[AmishDude]

Sure it does. Reid didn't want to look stupid. He was ready for the possibility, Miers' name was floated.

[inquest]

He still had plenty of options available to him. He didn't have to praise her. He could have ignored the fact that he had recommended her. If pointed out to him, he could say that these were just names that seemed within the generally acceptable range, but that he still wanted to examine more closely, etc.

Does it really make sense that he would have recommended someone that Bush knew better than himself, if he didn't have reason to believe that she wasn't a threat to liberals?