Posted on 10/07/2005 1:34:08 PM PDT by hinterlander
WASHINGTON - An anguished James Dobson prayed Wednesday for a sign from God, telling his Christian radio listeners he was questioning his early endorsement of Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers.
Dobson, founder of Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, is one of the most prominent religious conservatives to back Miers, citing his trust in President Bush and a confidential briefing he received about her from the White House.
But in his regular radio broadcast Wednesday, Dobson prayed he was not making a mistake.
"Lord, you know I don't have the wisdom to make this decision," Dobson said. "You know that what I feel now and what I think is right may be dead wrong."
He added that he worried that his position "could do something to hurt the cause of Christ, and I'd rather sacrifice my life than do that."
Dobson's "agonized heart," as he called it, is a sign of continuing turmoil in the religious conservative movement over the selection of Miers, a longtime confidante of Bush who has never been a judge and therefore has no paper trail detailing her views.
Many evangelicals, including Dobson, see the pick to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as critical because O'Connor was viewed as a swing vote on contentious issues like abortion.
For more than 30 years, Dobson has waged a crusade to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion. He said he believes Miers is against abortion, based on talks with her longtime friends and other information.
He also confirmed reports that he received a special briefing from Bush's political adviser, Karl Rove, but still will not discuss the talks in detail.
"When you know some of the things I know - that I probably shouldn't know - that take me in this direction, you'll know why I've said with fear and trepidation (that) I believe Harriet Miers will be a good justice," Dobson said in a broadcast with co-host John Fuller.
"And John, if I have made a mistake here, I will never forget it. The blood of those babies who will die will be on my hands to a degree. Lord, if I am right, confirm it, and if I am wrong, chastise me and I will repent of it and come before these microphones."
In a press conference Tuesday, Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Denver, demanded that the White House give senators whatever information it gave Dobson.
He's not the only one who wants to know the secret.
Dobson said his phone has been ringing off the hook from congressional allies and fellow conservatives seeking reassurance heading into Miers' upcoming confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Some are wary because Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, suggested her name to the president, and because of other hints that have emerged from her record.
Although she contributed funds to President Bush's election, she also has given to Democrats, including Al Gore in 1988.
When she ran for Dallas City Council in 1989, she signed a questionnaire for a gay rights group saying she supported equal civil rights for lesbians and gays. But she also said she was not seeking the group's endorsement and that she opposed a repeal of a law banning sodomy.
On Wednesday, conservative columnist George Will said if 100 capable legal analysts each listed 100 people worthy of being nominated, "Miers' name probably would not have appeared in any of the 10,000 places on those lists."
And the Web site of the Dobson- founded Family Research Council showed a question mark alongside Miers' picture.
Meanwhile, some Republican lawmakers were taking a wait-and-see approach to Miers.
"I just don't know her," Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., said Wednesday. "I'm not going to jump out there and say this is a wonderful choice."
Dobson, who heads one of the largest Christian media empires, said he doesn't want to overestimate his own influence, although countless national media outlets already have quoted him as being in Miers' corner.
I suspect Miers is going to be great.
"ONLY Republicans can stop her from being confirmed. If they do that, there will be no "proven originalist,"---EVER. Do you get this? It is NOT a choice of "Miers or Janice Rogers Brown." It is Miers or Miers.
And if so-called conservatives help torpedo this nominee, you can forget getting ANYONE to the right of Chuck Schumer on the court again."
If that is correct, then it would appear that the GOP got behind the wrong man in 2000. And it would appear that the campaign pledge of Scalia and Thomas was just sop to us conservatives.
But....as you say, get used to it. Why we EVER believed GWB, I don't know. We are starting not to ...but it takes some getting used to. Campaign promises are meant to be broken. At one level we all know that. I guess we just hoped this time was different.
Get used to it. That's good advice.
So what you're saying is that no Republican President can ever nominate a "conservative" person to the US Supreme Court unless there is a 60 conservative (Republican) majority in the US Senate.
That's a pretty tough nut to swallow, my friend.
The problem, I believe, lies in these vague terms. What you and I might call mainstream conservative, the Dems and/or the mainstream media will call extremist right wing idealogue out-of-the-mainstream hack.
Mark my words. The next time GWB (or the next Republican President) tries to put up a known conservative to the Supreme Court, the Dems will characterize that person as someone needing to be fillibustered while at the same time pointing back to this Miers nomination period.
NOW WAS THE TIME for President Bush to at least make an attempt to put that illegal US Senate rule to rest -- permanently.
Unfortunately, he blew it. Dont get me wrong. The Senate Repubs are just as guilty.
They apparantly just dont have the balls for high drama politics as do the Democrats.
Carter was born again too.....lol....folks here who go gaga over evangelical are ignorant.
plenty of lefty evangelicals
I predict it will be McCain against Hillary.
"Instead of the airwaves being filled with a fight...I'd rather the airwaves be filled with the coming successes in Iraq along with Saddam's upcoming trial. I think the media would have loved a fight.
I suspect Miers is going to be great."
I agree with you. There are too many Freepers out here who are bashing the President and saying disrespectful things etc. I've heard enough things about H. Meirs to feels good about her. He's taking and easy win here and not gambling on what might happen with a more controversial candidate that among other things may allow McCain and his band of idiots to undermine the president again.
No, confirm her and let's move on to the things you and others are talking about.
That there's a good possiblity she's gay?
When in the last 30 years has a Republican President ever been able to nominate a true conservative? There was a battle over Bork (we lost) and Thomas's hearing were a zoo. He was narrowly confirmed by a more congenial Senate then we have now. The problem is we do not have 51 votes for the nuke option-too many rinos. The gang of 14 destroyed any chance President Bush had of nominating a known conservative. The Dems will fight to the death to retain their one avenue of power. The Repubs will cave; this is reality, my friend, regrettable but true.
Carter was a Baptist, big difference in Baptist and true Evangelicals.
President Bush ran in 2000 with the idea that the Senate would play fair...they haven't. You have to accept unless and until we have more true conservatives in the Senate-enough to stop filibustering (unprecedented I do not know how Pres. Bush could have forseen this), you can not get known, outspoken conservatives on the bench.
Southern Baptists ...of which I have been all my life....consider themselves Evangelical.
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