Bush on the Edge ("There is Almost No Enthusiasm for Her [Harriet Miers'] Nomination...")

Washington Times ^ | 10/26/2005 | Tony Blankley

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

< /snip>

Those who claim that it is only Washington eggheads and activists who are disillusioned, misunderstand and underestimate the consequences of such Washington-based problems. The current Washington Republican negativity to Mr. Bush is as a stone thrown into a lake -- it will ripple outward until it causes waves on the distant shores of the heartland.

< / snip>

More importantly, the president is perilously close to duplicating the estrangement his father experienced from his congressional allies when George H.W. Bush raised taxes in 1990. Just a year out from congressional elections, Republican congressmen and senators are in the process of making the practical judgment whether to distance themselves from the president to save their skins. I don't blame them. (After all, it's not as if he is currently championing their principles and policies domestically.)

If they decide in the affirmative, their constituents will hear criticisms rather than support of the president for the next 12 months. The most dangerous time for any politician is not when his opponents say rude things about him, but when his own partymen do. They will start out respectfully disagreeing, but will build to more flagrant rhetoric as their Democratic Party opponents start raising and spending more money and start rising in the polls.

< /snip>

First, withdraw the unfortunate nomination of Harriet Miers. Not only is there almost no enthusiasm for her nomination, I have never seen as much outright hostility and even anger at an appointment from a president's own party. Replace her with a highly qualified, full-blooded, proven conservative nominee. (Any number of his appointments to the courts of appeal will do.)

Then he can have a principled fight between conservatives and liberals...

< /snip>

[Bommer]

Good! Maybe at last Bush will get it into his head that we put him in office and to appoint judges we want, not what he wants.

[Steve_Stifler]

Harriet still hasn't asked Dubya to withdraw her nomination. Either she's not as loyal as we've been led to believe or she doesn't read newspapers -- neither option bodes well for the future.

[flashbunny]

ping

[msnimje]

Maybe at last Bush will get it into his head that we put him in office and to appoint judges we want, not what he wants

During his bid for Republican votes he made it clear he wanted the same kind of Justices WE wanted. The kind of Justice we want hasn't changes since we believed him and pulled the lever beside his name.

[ALWAYSWELDING]

Harriet is looking more and more that her want for this position is trumping the hurt she's doing to the man she's reportedly so loyal to.

[beyond the sea]

First, withdraw the unfortunate nomination of Harriet Miers. Not only is there almost no enthusiasm for her nomination, I have never seen as much outright hostility and even anger at an appointment from a president's own party. Replace her with a highly qualified, full-blooded, proven conservative nominee.

Charles Krauthammer had a decent solution to this in a very recent article......... 'Saving Face'.

http://www.townhall.com/opinion/column/charleskrauthammer/2005/10/21/172176.html

[beyond the sea]

Harriet is looking more and more that her want for this position is trumping the hurt she's doing to the man she's reportedly so loyal to.

Seems that way.

But she's a good bowler.

***

"You know, she's a very gracious and funny person," said Joshua B. Bolten, the director of the Office of Management and Budget whom Ms. Miers succeeded as deputy White House chief of staff in 2003. In the next breath, Mr. Bolten recalled relaxing with her at Camp David. "She is a very good bowler," he said. "For someone her size, she actually gets a lot of action out of the pins."

When did you ever think you'd hear that Harriet Miers "gets a lot of action"?

;-)

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

Not only is there almost no enthusiasm for her nomination, I have never seen as much outright hostility and even anger at an appointment from a president's own party.

This is Abe Fortas revisited.

[goldstategop]

I agree. The President should start afresh. Continuing with a doomed nomination is not a sign of strength but a sign of weakness. The President can afford to lose every one else but he can't afford to lose the base. Its time to cut his losses, especially with the Special Counsel's indictments looming on the horizon. Bush can decide to have three productive years left in office or see them go to waste. He wants a legacy, he can have one and its not going to be achieved with a bitterly divided party.

("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")

[jeltz25]

another case of a TX president, with high spending and a controversial war naming a crony. coincidence?


although, to be fair, Fortas was on the SC alreaady.

[goldstategop]

Yep. As a nomination its a complete fiasco. It was badly handled and the follow-up has been completely inept. She may be a good pedestrian attorney but what we've learned so far makes Miers unfit for the Supreme Court.

("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")

[msnimje]

although, to be fair, Fortas was on the SC alreaady.

LBJ did nominate Fortas, he was his friend and onetime personal lawyer.

[jeltz25]

true. but Fortas had no problems getting confirmed the first time. I was just noting the similarity of a Texan president, with huge spending and leading a controversial war, nominating his friend and onetime personal lawyer

[Steve_Stifler]

Let's be fair to Harriet. While she fits the definition of a crony, there's no evidence that she's a crook. I'm unhappy with her selection because she doesn't have a proven track record, not because I think she's a terrible person.

[SteveH]

+ =

[SteveH]

=

[jeltz25]

perhaps you're unaware of Miers' firm paying out more than 30M in fraud payouts for representing con artists that bilked investors out of millions.


google the name russell erxleben and brian stearns and texas chicken feed tort and you'll find out more.

perhaps you're unaware of the GTECH Texas Lottery payouts she was involved in.

there's lots of questionable activity there.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

I don't think she's a terrible person either, just a terrible choice to fill the "O'Connor seat."

I'd settle for Kay Baily Hutchinson at this moment.