The search for a successor for retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor ended Monday when President Bush nominated Harriet Miers, his White House counsel, to be the 110th justice in the nation's history.
Many have spoken out against the nomination, including some at The University of Memphis.
"I would call (the nomination) cronyism," said H.R Mahood, a professor of political science at The U of M.
Mahood said the president's friendship with Miers probably influenced his decision to nominate her.
Miers, who was a corporate lawyer in Texas, served on Bush's gubernatorial committee and was his personal attorney in Texas.
He also said the president may have been influenced by the fact that Miers is a woman.
"I think there has been some pressure on him to appoint a woman," he said.
Some political leaders, including many conservatives, have questioned the qualifications of Miers, saying she does not have the resume or the conservative values to be a Supreme Court justice.
Sen. Trent Lott, (R-Mississippi), told Spotlighting News, an online news source, that there were many other candidates who were more qualified than Miers.
Mahood said others are concerned with her lack of experience.
"She's not been exposed in the litigation area," he said.
Miers, 60 has never been a judge.
Mahood also said it is too early to know how Miers will vote on controversial issues, such as abortion and gay rights.
"There is not enough evidence to determine where she stands on those issues," he said.
Matt Pertl, a graduate student studying creative writing, said there is one main reason why conservatives are angry.
"They don't have a guarantee of enforcing their value system," Pertl said.
He said he is curious about whether Miers will be confirmed.
"It will tell us a lot about the future of the conservative party," he said.
Jennifer Campbell, a junior journalism major, said Miers will have some problems getting confirmed because of her lack of experience.
"She's never been a judge," Campbell said.
However, she said she does believe Miers will get confirmed.
Nora Mills, a junior political science major, said the president's nomination was necessary.
"(President Bush) needed to put a woman on the Supreme Court," Mills said.
