Miers backed a "Human Life Amendment" to ban abortion

This, then, might be all the evidence needed to convince the religious right of Harriet Miers' hostility to abortion rights.

Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers agreed in 1989 that she would "actively support" a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban abortion except when necessary to prevent the death of the mother.

Miers indicated her support for a "Human Life Amendment" on an April 1989 questionnaire she filled out for Texans United for Life when she was a candidate for the Dallas City Council. The document, which has been submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee, was first reported today by the Associated Press.

On that form, she also said she would oppose the use of public funds for abortion and use her influence to keep "pro-abortion" people off of city boards and commissions dealing with health issues. She qualified her answer regarding boards and commissions by adding the words, "to the extent Pro-Life views are relevant."

This revelation could serve dual purposes for the White House. First, obviously, it reassures Christian conservatives that Miers shares their opposition to abortion rights and allows them to be reasonably confident that she would be inclined to overturn Roe v. Wade.

However, it will also likely inspire vocal and unified opposition to the Miers nomination from abortion rights supporters. This, in turn, could help to re-unite the conservative coalition behind Bush. Everybody on the right would be happy to be at war once again with the Democrats than with their president.

The GOP can claim that the "Human Life Amendment" statement is no guarantee that Miers will vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, only that she considers human life to be sacred. Technically, they will be correct. Practically speaking, however, Democrats will not be able to take the chance and will have almost no choice but to oppose the nomination, even if they must resort to a filibuster.

Conservatives will cry "foul," claiming that the pro-abortion liberals oppose Miers precisely because she values human life.

It will be interesting, however, to see if the right can pull off the "up-or-down vote" argument after spending the past two weeks insisting that Miers, regardless of her position on abortion, is simply unqualified to sit on the Supreme Court and that Bush should therefore withdraw her nomination.