The New York Times has an article highlighting what many people dismayed by the Harriet Miers nomination have noted. There just don't seem to be any specific examples of what she has said or done that anyone, including her defenders, can point to and say this is what she believes.

Ms. Miers's admirers say that she has brought diligence and determination to every task, and that her fingerprints are all over Mr. Bush's record in office. Finding her footprints is much harder. When colleagues are asked to cite an example of her influence on a particular policy or program, the invariable answer is that she affected them all.

That lack of specificity has compounded the White House's difficulties in selling Ms. Miers's nomination to the Supreme Court and opened the field to her harshest critics.

People praise her abilities and her resume, but they just don't have much specific to use to exemplify those abilities. You can see that in Dick Cheney's interview with Brit Hume. The Political Teen has the video. Praise, but no specifics.

This is why it would have been more helpful to have a nominee to whose actions or writings we could look rather than words of prasie from her colleagues.

This reminds me of my experience as I write recommendations for students for college. Most of the kids are wonderful students whom I enjoyed teaching very much. But I have few specific memories of what that student had done or said in class that could serve as examples for his or her marvelous abilities. I'll talk with the students and ask if they can think of any specific example of something they said or did in class that I can use in my letter. I'll ask them to go home and talk with their parents and see if they can come up with such examples. Most times they draw a blank. So, I feel reduced to the position of Harriet Miers' supporters of saying that the student is smart and enthusiastic and an eager participant in class activities. All generalities but with few specifics since I just don't have the memory to remember some smart comment that a student might have made a year or two ago in class. It helps if the students have done something or written something that can provide the specific example that would make my recommendation more powerful.

And that is what we seem to lack with Harriet Miers: some indication of something that she said or wrote that would let us know more about her abilities than the generalities that we're getting now. Perhaps, they're constrained from citing something that she said because it was confidential. But I bet that most people can't remember what she said because that is what happens so much of the time. Think of the people you work with that you respect. Then imagine having to answer questions from the press about their abilities. Would you be able to come up with specifics to support your general impression that someone is smart and able? For me, at least, it's harder than it sounds. I work with a lot of intelligent and honorable people, but I would have a hard time citing some specific thing a person said to prove his or her striking qualities. I can remember things that people have done, but not what they have said. That's another example of actions speaking louder than words. We just don't remember the words as long as we'd like to.