...and the nominee is

President Bush announced today that Harriet Miers is his choice to replace outgoing swing-voter Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. Miers, who has never served as a judge, currently serves in the Bush Administration as the White House Counsel, the personal lawyer to the President. She was the first woman to serve as president of the Texas State Bar and the Dallas Bar Association, and has known the President since the 1980s (also known as his Jack Daniels days). Since Miers has never ruled over a legal case, it will be difficult to determine her judicial philosophy. The lack of a judicial paper trail, something Democrats cited as reason to oppose recently confirmed Chief Justice Roberts who spent time as a federal judge, will definitely become a prominent issue as the confirmation process goes forward. Further, the nomination is a blatant example of the President's practice of rewarding loyalty (or cronyism for us critical thinkers). President Bush has served as a mentor and boss for Miers since his days as Texas governor, is it hard to imagine how she would have ruled in Bush V. Gore? Miers also worked under Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, so I can imagine the prisoner torture debate becoming an issue as well. The stealth nominee's stance on issues like abortion and gay rights remain unknown, but some are beginning to question the lifestyle choice of a woman who is 60 years old, unmarried and has a affinity for bowl cuts (that was completely unfair, untrue, and unfunny...sorry). I will provide more details on the nominee as soon as they reach my desk (aka when cnn.com posts more articles). Until then, I have provided a photo of Sandra Day O'Connor's reaction to the appointment.