New Supreme Court nominee ties to Bush's Nat'l Guard scandal

by **dbeach** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:19 pm

<a href="http://www.pnionline.com/dnblog/attytood/archives/002383.html">www.pnionline.com/dnblog/...02383.html</a> PAY OFF TIME UPDATED: New Supreme Court nominee's ties to Bush's National Guard scandal Breaking News: President Bush on Monday nominated White House counsel Harriet Miers to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court, reaching into his loyal inner circle for a pick that could reshape the nation's judiciary for years to come. Last week, we looked at a troubling episode in Miers' past -- we're reposting for anyone who missed it: White House counsel Harriet Miers has never served as a judge before, and while this career "hard-nosed lawyer" (as she is invariably described) from Texas certainly deserves some kudos for a trailblazing career as a female lawyer, she's not a legal scholar, either. But she does know better than just about anyone else where the bodies are buried (relax, it's a just a metaphor...we hope) in President Bush's National Guard scandal. In fact, Bush's Texas gubenatorial campaign in 1998 (when he was starting to eye the White House) actually paid Miers $19,000 to run an internal pre-emptive probe of the potential scandal. Not long after, a since-settled lawsuit alleged that the Texas Lottery Commission -- while chaired by Bush appointee Miers -- played a role in a multi-million dollar cover-up of the scandal. Whatever Miers knows about the president's troubled past, she may soon be keeping that information underneath the black robe of an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Miers, who not long ago succeeded Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez as White House counsel, is now Bush's pick to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor: Miers is a skilled lawyer -- mainly on behalf of big business, including Microsoft and Disney -- and the first woman elected Texas State Bar President. But her main qualifications for the highest court in the land appear to be the same as most of Bush's recent appointments: She is unfailingly loyal to George W. Bush. Here's how Newsweek's Michael Isikoff, on July 17, 2000, described her initial foray in the morass of Bush's Guard service: The Bushies' concern began while he was running for a second term as governor. A hard-nosed Dallas lawyer named Harriet Miers was retained to investigate the issue; state records show Miers was paid $19,000 by the Bush gubernatorial campaign. She and other aides quickly identified a problem--rumors that Bush had help from his father in getting into the National Guard back in 1968. Ben Barnes, a prominent Texas Democrat and a former speaker of the House in the state legislature, told friends he used his influence to get George W a guard slot after receiving a request from Houston oilman Sid Adger. Barnes said Adger told him he was calling on behalf of the elder George Bush, then a Texas congressman. Both Bushes deny seeking any help from Barnes or Adger, who has since passed away. Concerned that Barnes might go public with his allegations, the Bush campaign sent Don Evans, a friend of W's, to hear Barnes's story. Barnes acknowledged that he hadn't actually spoken directly to Bush Sr. and had no documents to back up his story. As the Bush campaign saw it, that let both Bushes off the hook. And the National Guard question seemed under control."

by **Gouda** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 3:56 pm

a quick review of the msm this morning draws all attention to the "debate" around the fact that she has never been a judge. Some leading democrats even suggested her as a nominee they could possibly not revile. They say she is qualified, but again, we do not know much about her philosophy. Some conservatives are concerned there is not enough in her record to assure them that she would roll back abortion laws. Etc etc etc... excuse moi, but she is one of W's hide-it, dodge-it, silence-it, fix-it aides!! Her philosophy is to hide-it, dodge-it, silence-it, and fix-it for one of the world's most roundly corrupt, despicable men.

by **dbeach** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 4:21 pm

<a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4957860">www.democraticunderground...04x4957860</a> check out realted DU thread..she thinks jr dictator is brilliant . not kiddin here

by **Nonny** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 4:56 pm

ABORTION VOTE DELAYED Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA) February 9, 1993 Author: FROM WIRE DISPATCHES Estimated printed pages: 1 American Bar Association delegates from Texas yesterday delayed their bid for a full membership vote on whether the organization should continue to endorse the right to abortion. Texas state bar President Harriet Miers said her group decided it will have a better chance of winning approval for a referendum at the ABA's annual convention in August. Memo: IN BRIEF Edition: ONE STAR Section: NATIONAL Page: A-6 Dateline: BOSTON Copyright (c) 1993 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Record Number: 9301050785 OpenURL Article Bookmark (right click, and copy the link location): ABORTION VOTE DELAYED

by **Nonny** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:18 pm

Not sure of all the dates yet Here is Aug 1999 meeting Chair of Texas Lottery Commission <a href="http://www.txlottery.org/legal/meetings/081199.txt" target="top">www.txlottery.org/legal/meetings/081199.txt</a> meetings go from 1999 - 2005 <a href="http://www.txlottery.org/info/meetings.cfm" target="top">www.txlottery.org/info/meetings.cfm</a> This is from the article Texas Speaker Reportedly Helped Bush Get Into Guard Washington Post September 21, 1999 Author: George Lardner Jr.; Washington Post Staff Writer snip-- Staudt praised Bush as someone who "volunteered to serve his country" when many others didn't. But the unit he joined offered Bush a chance to fulfill his military commitment at a base in Texas and was seen as an escape route from Vietnam by many men his age. "It was sometimes called Air Canada," Johnson said. "What that meant was you didn't have to go to Canada to stay out of Vietnam." The suit involving Barnes was brought by former Texas lottery director Lawrence Littwin, who was fired by the state lottery commission, headed by Bush appointee Harriet Miers, in October 1997 after five months on the job. It contends that Gtech Corp., which runs the state lottery and until February 1997 employed Barnes as a lobbyist for more than $3 million a year, was responsible for Littwin's dismissal. Littwin's lawyers have suggested in court filings that Gtech was allowed to keep the lottery contract, which Littwin wanted to open up to competitive bidding, in return for Barnes's silence about Bush's entry into the Guard. Barnes and his lawyers have denounced this "favor-repaid" theory in court pleadings as "preposterous . . . fantastic [and] fanciful." Littwin was fired after ordering a review of the campaign finance reports of various Texas politicians for any links to Gtech or other lottery contractors. But Littwin wasn't hired, or fired, until months after Barnes had severed his relationship with Gtech. Barnes and his partner had been getting 4 percent of Gtech's gross revenue in Texas each year, on condition that the lottery contract not be put up for rebid. The world's biggest lottery operator, with revenue of almost $1 billion a year, Gtech agreed to buy them out for $23.1 million in the wake of damaging publicity stemming from the criminal prosecution in New Jersey of a top Gtech executive. But while the Barnes camp has scoffed at the assertions of a payback for a 30-year-old favor, they have been more circumspect about the "favor" itself. In a motion seeking to block the deposition, Barnes's lawyer, Charles R. Burton, simply contended that whatever Barnes did in recommending "qualified candidates for service in the Guard" was irrelevant, private and privileged. U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks of Austin rejected the argument, saying he was "unpersuaded" by what amounted to a last-minute pleading that Barnes could have submitted weeks earlier. Caption: George W. Bush is sworn in as member of Texas Air National Guard by Col. Walter B. "Buck" Staudt on May 27, 1968. Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the cockpit of an F-102 during his days in a fighter squadron in the Texas Air National Guard.

by **Nonny** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:26 pm

March 21, 2000 After nearly five years at the helm of the three-member Lottery Commission, Chairwoman Harriet Miers resigns. Governor George W. Bush names C. Tom Clowe originally appointed in November of 1998, to head the Commission. Bush also appoints Dallas attorney Betsy Whitaker to assume Miers'unexpired term. <a href="http://www.txlottery.org/info/milestones.cfm" target="top">www.txlottery.org/info/milestones.cfm</a>

by **Gouda** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:40 pm

Throwing in his humble opinion with a neocons such as Frum and Kristol, Rush Limbaugh grumbled on the radio today about Miers' nomination. Dick Cheney said this in response to them (and to all of us): "Trust us."

by **dbeach** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 7:12 pm

don't all the mafia dons use that phrase??: 'TRUST US" THEN its crime time..so sauron cheny is thinking again dreaming of that day when ALL worship him as the anti-christ.. "when will they ever learn?when will they ever learn?"

New Supreme Court nominee ties to Bush's Nat'l Guard scandal

New Supreme Court nominee ties to Bush's Nat'l Guard scandal

Re: New Supreme Court nominee ties to Bush's Nat'l Guard sca

Re: New Supreme Court nominee ties to Bush's Nat'l Guard sca

Tidbit from 1993

TEXAS LOTTERY COMMISSION -- Harriet Miers

Chairwoman Harriet Miers resigns

Re: trust us

Re: trust us

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