Posted on 10/20/2005 1:27:08 PM PDT by Stellar Dendrite
The Miers Support Team: Gloomy and Demoralized Now they’re discussing stopping her visits to the Senate.
Strategists working with the White House in support of the Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers are becoming increasingly demoralized and pessimistic about the nomination's prospects on Capitol Hill in the wake of Miers's meetings with several Republican and Democratic senators. On a conference call held this morning, they even discussed whether Miers should simply stop visiting with lawmakers, lest any further damage be done — and so that time spent in such get-acquainted sessions will not cut into Miers's intensive preparation for her confirmation hearing.
The strategists discuss issues on a twice-weekly conference call led by Leonard Leo, the executive vice president of the Federalist Society who has taken leave to help the White House shepherd the nomination through the Senate. A number of people who have taken part in the calls described the conversations to National Review Online. None wanted to be identified, because they do not want to openly oppose the White House or defy loyalists like Leo who are trying hard to defend Miers. Nevertheless, they paint a grim portrait of morale among those close to the nomination.
"The number of participants is declining," says one knowledgeable source. "With Roberts, these calls occurred five or six or seven times a week. Pretty early on, the calls on Miers were scaled back to twice a week. That says something in and of itself."
"It's been a gradual descent into almost silence," says a second source of the calls. "The meetings with the senators are going terribly. On a scale of one to 100, they are in negative territory. The thought now is that they have to end....Obviously the smart thing to do would be to withdraw the nomination and have a do-over as soon as possible. But the White House is so irrational that who knows? As of this morning, there is a sort of pig-headed resolve to press forward, cancel the meetings with senators if necessary, and bone up for the hearings."
"They are going to be keeping the meetings that they've already scheduled," says a third source. "But they have scheduled murder boards today from 12 to 5. She has to focus on her hearing. And the questionnaire that wasn't filled out, to me that's an indication [the White House] hasn't done the vetting. She has to spend a lot of time discussing stuff that should have been done before. So between those two things — finishing the questionnaire and preparing for the hearing, which is going to be make or break — they prefer to put her time into that."
"In the early days, there were people on the call who tried to give facile defenses of Miers, and they were immediately shot down," says a fourth source. "And by the way, those defenses weren't as insulting as the White House line — no way would they have done the 'sexist, elitist' line."
In summary, says the first source, "People have been looking for ways to support this. There are a lot of us who would like to find a reason to be encouraged. Every time I try to accommodate myself to this nomination, folks at the White House say idiotic things that piss me off, like that spin on Rove's part about her supposed deep involvement in judicial selection for three years, which is just not accurate."
"Demoralization and pessimism?" the source continues. "That's been a constant. We're in the various stages of grief."
ping
If I were the most brilliant jurist in the history of the USA I wouldn't want to go through what she is going through to get on the SCOTUS.
God,things used to be a bit less hate-filled.
Doesn't sound good, on the other hand--NRO is activelly trying to torpedo Miers.
More unnamed sources? Sigh...
Conservatives dont like OUIJI Board picks. Weve waited too long. You butchered this one Bush. End the madness and give us a solid pick.
If she withdrew she could stop her visits to the Senate completely :)
Bush one the election, twice, and he knows her heart. Does that do it?
If you were the most brilliant jurist in history you wouldn't be going through what she is going through. Witness John Roberts, easily confirmed with no controversey.
This is just ridiculous.
Stop the bleeding now.
The president is bleeding away all of his support within his own party and whatever political capital he had left.
Someone needs to call an intervention.
No one is worth this, Harriet Miers most of all.
I'm sick of all these "un-named sources" making hay. If it were 'news-worthy' they'd be willing to grow a spine and go on the record.
OK, we need to come up with a definitive answer here. Is she the one that picked the judges for the last 3 years or not?
This whole things has been very embarrassing. I have no idea what the hell the Bush White was thinking. They have been screwing up the whole year.
It's time for Harriet to do the right thing and withdraw her name. If she's so loyal to President Bush, how could she have allowed him to nominate her in the first place???
Man, I wish the WH would figure a way to gracefully exit this. Harriet is going to get hurt no matter what, and the sooner she's let down, or let in on an exit strategy, the better.
I'm praying that God give a does of wisdom to President Bush on this. But as always, His will be done.
Sorry, but NRO has been less than believable on the whole Miers issue. I think the headline is a MSM-like "what we would LIKE to think is happening" . . . but isn't.
Man, this really is a trainwreck. Her published articles and her Senate questionairre are enough to make me think she's in way over her head. The hearings are going to be something to behold.
No. She was heavily involved in something like 11 district judges, 1 circuit judge, and I guess Roberts.
There is no graceful out. That's the problem.
And the nominees used to be at least moderately qualified.
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