Ms. Frye-
I use the term "crony" in its denotative sense (i.e., for example, > Merriam Webster online: "a close friend especially of long standing", a pal), same is true of my use of "cronyism" (again > Merriam Webster online: "partiality to cronies especially as evidenced in the appointment of political hangers-on to office without regard to their qualifications"). Words, of course, have emotion-tinged connotations that are wise to be avoided when that is possible. If anybody can suggest reasonable alternatives to "crony" and "cronyism" I'd be happy to consider using them in the future.
Both words, however (especially the latter) point clearly back to the person doing the appointing, not to the appointee (in this case, Ms. Miers).
Whatever one's itemization of Supreme Court credentials might be, I suspect one would never find "crony" on the list.
Stanley
=================================<
Stanley R. Conrad, JD/MLS
Reference / Special Collections Librarian
Rittenberg Law Library
St. John's University School of Law
8000 Utopia Parkway
Jamaica, NY 11439
conrads@stjohns.edu
718-990-2012 (voice)
718-990-6649 (fax)
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu on behalf of Frye, Nanna
Sent: Fri 10/7/2005 12:28 PM
To: law-lib@ucdavis.edu
Cc:
Subject: RE: Harriet Miers - Supreme Court Nominee
Stanley --
If you look at my reply to your posting from yesterday, you will see that my comments dealt solely with the criticism that Ms. Miers has no prior judicial experience. I made no reference to derogatory statements in other contexts. However, I do object to the highly emotional "zing" words, e.g., "cronyism," that are used by you to conduct this intellectual discussion. Let's start the discussion off by identifying what are the necessary qualities of a Supreme Court justice, what are the desirable but not required qualities, and what qualities are unacceptable. It is only when we establish the criteria that we have a means of measuring whether any nominee "measures up."
Nanna Frye, Law Librarian
Court of Appeal
San Diego, CA
-----Original Message-----
From: Stanley R. Conrad [mailto:conrads@stjohns.edu <mailto:conrads@stjohns.edu> ]
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 4:03 PM
To: Frye, Nanna; Samuel E Trosow
Cc: law-lib@ucdavis.edu
Subject: RE: Harriet Miers - Supreme Court Nominee
Nanna-
If derogatory statements have been directed anywhere in this thread, I think they've been focused through Miers on the administration's disastrous record of cronyism (most glaring recent example is, of course, appointing a failed Arabian Horse judge to run FEMA). Questions about Ms. Miers' qualifications and views are of supreme importance to anyone who cares about, or is involved in the law. And to the degree that the administration resists the release of documents written by her, enquiring minds should be asking why.
Comparing her case to Justice Powell is silly, actually. Read the biographical information you posted. Powell was not a crony of the administration that appointed him. Ms. Miers may be qualified -- we may never know -- but describing her as a "crony" is not a political judgment. It's a fact.
Stanley
=================================<
Stanley R. Conrad, JD/MLS
Reference / Special Collections Librarian Rittenberg Law Library St. John's University School of Law 8000 Utopia Parkway
Jamaica, NY 11439
conrads@stjohns.edu
718-990-2012 (voice)
718-990-6649 (fax)
-----Original Message-----
From: Frye, Nanna [mailto:Nanna.Frye@jud.ca.gov <mailto:Nanna.Frye@jud.ca.gov> ]
Sent: Thu 10/6/2005 6:24 PM
To: Stanley R. Conrad; Samuel E Trosow
Cc: law-lib@ucdavis.edu
Subject: RE: Harriet Miers - Supreme Court Nominee
I am tired of the derogatory statements and intimations that
Harriet Miers is unqualified solely because she has no prior judicial
experience. Are you prepared to state that all nominees must have prior
judicial experience? If so, then you are saying that U.S. Supreme Court
Justice Lewis Powell was unqualified for the position. Here is his
biographical information posted by the Supreme Court Historical Society.
LEWIS F. POWELL, JR., was born in Suffolk, Virginia, on September 19,
1907, and lived most of his life in Richmond, Virginia. He was graduated
from Washington and Lee University in 1929 and from Washington and Lee
University Law School in 1931. In 1932, he received a master's degree
from Harvard Law School. Powell entered practice with a Richmond law
firm, where he became a senior partner and continued his association
until 1971. During World War II, he served in the United States Army Air
Force in Europe and North America. After the War, Powell resumed his law
practice. He served as the President of the American Bar Association
from 1964 to 1965 and of the American College of Trial Lawyers from 1968
to 1969. In 1966, he served as a member of President Lyndon B. Johnson's
Crime Commission. On October 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon
nominated Powell to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Senate
confirmed the appointment on December 6, 1971. Powell served on the
Supreme Court for fifteen years. He retired on June 26, 1987, at the age
of seventy-nine.
Justice Powell is not a rare anomaly. One of the justices for
the court where I work did not have judicial experience prior to his
appointment and he is a most excellent jurist.
Nanna Frye, Law Librarian
Court of Appeal
San Diego, CA
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu <mailto:owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu> ] On
Behalf Of Stanley R. Conrad
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 2:42 PM
To: Samuel E Trosow
Cc: law-lib@ucdavis.edu
Subject: RE: Harriet Miers - Supreme Court Nominee
Good point, Sam.
It is of enormous importance to everyone involved in the law --
certainly should be to law librarians. The fact that political issues
factor into the nomination/confirmation process is wildly off point.
The outcome of the nomination process here, ferreting out Miers'
qualifications (or lack of them), her possible impact on the law for the
next generation ... none of this should be trivialized by labeling the
discussion "political."
Unfortunately, as we've already heard, the administration is planning to
refuse any/all requests for the work product she produced while under
Bush's wing, justifying this with "executive privilege."
We're apt to end up knowing much less about her than we knew about
Roberts when he was confirmed.
Stanley
=================================<
Stanley R. Conrad, JD/MLS
Reference / Special Collections Librarian Rittenberg Law Library St.
John's University School of Law 8000 Utopia Parkway
Jamaica, NY 11439
conrads@stjohns.edu
718-990-2012 (voice)
718-990-6649 (fax)
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