[Cboldt]

I'd like to see that "promise" sourced. A "known" conservative? Known to who? I don't believe Bush ever said that.

Al Gore: "And Governor Bush has declared to the anti-choice group that he will appoint justices in the mold of Scalia and Clarence Thomas

"And when the phrase a strict constructionist is used and when the names of Scalia and Thomas are used as the benchmarks for who would be appointed, those are code words, and nobody should mistake this, for saying the governor would appoint people who would overturn Roe v. Wade. It's very clear to me. I would appoint people that have a philosophy that I think will be quite likely would uphold Roe v. Wade."

http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2000a.html

There are many references to then candidate George Bush asserting that he would nominate Supreme Court Justices in the mold of Thomas and Scalia. Al Gore may be a liar, but he did't lie about that.

The promise was again asserted in 2004. If you know of a repositiry for Bush stump speeches, I'll find a direct quoote for you from one or more of those.

The legal opinions of Scalia and Thomas were well known in the year 2000. Known to anybody who is able to read and understand their writings.

[Rokke]

Nothing you just posted said Bush would appoint a "known" anybody to the Supreme Court. It said he would appoint justices in the mold of Thomas and Scalia. The only thing most people "know" about Miers is that they "know" very little about her. But while she isn't "known" to most Americans, she may very well be cut from the same ideological mold as Thomas and Scalia. And nobody on this site "knows" for sure that she is not.

[G.Mason]

From Gore/Bush Debate Oct.3, 2000

"MODERATOR: On the Supreme Court question. Should a voter assume -- you're pro-life.

BUSH: I am pro-life.

MODERATOR: Should a voter assume that all judicial appointments you make to the supreme court or any other court, federal court, will also be pro-life?

BUSH: The voters should assume I have no litmus test on that issue or any other issue. Voters will know I'll put competent judges on the bench.

People who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not use the bench for writing social policy. That is going to be a big difference between my opponent and me.

I believe that the judges ought not to take the place of the legislative branch of government. That they're appointed for life and that they ought to look at the Constitution as sacred. They shouldn't misuse their bench.

I don't believe in liberal activist judges. I believe in strict constructionists. Those are the kind of judges I will appoint.

I've named four in the State of Texas and ask the people to check out their qualifications, their deliberations. They're good, solid men and women who have made good, sound judgments on behalf of the people of Texas."

These are the Presidents words.

[LS]

And everytime anyone talks about Miers it is "an originalist" in the "mold of Scalia and Thomas." I don't think that means their intellectual equal, but "on the same side of the issue." That's pretty clear to me.