Positioning
There was an interesting exchange last night between Alan Specter and Harriet Miers. After the two met yesterday, Specter stated that Miers believed the Griswold v. Connecticut case had been properly decided (implying her support for Roe v. Wade). Then, later, after Miers called Specter to suggest he had misunderstood her, his spokesperson called the media to rescind Specter’s comments, suggesting instead that “Miers agreed that the Constitution’s ‘liberty clause’ implies a right to privacy” (Washington Post) but did not take a position on any particular case.
Specter’s apparently incorrect initial interpretation must have been a relief to the Republican pro-choice Senator. Also yesterday, another Senator on the judiciary committee — Charles Schumer — quoted Miers as saying “Nobody knows how I would rule on Roe v. Wade.” Statements like this, and even the less definitive comment made to Specter will only intensify the conflict between conservatives and moderates over Miers’ nomination, stirring up fears that she would not be a part of a coalition of justices intent on overturning Roe v. Wade.
- Miers Believes There’s a Right to Privacy (Washington Post)
- Specter Rescinds Account of Miers Comments (Washington Post)