Posted on 10/04/2005 10:45:14 AM PDT by Uncle Joe Cannon
Bush rejects allegations of cronyism
By TOM RAUM
WASHINGTON (AP) - In the face of criticism from the left and right, President George W. Bush insisted Tuesday that Harriet Miers was the best-qualified candidate for the Supreme Court and assured skeptical conservatives that his lawyer-turned-nominee shared his judicial philosophy - and wouldn't stray from a rightward course.
"I've known her long enough to know she's not going to change, that 20 years from now she will be the same person with the same judicial philosophy she has today," Bush said.
Dismissing Democratic charges of cronyism, Bush said: "I picked the best person I could find. People know we're close." Bush has known Miers for more than 10 years, first as his personal lawyer and most recently as a White House counsel.
Bush called the news conference, his first since May, as he struggles to regain political strength sapped by a confluence of events - high gas prices, a rising death toll in Iraq and a bungled response to hurricane Katrina. His job approval rating, near the lowest point of his presidency, faces another test with the nomination of Miers.
In a wide-ranging news conference, Bush said he was considering whether the U.S. military should be used to help quarantine part of the country in the event of a pandemic of avian flu. "I'm not predicting an outbreak," he said. "I'm just suggesting to you that we need to be thinking about it."
On Katrina, Bush said he would work with Congress to "make real cuts" in non-security spending to help in rebuilding the Gulf Coast. "The private sector will be the engine that drives the recovery of the Gulf Coast," he said. But he said the country will continue to spend whatever it takes to support U.S. troops in Iraq.
Bush claimed progress on training Iraqi forces to take over the security of their country - a key measure for when American troops can begin coming home - despite last week's statement from the top U.S. commander that only one Iraqi battalion, down from three, was ready to fight without U.S. help.
He said more than 80 Iraqi army battalions are fighting alongside U.S. troops, and that 30 Iraqi battalions are capable of taking the lead in combat. "That is substantial progress from the way the world was a year ago," he said.
Bush also said:
-He has not reviewed a list of candidates to replace Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, who retires in January.
-He expects Congress will investigate whether Baltimore Orioles baseball star Rafael Palmeiro lied under oath about his alleged steroid use. "Steroids ought to be banned from baseball," declared Bush, a former part-owner of the Texas Rangers of the American League.
His choice of Miers dominated the news conference, with Bush struggling to please his political base without giving Democrats ammunition to block her confirmation.
Asked point-blank whether she was the most qualified person in the country to serve on the high court, Bush said, "Yes. Otherwise, I wouldn't have put her on."
While she has never served as a judge, Bush said Miers will bring "a fresh approach" to the bench as a trial lawyer who was a leader in the Texas legal community.
Bush challenged Democrats to avoid a partisan tone in confirmation process. "The decision of whether or not there will be a fight is up to the Democrats," he said, urging Congress to put Miers on the bench by Thanksgiving, celebrated in late November in the United States.
She was the friggin' WH counsel. What did he do, bump into her in the hallway and say, "Oh, you'll do!"
"...in twenty years..."
Yeah, and she'll also be 80 years old...
/sar.
Kind of like the last 20 years.....cough....wretch....
I find it a bit far-fetched that if she wasn't his personal friend that she'd be under consideration.
And, would she have been under consideration if it were another President?
If you can't answer yes to the above, then she technically fits the definition of a crony.
People are going to hear that and roll their eyes...I mean, it just does not pass the smell test....the "best qualified" candidate just happens to be his personal counsel...
Just be thankful the cleaning staff wasn't working that end of the White House yesterday .
"My fellow Americans, let me introdcue the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Conchita Rosa Hernandez. And now Justice Hernandez will say a few words."
"Does this mean I can get my green card?"
These name-callin' jerkweeds don't remember clintoon cronyism like early on naming his wife as head of the health care issue. And this clintoonian list started just kept on gettin' longer. Now that was cronyism in the truest since of the word.
Presidents always get asked this question. No big deal.
The press hates the Prexy's guts anyway. The press still misses "Bubba" and "Jimmah". After all, the Washington, DC press corps voted for both of them in overwhelming numbers.
Gives you an idea of how bright the press corps is. Dumb as a box of hair. Good Lord, but they are awful, awful people.
The Clinton administration was full of cronies, but the liberal media called them "Friends of Bill."
If Hillary gets elected, they'll be back, and you can bet they won't be called "cronies," except maybe by us.
Sorry, Mr. President...this is B.S.
I KNOW! This is driving me crazy! This our ONE shot in 40 years to really get the court going in the right direction... Bork, Owens, Estrada, anyone would be better tan this no-name.
Furthermore, IF she turns out to be good, that's great, but why doesn't he go for a sure thing and stop worrying about the Dims?...
"Read my lips..."
Thanks for blessing us all with your infallible linguistic expertise.
The Clinton Admin. sure was full of cronies. Clinton was a lying sack of $(%! rapist. We expected better from Bush. Much better. Or at least I did.
http://harrietmiers.blogspot.com/
She won't live that long. Just look at her. She looks almost 80 already.
Oh please................
mr. presidente, your actions speak louder than your words.
Why would this president want a croney, his former personal attorney, on the bench of the SC?
Why indeed.
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