Not All White House Speechwriters Agree
Matthew Scully was a speechwriter in the White House from 2001 – 2004 and has a different opinion of Harriet Miers than that of another White House speechwriter who has been quite vocal in his opposition to her. Scully does not specifically discuss Miers’ political philosophy, but offers some valuable insight into her ability and character. He also addresses some of the criticism from David Frum, such as his claim that she is a “petty bureaucrat” and his questioning of her intellectual excellence. Link via Lucianne.
UPDATE: David Frum reacts to Scully here. He begins with, “If I were Harriet Miers…I really would ask my friends to keep their mouths closed. ” Frum claims that in Scully’s piece “He concedes that she never has taken those risks I spoke of, never demonstrated that backbone and courage. He concedes that she was never much of an intellectual force, and that the case for her rests entirely on her pleasantness of manner.” I read Scully’s piece in its entirety and that is certanly not what I heard him to say. Read it yourself and decide. He later says, “Notice the refusal even to acknowledge let alone rebut the concern that Miers has shunned ideas her whole career.” I did not realize that those who are not intellectuals working in think-tanks were “shunning ideas.” Read both pieces and you decide.
Subscribe to blog feed.