Miers Can Give Bush New Chance (Wheeling Intelligencer)

The Intelligencer Wheeling News-Register ^ | 051010

[leadpenny]

http://www.theintelligencer.net/index.asp

The Intelligencer

Not since President George H.W. Bush broke his famous "no new taxes" pledge has the Republican Party's conservative core been in such open rebellion against a major decision by a GOP president. The younger Bush's nomination of the relatively unknown Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court may not have set off the same populist revolt that his father did, but he nevertheless has stirred wide and serious opposition from his political base at a time when he very much needs conservatives.

~snip

None of this should be taken as a knock against Miers personally. But the fact that she has vacillated politically from writing significant checks in support of Michael Dukakis and Al Gore to becoming a Bush confidante rightly makes would-be allies nervous. The question becomes: What are Miers' core legal beliefs, or does she have any at all?

Unfortunately there is no good way to fix the problem. Perhaps the best course would be the one suggested by legal scholar Bruce Fein: Miers could do her old friend a favor and ask that her nomination be withdrawn, thus giving the president the opportunity for a do-over. That would not be a pretty outcome, but it is not nearly as bad as either a defeat in the Senate or seeing Miers wither into another fickle Supreme once on the court.

[Paulus]

The Wheeling feeling

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

What are Miers' core legal beliefs, or does she have any at all?

That's the $64,000 question, isn't it?

[leadpenny]

Wheeling is not feeling too good about Miers nomination, it seems.

[leadpenny]

A couple of years ago, W nominated [I believe his is] Kerik from NY to be the first Secretary of DHS. It turned out to be a disaster. I think they're called "brain f@rts" in the trade.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

Well, Giuliani deserves some share of the blame for that particular f-up, but I do believe in the Truman motto that "the buck stops here," so yes, you're correct.

[Southack]

Kerick was viewed by the Corrupt News Media as a Democrat, ergo his well-known affairs and mis-use of NYC police funds was simply spiked rather than published...until the press figured out that Bernie was rising up in the Bush ranks.

Then suddenly Bernie's old scandals were unwrapped. Such is how the Corrupt News Media works. Had they exposed him back when he was a Democrat, he would have never been nominated by the White House.

This isn't all bad, however. What it's done over the years has been to implement Social Darwinism; Dems get coddled by the news media, grow soft, and have skeletons bulging from their covered up closets. Pubbies, in contrast, have their ranks culled of all but the strongest and cleanest.

Kiss a staffer as a GOP Senator...press makes you resign. Tell a joke at a birthday party (hint: Trent Lott), press makes you give up your Majority Leader title.

Our herd grows stronger...our weak get culled for us.

[leadpenny]

I've always wondered if Kerik wasn't mis-vetted by some in the administration so as to discredit Rudy?

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

The guy was Giuliani's (glorified) chauffeur, and a crony pick.

Regardless of his success over at Corrections-and it should be noted that his tenure there was also riddled with political patronage-he was not in any way qualified for the post that ultimately went to Chertoff.

THIS IS WHY CRONYISM IS BAD POLICY!!!

As if we needed any repetition of the point.

And yes, it's possible, but I doubt it.

A more likely scenario is that the Bush administration put all of its "trust" in Rudy, without inquiring into Kerick's less than sterling professional history.

[leadpenny]

"[I believe his is]"

"Wheeling is not feeling too good about Miers nomination"

It's fascinating to me, when I go back and read my posts, how words disappear. It must have something to do with a lack of coffee? Got a second cup - I'm rollin' now.

[Southack]

"A more likely scenario is that the Bush administration put all of its "trust" in Rudy, without inquiring into Kerick's less than sterling professional history."

Kerick had just returned from Iraq where he had done a commendable job, so he had a Bush-track record and Giuliani's backing.

The background checks did him in...though they were done after his nomination rather than before.

Miers will go through even more intense screening.

[leadpenny]

What do you think of the "significant" Dukakis and Gore donations?

It's the first I had seen that and it seems like raw meat for much of the conservative base.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

It was probably standard practice at that law firm, as it is at most other politically-connected firms.

It's not an indication of any latent liberal tendencies, so much as an expression of her personality, i.e. make no waves, scratch backs, etc...

Either way, it's not an encouraging sign.

[baystaterebel]

"The question becomes: What are Miers' core legal beliefs, or does she have any at all?"

Seems to me the man who needs to know these "core legal beliefs"the most has been in a position to do so for quite a while. Funny thing is, he is the one who nominated Miers. Sounds like a win/win situation to me.

The fact that President Bush did not kiss the feet of the Republican Punditry is a bonus as well.

The wailing and gnashing of teeth over Harrit Miers is crossing over into the absurd, well passed asinine, a pinnacle it reached a while ago.

[leadpenny]

I don't care what her core beliefs are. What I don't understand is why the smart people advising the President didn't keep him out of this storm? If he did it based on his own counsel or he went against his advisers, I can only believe he had another reason for doing it. Right now it appears to me that he has spent much of that political capital he said he was going to spend.

[SkyPilot]

Morning Lead,

What I don't understand is why the smart people advising the President didn't keep him out of this storm?

Because the person who was supposed to say:

"No Mr. President, that would be a mistake." ...was the person who was nominated.

To be nominated for a position on the SCOTUS surely has to be incredibly flattering, perhaps even intoxicating.

But her job was to screen candidates and serve the President. Unfortunately, the "gate keeper" became the nominee overnight.

[leadpenny]

Ouch!


Morning.

I'd loved to have been a fly on the wall when he talked to Laura about what he was about to do. Of course, in the days before Miers was announced, the news was that Laura wanted a woman to be nominated.

[johnny7]

I hate to agree with Billie Kristol... but stepping aside would be the right course for Ms Miers.

[elli1]

The fact that President Bush did not kiss the feet of the Republican Punditry is a bonus as well.

With the Miers nomination, the President has mooned the effete 'intellectual' crowd, who are in a tizzy over a commoner being invited into the Royal Chambers. Kinda' like the noise that would be heard if a mutt won the Mutt's Group and was in contention for Best of Show at Westminister. Doesn't matter if the mutt is well-behaved, can hunt, exemplifies all the best qualities of a mixed breed and can do all the req'd doggie tricks--it's the quality of the paper that 'really' matters. /s

[GOPJ]

Then suddenly Bernie's old scandals were unwrapped. Such is how the Corrupt News Media works. Had they exposed him back when he was a Democrat, he would have never been nominated by the White House.

And if he had stayed a democrat, they never would have exposed him...