[Urbane_Guerilla]

My belief is that in this political climate with a weak Senate leader and squishy Republican Senators, the President knew ahead of time that anyone like Luttig or Jones with a long paper trail of Conservative decisions would never even muster 51 votes.

That is a reasonable belief, and perhaps the most powerful argument in support of the nomination. But again, it is speculation, and contradictory. W is saying (in effect) that Miers will be a Thomas or Scalia. As such, why are we to believe she is more acceptable to squishy senators, when she will be a Thomas or Scalia without any evidence of her ability, unlike Luttig or Brown?

[Cincinna]

"That is a reasonable belief, and perhaps the most powerful argument in support of the nomination. But again, it is speculation, and contradictory. W is saying (in effect) that Miers will be a Thomas or Scalia. As such, why are we to believe she is more acceptable to squishy senators, when she will be a Thomas or Scalia without any evidence of her ability, unlike Luttig or Brown?"

The key is no paper trail, which is why she will be confirmed and Luttig or Brown would not.