been a leader and a trailblazer for women lawyers, and her work has
earned the respect of attorneys across the nation. I chose Harriet Miers
for the Court both because of her accomplishments, and because I know her
character and her judicial philosophy. Harriet Miers will be the type of
judge I said I would nominate: a good conservative judge.

She shares my belief that judges should strictly interpret the Constitution
and laws, not legislate from the bench. She understands that the role of a
judge is to interpret the text of the Constitution and statutes as written,
not as he or she might wish they were written. And she knows that judges
should have a restrained and modest role in our constitutional democracy.
Like Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Byron White, who were also
nominated to the Supreme Court directly from legal positions in the
executive branch, Harriet Miers will be prudent in exercising judicial
power and firm in defending judicial independence.

When she goes before the Senate, I am confident that all Americans will see
what I see every day: Harriet Miers is a woman of intelligence, strength,
and conviction. And when she is confirmed by the Senate, I am confident
that she will leave a lasting mark on the Supreme Court and will be a
justice who makes all Americans proud.

Thank you for listening.

END
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