The Miers revolution [Offending your supporters has real-world consequences]

National Post ^ | Oct. 11, 2005 | David Frum

[syriacus]

hamburger when we could be getting filet mignon

American food....instead of French?

[oldtimer2]

Hoorah to you. More people need to be saying that.

[oldtimer2]

Hoorah to you. More people need to be saying that.

[rbmillerjr]

"A Gallup Poll shows only 58% of conservatives supported Miers"

[mosquitobite]

It's the definition of insanity. And those here putting party over principle STILL haven't learned...

[syriacus]

Areas of Practice are NOT interchangeable.

So...
Do you mean that Harriet could make a real contribution to the others on the bench since she would have expertise that they do not?

[Pietro]

"Do you want the President to withdraw Miers nomination?"

Yes.

[Tolik]

Its not about Frum. He talks about wide spread criticism of the choice. FreeRepublic is very sceptical as well. I did not see a poll here, but reading the many threads can predict a large % of disapproval votes.

Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh, George Will, Patrick Buchanan, Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Bill Bennett and many more are against, and Marc Levin and Sean Hannity are not happy but explaining the choice by the Senate's weak knees. Hugh Hewitt and Michael Medved are cautiously optimistic. The critics group is diverse enough to have respect at least to some of them.

So, the problem is much bigger than just Frum.

[BluH2o]

American food....instead of French?

Maybe if I spell reeeaaaallll slooowwww ...

[wmfights]

Is it possible that Frum is worked up because he has first hand knowledge having worked with Miers and the White House staff and he knows how huge a mistake this nomination is?

I don't know about you, but I feel like the PUBS have deserted me with this nomination.

[Pietro]

"..demanding an up-or-down vote>>."

Perhaps you're confused, Meirs is not the subject of a filibuster, which is of course what both Kristol and Krauthammer were referring to.

[syriacus]

"A Gallup Poll shows only 58% of conservatives supported Miers"

What per cent oppose her?

And

most importantly

How many conservatives are really doing the "right thing" and

waiting to make their final decisions on her after she has spoken at her hearings?

[al_again]

Read closely - I'm not throwing stones at the Bush nominee - I'm throwing them at Bush!!! Do you really think think that rehearsed hearings, where all tough questions will remain unanswered (as they should be for a SC nominee), will give you valued insight? How did we get Souter if the hearings are such a revealing process???

[Dane]

Is it possible that Frum is worked up because he has first hand knowledge having worked with Miers and the White House staff and he knows how huge a mistake this nomination is?

I don't know about you, but I feel like the PUBS have deserted me with this nomination.

And it is also possible he has a personal/non-political grudge against Meirs, that you conviently left out.

[syriacus]

Is it possible that Frum is worked up because he has first hand knowledge having worked with Miers and the White House staff and he knows how huge a mistake this nomination is

Before or after he was kicked out of the White House?

[Chickenhawk Warmonger]

You mean old "Flip-Flop Frum"... The one that wrote the article in July 05 about Harriet Miers being on the short list of potential nominees and extolling us to "remember you heard it from me first" then claiming he was just joking in July on Sept 29?

Please...Does anyone else feel like we are being prepped for a McCain run for POTUS?

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

I have said for days that this bloodletting is a really good thing. This is morphing into a battle for the soul of the GOP. The battle needs to be fought.

Hugh and others just want to patch over this battle. Big mistake. In the future the pro-Miers crowd will start sucking up to the anti-Miers crowd in the days ahead. I look forward to hearing their pleas for help. They will no doubt say: do you want Hillary or a Dem Senate? Those please will start to ring hollow.

[InspiredPath1]

Give President Bush credit for all the great appointments to the District and Appellate courts.

Remember that their decisions mean nothing if the Supreme Court overrules them.

Some of her defenders (yes, you people) may be happy with a "solid" vote on our side, I'm not. Don't misunderstand, I want that solid vote, but I want a skilled jurist who can clearly explain Constitutional issues.

Face it, she is not "the most qualified person for the job".

Face it, we have no proof that she is "in the mold of Scalia or Thomas". We have only Bush's word. Bush will be gone soon - she stays behind.

[reelfoot]

"Therein lies the rub. We don't KNOW what MS Miers is about and won't find out until she's on the bench. We will have to trust GWB."

The history of S.C. nominees proves that not knowing what you are getting can be very unpleasant. Republican Senators should vote Ms. Miers down if they cannot verify that she is an originalist, strict constuctionist.

"The inability to trust the president appears to be the largest drawback so far, eh?"

Agreed. I have come to learn that I cannot trust him on spending and limiting the size of government. Therefore, why should I blindly trust him on court appointments? And look what we got with the last president who would only say, "trust me" (i.e., peanut boy).

[al_again]

Uh-oh, I see the intellects have joined the discussion. I think we all better run away now!