Laura Bush: Harriet Miers' Critics Sexist

NewsMax ^ | Tuesday, Oct 11, 2005 | Staff

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

First Lady Laura Bush said Tuesday that some of the criticism of her husband's Supreme Court nominee, Harriet Miers, could be driven by sexism.

Asked by NBC "Today Show" host Matt Lauer if sexism was behind the attacks on Miers, Mrs. Bush said: "That's possible. I think that's possible."

"I think people are not looking at her accomplishments. They're not realizing that she was the first elected woman to be the head of the Texas Bar Association, for instance. And all the other things. She was the first woman managing partner of a major law firm. She was the first woman hired by her law firm."

Mrs. Bush said her persoanl interaction with Miers left her very impressed.

"I know Harriet well." she told NBC. "I know how accomplished she is. I know how many times she has broken the glass ceiling. She's a role model for young women around our country. Not only that - she's very deliberate and thoughtful and will bring dignity to wherever she goes - and certainly to the Supreme Court.

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Yes, conservatives like(but not limited to) Pat Buchanan, George Will, Charles Krauthammer and on and on who apparently don't support the nomination of Harriet Miers - those who championed Bushs's nominations of Janice Rogers Brown and Priscilla Owen, and who certainly would have supported the nomination of a woman who had a RECORD(emphasis only) as being a strict constructiuonist/originalist, have to be sexist! That has to be it?! LOL. /End sarcasm.

[AgThorn]

"I think people are not looking at her accomplishments. They're not realizing that she was the first elected woman to be the head of the Texas Bar Association, for instance. And all the other things. She was the first woman managing partner of a major law firm. She was the first woman hired by her law firm."

I think it would be SEXIST to nominate her on these qualifications being her biggest accomplishments.

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Yes, those who championed the nominations of Janice Rogers Brown, and Priscilla Owen to the Appellate Courts just have to be sexist now in this case.

Please.

[OpusatFR]

Oh Bull.

I'm a woman who just turned down a Board of Directors position, and a new job because I like playing after making it.

I believe I am fully qualified to critique this woman. Raising the "sexist" flag is as bad as the "racist" flag run up with regularity at any and all criticism.

I find it highly suspect to nominate this woman in place of other more highly qualified conservative jurists.

Give me a break.

[buckeyeblogger]

I don't understand the White House for the past week or so. Especially the First Lady's comments and the comments by the spokesman last week that got the ball rolling with the "elitist" tag.

On a personal level, I wrote some thoughts out on the Saturday before the stunning announcement..nothing special:

http://buckeyeblogsite.blogspot.com/2005/10/essay-whiter-shade-of-pale.html

Not exactly a sexist arguement.

[anniegetyourgun]

So, the MSM asks a leading question (when did you stop beating W, Mrs. Bush?), and we're surprised when she says "that's possible"???? In some cases, it may is possible. After all, Ms. Miers will need a gut of steel to withstand the slings and arrows about her looks, her age, her bra size, her hair, makeup, etc.

[aft_lizard]

She didnt say they were, she said it was possible, a little bit of difference there and a misleading title there.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Already a thread on it: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1500406/posts

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

But that one is not Newsmax.

One can post the same topic again, as long as it is from a different source.

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

True, it is somewhat misleading. Laura Bush should never have eevn bothered to answer Matt's question. As was stated previously, it was a leading question, not worthy of comment. But she did respond, and no proof to back up what she thought was apparently a possibility.

To even think that conservatives all across America who supported the nomination of women like Janice Rogers Brown and Priscalla Owen might now be sexist is ludicrous.

[thoughtomator]

It's almost as if they're trying to make Hillary the next President.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Not to mention:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1500389/posts

written by one of FR's own - me!

[Finalapproach29er]

My opinion of her is dropping precipitously.

Playing the ol' gender card.

What a nation victims we've all become.

[L98Fiero]

Unbelievable. The woman says it's possible some of the criticism is sexist and the knee-jerk FReepers take it as if she said it was definite and truly believed it. Sad, really. Do you folks really believe that it is outside the realm of possibility that some of Miers criticism is sexist? Laura answering a definite "No" would have been just as wrong as a definite "Yes". She just said it was "possible". Jeez people, quit obsessing and find a hobby.

[elli1]

Alma maters of Miers critics:

George Will--Oxford/ Princeton

Chas. Krauthammer--Harvard

Laura Ingraham--Dartmouth

Pat Buchanan--Georgetown/ Columbia

Ann Coulter--Cornell

[Between the Lines]

And just so what if some of them are sexist??? Is there a law against that? Are we now picking up the Politically Correct flag of the left? Are we to stifle free speech because what they believe is unpopular?

Mrs. Bush, over here on the conservative side we are free to be racist homophobes sexist troglodytes if we so choose. Or are you and your husband so far removed from us now that you cannot remember?

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Right on.

The gender card.

Well put.

[Black Tooth]

All these conservatives turned out to be sexist and Neanderthals! Ann Coulter too!

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Look at post #13.

As it says there: playing the gender card.

[Chunga]

Newsmax is a joke. It consistently misrepresents its articles with misleading headlines.

Mrs. Bush didn't say Miers' critics were sexist. She said sexism was a possible explanation for the attacks.

Does anyone see the difference?

[dmc8576]

I don't think the people in the White House understand what is happening. Conservatives are angry with them, and so they decide to attack us as elitist sexists. That's right. We who advocated the appointment of Edith Jones or Janice Rogers Brown are sexist. And those of us in the heartland of America who are disappointed are elitists, not you all who sit in Washington and have turned a blind eye to the conservatives who put you in office. I guess you are right, Mr. President, Mrs. Bush, Mr. Gillespie and all you other Washington Insider (non-elitists), we are sexist elitists. This is a complete joke, except it isn't that funny. When people make comments like these it makes me more angry. President Bush is no conservative. He was our best option in 2000, and he sounded like one in the campaign but he's not a conservative. We have never had a conservative President. Hopefully that will change in 2008 (paging Sam Brownback and Rick Santorum). Comments like these make me more disgusted with the Bush administration, and more determined to see Harriet Miers not get put on the bench.

[Black Tooth]

What a nation of victims we've all become.

Well, if she were a minority and female, instead labeling those that have legitimate questions and concerns as "sexist", they would just use the old standby defense, that also just happens to end in "ist".

[Paradox]

BULLSH*T, she said possible. Sheesh. Was some of the criticism of Clarence Thomas racist? Sure, that was possible (racial stereotype of a black man who just can't help but be a sexual brute). Hey, alot of things are possible, sheesh.. The media again at play..

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Laura Bush was the last person from whom I expected such a stupid comment.

[dmz]

How about if she had responded "I don't know what motivates those who are critical of the Miers nomination". There are ways to respond to leading questions without answering in the way you've been led. Then she can talk about what recommends the nomination.

Does it not seem to you that nearly everything we've heard about Miers relates to her being the first woman to ________? Seems the supporters are raising the gender issue first.

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Please.

That elitism allegation has been floated before and has been shot down.

Those you have listed supported Janice Rogers Brown's nomination for the Appellate Court, for instance, and she was certainly not from an Ivy League school and they would have supported her for being nominated to the Supreme Court.

I heard Laura Ingraham say on her radio show that she has no problem supporting a woman from a non Ivy League school.

The issue with them is that Miers has no track record as being an originalist/strict constructionist, not that she didn't go to any Ivy League school.

Try again later.

[Paradox]

Oh yeah, and NewsMax can KISS MY @$$. I have never liked their form of "journalism". I even prefer the NYT to them.

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Are you making a distinction without a difference?

[Between the Lines]

Unbelievable. The woman says it's possible some of the criticism is sexist and the knee-jerk FReepers take it as if she said it was definite and truly believed it

Had she said merely "it's possible", you would have a point, but she rambled on for two more paragraphs about glass ceilings, first woman here, first woman there, role model for young women, etc...

If the first lady spouts feminist rhetoric don't be surprised that FReepers don't give her a free pass as you have.

[ElPatriota]

..My opinion of her is dropping precipitously. Playing the ol' gender card. What a nation victims we've all become.

No, no yet, let's give her a pass on this. She is just being used as a pawn to cover for the WH mistakes. Got knows she never wanted to be in this situation, in the public eye that is.

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Please look at post #13.

Thanks.

[dc-zoo]

Exactky right. It wasn't Laura Bush's comment. It was Matt Lauer's comment and now Laura gets attacked on FR. I'm ashamed of freepers this week.

[Chunga]

"Are you making a distinction without a difference?"

No. I'm demonstrating an ability to read.

[Between the Lines]

Mrs. Bush didn't say Miers' critics were sexist. She said sexism was a possible explanation for the attacks.

And then went on for two paragraphs about Miers' accomplishments for her sex. Get real, Laura is being as sexist as those she is talking about.

[linkinpunk]

Misleading headline.

She didn't bring up the sexism charge.

Laura Bush simply stated that it was possible.

NEWSMAX is as bad as WND. (Harriet Meirs Gave Money To Hillary's Campign!!!- which was also a lie.)

[Liberty Tree Surgeon]

So if Jesse Jackson was asked if the (supposedly) poor response to Katrina was due to racism in the Bush administration, and he answered, "it's possible", would that be okay? Isn't this a way of accusing someone of something while maintaining deniability?

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Demonstrating an abilty to read?

Maybe an ability to read into this something that isn't there.

[hoosiermama]

BINGO....Has more to do with attending the "RIGHT" University then gender. Elitists!

[AgThorn]

Exactky right. It wasn't Laura Bush's comment. It was Matt Lauer's comment and now Laura gets attacked on FR. I'm ashamed of freepers this week.

Oh poppy cock ... I love our first lady but she did not just 'comment' .. she agreed and gave examples of how this 'sexist' discrimination may be playing out. These examples are 'sexist' themselves. So our first Lady spoke before thinking and that is validly attackable.

[dc-zoo]

Laura didn't make that comment, Einstein.

[rushmom]

I am still undecided on this nomination, but I know that Laura and Barbara Bush are not prolife.

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

As post #29 says, Laura didn't stop with "its possible."

She went on and on spouting feminist rhetoric about the glass ceiling, first woman here, first woman there, role model for women, etc, etc.

So she didn't just say that it was possible.

If Newsmax is as bad as WND, then is Laura Bush as bad as Hillary Clinton when it comes to spouting feminist rhetoric?

[Cboldt]

Mrs. Bush didn't say Miers' critics were sexist. She said sexism was a possible explanation for the attacks.

Does anyone see the difference?

Only the difference between "possible" and "certain." A person making the attack is known as a critic, so the question remaining is, "What is the motivation for the criticism?"

I guess another way to parse the difference would be "all" critics v. "some."

Sexist, elitist conservatives ... Unite!

[aft_lizard]

No the WH is not attacking you guys, geez. Name one example please. And using this as an example will not count. For one Laura is responding to a question. And two her response is such as to not be an attack. And yes its possible SOME people are going to be sexist. I have yet to hear an elitist attack come from the WH, please point that out, with sources for my reading pleasure.

[Antoninus]

You're not helping, Mrs. Bush...

[Texas Federalist]

I expected more from Laura Bush than unsupportable charges of sexism or racism when she doesn't get what she wants. She sounds like Ted Kennedy. The Bush's are really showing their true colors this term.

[Patti_ORiley]

The White House is attempting to mislead and confuse the casual observer as to the issues weighing on conservatives regarding this nominee. "Sexism", "Elitism", etc., are terms employed to damage the credibility of those criticizing Miers, without having to substantively address the serious issues surrounding her nomination.

This is usually a strategy utilized by liberals arguing on the side of indefensible positions.

[aft_lizard]

She was pointing out her accomplishments ,as a woman, the fact that you find insult in that is very telling.

[alnick]

There is certainly some sexist element to SOME of the attacks against Miers. Just yesterday I encountered posters right here who claimed that because she's never married but has had a long-term friendship/romance with Hecht that she is a slut, which makes her unqualified to sit on the Supreme Court.

That's extreme, but there've been people who have downplayed her "first woman to" accomplishments by suggesting those are the ONLY reasons she's been considered for the Court, which has never been suggested by the President.

Then there's the people who refer to the "dried up old maid" when opposing the nomination.

Oh, and then there's Coulter, who referred to her as "the cleaning lady."

[indcons]

Asked by NBC "Today Show" host Matt Lauer if sexism was behind the attacks on Miers, Mrs. Bush said: "That's possible. I think that's possible."

Just in case you didn't notice....."That's possible. I think that's possible" was Laura Bush's comment. She could have definitely answered in the negative but chose not to. So according to her, any conservative who opposes her husband's crony apointment is now a sexist or worse. Yes, you ought to be ashamed....but not of FReepers. You need to be ashamed of politicians who win their elections and then desert their base. If that's not enough, they follow up on their disloyalty with a good old dose of loaded suggestions.