Posted on 10/24/2005 9:46:58 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - President Bush said Monday that he will not release any records of his conversations with Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers that could threaten the confidentiality of the advice that presidents get from their lawyers.
"It's a red line I'm not willing to cross," Bush said.
Both Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are demanding more documents on Miers, including from her work at Bush's counsel.
"People can learn about Harriet Miers through hearings, but we are not going to destroy this business about people being able to walk into the Oval Office to say, Mr. President, this is my advice," Bush said after a meeting with his Cabinet.
Bush did not directly answer the question that was posed to him by a reporter at the end of the meeting — whether the White House is working on contingency plans to withdraw Miers nomination in the face of opposition to her from liberals and conservatives. Instead, he said that she is an "extraordinary woman" and that he understands people want to learn more about her.
"Recently, requests, however, have been made by Democrats and Republicans about paperwork out of this White House that would make it impossible for me and other presidents to be able to make sound decisions," Bush said. "In other words, they've asked for paperwork about the decision- making process, what her recommendations were. And that would breach very important confidentially."
Earlier, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Bush is committed to sticking with Miers until the Senate vote.
"He's confident that she will be confirmed because as senators come to know her like the president knows her, we're confident that they will recognize she will make an outstanding Supreme Court justice," McClellan said.
New York Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), a Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee that will hold hearings on her nomination said Sunday that she doesn't have the votes to be confirmed. Republicans countered that Schumer cannot predict how the GOP-controlled Senate will decide Miers' fate.
Many Republicans have yet to commit to approve President Bush's second nominee to the high court, and some outside conservatives have started organized efforts to force the White House to withdraw her name.
Conservative groups like the Third Branch Conference, Eagle Forum, and Center for Military Readiness are now organizing efforts to force Miers' withdrawal, including starting a Web site: http://www.withdrawmiers.org/.
"If President Bush continues with this nomination, he's in serious danger of permanent losing the support of the majority of the conservative movement," said Richard Viguerie, a conservative direct-mail fund-raising guru who runs American Target Advertising.
Miers' confirmation hearings begin Nov. 7. Schumer said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," that lawmakers of both parties are concerned about Miers' independence and judicial philosophy.
"I think, if you were to hold the vote today, she would not get a majority, either in the Judiciary Committee or on the floor," he said. "I think there is maybe one or two on the Judiciary Committee who have said they'd support her as of right now."
Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., rejected the notion that Miers' nomination was shaky. He said most senators are waiting for the hearings before making up their minds. "There are no votes one way or another," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Another committee Republican, Sen. Sam Brownback (news, bio, voting record) of Kansas, told "Fox News Sunday" that he has not seen "anything coming from the White House that says that they're going to pull this nomination."
Brownback, who has been skeptical of Miers and has not announced how he will vote, added, "They're doing everything they can to prepare Harriet Miers for the hearings right now."
Miers, a longtime Bush confidante who has never been a judge, was nominated to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The choice has troubled some conservatives who say it was risky because Miers was a blank slate on issues such as abortion and gay rights.
Democrats, too, have expressed concerns about whether Miers could sever her close ties to Bush and rule independently once on the bench.
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Associated Press reporter Jesse Holland contributed to this report.
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On the Net:
http://www.whitehouse.gov
Ping
Senator Sam Brownback gets his wish. Let's see if he and Senator Lindsay Graham can win over the mainstream Republicans now.
Nor should he. It means there's still no evidence that Miers is qualified for the Supreme Court, but them's the breaks.
Democrats, too, have expressed concerns about whether Miers could sever her close ties to Bush and rule independently once on the bench.
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Gee, did Bader Ginsburg cut her links and ideological followings of the ACLU when she assumed her seat?
and she got approved overwhelmingly as I recall.
This is his "Get Out of Jail Free" card on the Miers mess. He refuses to turn over the papers, the Senate insists, he "reluctantly" withdraws the nomination. Makes him look like he's "standing on principle," not turnin' tail and runnin'.
This “may be” what will cause the death of this nomination, in particular if the some GOP Senators announce publicly that they will not vote for Miers if the White House does not provide the documents they want. Cheer up anti-Miers camp, you “may” have gotten your wish.
Not feeling very articulate today, are we Mr. Bush?
I understood him, didn't you?
Get oudda here.
This could be the exit strategy.
>>>"This is his "Get Out of Jail Free" card on the Miers mess. He refuses to turn over the papers, the Senate insists, he "reluctantly" withdraws the nomination. Makes him look like he's "standing on principle," not turnin' tail and runnin'."
Bump. Most sensible proposal I've seen yet. Saves face, gets Miers out of the way, GOP can heal things up, assuming someone qualified follows and Bush pushes strenuously and gets confirmation.
So you would have voted for Ruth to sit on the SCOTUS?
So why not Miers, could she possibly be anymore injurious to the nation?
"It's a red line I'm not willing to cross," Bush said.
Release them (or whatever's left of them)! Incidentally, did you know that it was the mother of Monkee Michael Nesmith who invented Liquid Paper?
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