Harriet Miers Withdraws
Well, since yesterday, I thought she would withdraw her nomination. After I saw this yesterday about some speeches she made in the early 90’s, I figured it was over. In fact, after that, I quietly wished she would just withdraw and end the saga.
Charmaine Yoest asked me yesterday via email what I thought about the speeches, and said she was ready to break her resistance to taking a stand for or against the nomination. After I read through it, my opinion was changed somewhat as well, but I kinda wanted to see how things played out, let others do the talking, mainly because of my Miers fatigue.
I think Charmaine called it correctly for many in saying, “The Indefensible Speech finished her.” I do believe, however, that the disclosure of confidential White House documents was the ultimate “red line” with the nomination.
Thank God it’s over. I’m still disgusted by the nastiness of some of the Miers nomination opponents, and the nasty rhetoric and tactics that some have used has made me mistrust many of them even more than I already mistrusted fair-weather friends. I hate to think that they’ll feel their tactics have been affirmed by Miers’ withdrawal, because I hope this has been the last episode of center-right cannibalism that we have had to endure for a long time.
UPDATE: President Bush’s statement here.
I understand and share her concern, however, about the current state of the Supreme Court confirmation process.
Yep, me too.
UPDATE 2: E.M. Zanotti (The American Princess) has some other concerns that I share.
More reactions here and at Myopic Zeal.
Thatisall. UPDATE 3: Profiles of some possible nominees at ConfirmThem (in the sidebar), and in this Washington Post piece from July. (Via Charmaine Yoest, who has a poll up.) If you’ve got a link to more profiles, PLEASE send a trackback or give me a heads-up in the comments!
tommy says:
The center-right cannibalism is here to stay, at least as long as it constitutes the majority. It’s just a simple product of the two party system and the alliances of convenience made by groups that really do disagree over quite a bit and both fully convinced that they are the “base” of the party.
But if you must know, I’m the base. Me. Just me.
Beth says:
Hey! Me too! :mrgreen:
Jeff H says:
What exactly did you find troubling or “indefensible” in Miers’ 1993 speech? The one sentence about abortion did not in any way show her to be either in favor of nor against overturning Roe v. Wade.
I found some of her statements about race and eligion far more troubling, such as “There is an old expression–familiarity breeds contempt and we all know what it meant… But, with respect to social harmony, lack of familiarity breeds contempt. Until we find ourselves together building relationships, building trust and interdependence, the races are going to continue to have difficulties. I predict until we do a better job of melding in our churches, our schools and our neighborhoods, racial tensions will continue at the top of the priority list.”
That sounds like 1970s socialism, AKA “forced busing for desegregation”. That failed experiment should convince everyone with a brain that any government mandated solution to whatever “racial inequities” still exist is doomed. Government cannot–indeed, should not–be in the business of getting people to like each other and “make kissy-kissy”. Government is to provide for the common defense against all enemies both foreign and domestic, and to ensure the free flow of trade between the states. Anything else is treading on this ice. It sounds to me like Miers was treading awfully close to saying government should somehow interfere in churches, to get them to “meld” better.
Hardcore Conservative says:
Beth
I’m sorry the person you favored withdrew
*passes the peace pipe*
Truce?
Blogs for Bush: The White House Of The Blogosphere says:
Miers Withdraws
Via MSNBC: WASHINGTON - Confronted with criticism from both liberals and conservatives, Harriet Miers on Thursday withdrew her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a statement, President Bush said he “reluctantly accepted” her decision to withdraw,…
Beth says:
Of course, “truce.” I was only pissed about the infighting to begin with. ;-)
Just to clarify: the person I favor is BUSH. She wasn’t my “favorite,” but I do support the man I voted for. I trust he’ll make a more politically viable choice this time–although that’s not always the best thing, either.
Myopic Zeal says:
Harriet Miers Has Withdrawn Her Nomination
BREAKING: Fox and CNN are reporting that Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination. No online stories yet….
8:57 am EST UPDATE: CNN.com has a newsflash
President Bush “reluctantly” accepts Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers…
Vinnie says:
Don’t look at me, I didn’t do anything
:mrgreen:
MacStansbury says:
you know what I’ve decided to do? dig up dirt on anybody who comes up next. no matter how the wind blows, no matter who comes up next, whatever the majority thinks? I’m against that.
just because I’m so sick of the bickering, I’ve decided to become bickerer #1
Conservativity says:
Harriet Miers is Out
Face it, we ate one of our own, for reasons that are not logical to me. Who the heck cares if she was a Democrat in the 1980’s? She changed her life and joined us! It’s my experience that late-in-life converts tend to be more faithful to that to…
Stop The ACLU says:
Miers Withdraws
WASHINGTON (AP) — Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination to be a Supreme Court justice Thursday in the face of stiff opposition and mounting criticism about her qualifications.
President Bush said he reluctantly accepted her decision to withdraw, aft…
sigmund, carl and alfred says:
This is no great day. The political Jihadis have scored- Not even a hearing for Miers. The president’s choice notwithstanding, Miers wasn’t to be recognized.
They have tasted blood- this is not a good day.
MCPO Airdale says:
Many of us in the “base” who argued against Miers were not advocating a split in the Republican party. What would I have done had Miers secured a seat on SCOTUS, voted for the Green party? Turned my back in the President’s foriegn policy? Hardly.
Miers was a corporate manager unschooled in Constitutional law and with no track record of constructionalist views. Are the wishes of many in the Republican party to have a nominee versed in the first and who was not a “stealth” nominee to be discounted?
What is wrong with nominating a Owens, or a Luttig? Can we not nominate jurists who openly support those principles we espouse?
The President and his staff did an injustice to Ms. Miers. Hopefully, their vetting process will be much more detailed with the next nominee.
The Donegal Express says:
Dear Beth,
Dear Beth,
Can we be friends again now? :)
I’ve been loyal to the President; I just wanted him to be loyal to me. After all, a bunch of us got on board because we wanted solid judges on the Supreme Court. That’s what we signed up for….
MacStansbury.org says:
No Harriet Miers, you won blogosphere
I support not telling anybody who the next nominee is until that person comes up before the judiciary committee so I don’t have to hear about it from thousands of bloggers who think they know everything about everything.
Oblogatory Anecdotes says:
Miers Withdraws!!!
As predicted Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination this morning. Her nomination was going no where and she was hurting President Bush. For the good of the President, herself and the country she graciously withdrew her name as a Supreme Court Justice. I…
Pajama Pundits says:
Miers Withdraws
Her resignation letter cites Senate demands for release of internal White House documents in advance of her confirmation hearings -
Vince Aut Morire says:
Dammit!
Just as I was getting ready to break my silence…
Truckin' Wifi says:
Harriet Miers Withdraws
Harriet Miers pulled herself out of the running to for a seat on the Supreme Court. Her withdrawal makes many of us conservatives very happy. It gives the president a second chance to pick someone more deserving of the position. Hopefully the Preside…
Tony says:
I don’t understand pro-life activists tunnel vision with regard to Roe V. Wade. All that needs to be done is to grant Constitional citizenship on the unborn, and Roe. V. Wade will fold like a cheap suit. Once citizenship is granted, the unborn will fall under the 14th which says: “A citizen cannot be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.”
Overturning Roe v. Wade would send it back to the states.
Granting constitutional citizenship would make it illegal under the constitution.
Tom says:
Unless the Court decides that granting the unborn citizenship is unconstitutional, and cites Roe v. Wade.
Most pro-life activists are itching to take the battle to the states, and the American people. Most of us /want/ that fight. We want to debate and persuade and go to the mat nation-wide. We think we can win time and again.
We can’t beat a Supreme Court that shoots every law we manage to get enacted down.
brett from mac's says:
i’m with mac…and i REALLY hope W sticks it to the new “radical activist conservatives posing as authors and talk show hosts” with his next pick…bunch of whiners backed a socialist for president and then are confused when he doesn’t go all rightwing on us
due process was spit upon by my own party…color me disgusted
It Is What It Is says:
No Thanks - Miers Withdraws Name
To bad for Ms. Miers. I was not pleased with her selection but It Is What It Is. She should have been allowed an opportunity to appear before the full Sen. Judiciary Hearing and confirmation process and received an up
George Turner says:
Regarding her present views, there’s no logical reason to give her 1993 speech any more validity than Zell Miller’s 1992 nominating speech for Bill Clinton. But that’s the way things go in the kangaroo court of public opinion and the “show trials” of the pundocracy. Obviously putting an evangelical on the court is a big no-no, so maybe Bush can try again with a Pentecostal.
I. Shawn McElhinney says:
I have said my final words on the Miers nomination here:
Briefly on the Previous Audiopost and Our Final Post on the Miers Nomination
On the whole, this withdrawal is a good thing IMO for reasons noted in the above thread.
AlabamaWatch.com says:
Miers withdraws
We’ve not posted here on this topic though I’ve left comments in various spots on the blogosphere. I think that Michelle Malkin has the best early post on the topic. Patterico has the correct attitude as well. Likewise at Red State. No…