Bench Memos

And Now: The White House’s Second Faith-Based Strategy

White House Tries New Tack On Miers. White House officials are again adjusting their strategy for winning Senate confirmation of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. Now the officials are emphasizing Miers’ “judicial temperament” and promising she will prove to everyone at her Senate hearings that she is unflappable, fair, and open-minded. One reason for the shift is that the administration’s focus on Miers’ Christian faith caused a furor and didn’t get her widespread support from conservatives because of her limited track record on legal and judicial matters. The next step was to emphasize her qualifications as a smart lawyer who overcame prejudice against women to excel at her profession. That didn’t get much traction either. “The hearings will allow her to show her temperament and that will be a big plus — it’s her nature to be fair-minded and that’s an important part of being a judge,” says a senior White House official, who predicted that, when all is said and done, Miers will be confirmed by a comfortable margin. — Bulletin exclusive from U.S. News

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