In November of 2004, President George W. Bush was elected to a second term with the largest amount of votes ever received by any presidential candidate. The conservative base and Republican Party that fought in the American heartland to protect lower taxes and a strong military were optimistic about what a second term would bring to our country. With an abundance of political capitol, President Bush introduced plans to radically modify Social Security and continue onward to victory with the War on Terror.

Almost a year later, conservatives look back in anguish over what has been accomplished. Social Security has been placed on the back-burner by the Republican Congress, while two disastrous hurricanes have ravaged the Gulf Coast.

With bad luck on the part of Mother Nature, the president has done his best to appease both sides of Congress by signing a bill that provides generously for hurricane relief aid; but the shaping of the U. S. Supreme Court has become a strong issue for President Bush. He has the opportunity to revamp the support of his devout conservative base and ensure the Constitution will not be misinterpreted by liberal extremists who feel it is their job to determine what is moral for Americans.

The nomination of John G. Roberts for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was met with a cautious eye by many conservatives. With little information on Chief Justice Robert's personal opinions of controversial issues, it was understandable for the entire country to be wary. But due to the fact Chief Justice Roberts proved himself before the Senate Judiciary Committee to be excessively qualified and extremely intelligent, he was confirmed by the Senate with a vote of 78-22.

On Oct. 3, President Bush nominated Harriet Miers as the candidate for retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Like Roberts, Miers has faced a great deal of hesitation from both sides of the aisle.

But unlike the new Chief Justice, Ms. Miers has never served as a judge on any state or federal bench. After graduating from Southern Methodist University Law School, she began practicing law in the private sector. By the age of 35, Ms. Miers was a leading partner at one of the most prestigious corporate law firms in Dallas, Texas, while earning herself a highly respectable reputation in the south.

At the same time of her professional success, Ms. Miers felt a void in her personal life. She sought out religion and soon became an evangelical christian. It was due to her faith that Ms. Miers shifted her views from the Democratic Party towards more conservative ideals. After being elected to the Dallas City Council in 1989, she fought to protect city districts that would greater represent African-American and Hispanic communities.

Ms. Miers moved on to work with former Governor Bush. Serving as his legal counsel, Ms. Miers developed a strong relationship with the Governor and his staff. When Governor Bush was elected to the presidency, she followed him to Washington, serving as his Deputy Chief of Staff and White House Council.

It has been suggested by various political analysts that Ms. Miers has only been appointed to the Supreme Court because of her close relationship with the President. According to conservative ideologues such as Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and Peggy Noonan, her credentials do not compare against previous Supreme Court nominees and Justices.

For a certain extent, it is easy to see where they are coming from. Ms. Miers has never served as a Judge and did not attend a law school that is known for producing Supreme Court Justices. The argument can be made that 41 out of the 109 people who have sat for the U.S. Supreme Court have never served as a judge prior to their appointment. Some of the more recent Justices, such as William Rehnquist and Byron R. White, are included in the 41. Chief Justice Rehnquist attended Stanford Law School; Justice White was a Rhodes Scholar and attended Yale Law School, and both men graduated at the top of their classes with high honors. Does this make them smarter than Ms. Miers? No, but it solidifies the fact they have studied and competed with some of the greatest legal minds of their time.

I support President Bush and a majority of his decisions, and I support his choice of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court. I have faith that our president firmly believes that Ms. Miers will perform the job of strictly interpreting the Constitution. We will come to know exactly who Harriet Miers is when she sits before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Hopefully, she will perform as brilliantly as Chief Justice Roberts.