Posted on 10/27/2005 11:04:04 AM PDT by Tarnsman
Reid on Miers Withdrawal Thursday, October 27, 2005
Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement on Harriet Miers’ withdrawal of her nomination to the United States Supreme Court.
“The radical right wing of the Republican Party killed the Harriet Miers nomination. Apparently, Ms. Miers did not satisfy those who want to pack the Supreme Court with rigid ideologues.
“I had recommended that the President consider nominating Ms. Miers because I was impressed with her record of achievement as the managing partner of a major Texas law firm and the first woman president of the Texas Bar Association. In those roles she was a strong supporter of law firm diversity policies and a leader in promoting legal services for the poor. But these credentials are not good enough for the right wing: they want a nominee with a proven record of supporting their skewed goals.
“In choosing a replacement for Ms. Miers, President Bush should not reward the bad behavior of his right wing base. He should reject the demands of a few extremists and choose a justice who will protect the constitutional rights of all Americans.”
Senator Feinstein echoed Reid statement today as well:
"I call on the President to name a nominee in the mainstream of American jurisprudence, who can help bring this nation together and demonstrate a scrupulous knowledge of the law and a judicial temperament that enables support by both sides of the political aisle.
I would urge the President to take his time in naming a new nominee. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has agreed to continue to serve and much more important is the quality of the nominee rather than the immediacy of the appointment.”
The ranking member of the Judicary Committee, Senator Leahey, has also added in his two cents:"
“I look forward to consulting with the President on his third nominee to succeed Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court, and I hope it is a decision he approaches with the necessary independence from partisan factions. All Americans appreciate Justice O’Connor’s willingness to continue her service long past when she had intended to retire from the Court.”
These statements all contains threads that the Democrats will use now with great effectiveness, thanks in large part to the heavy handed tactics of many on the Right.
"necessary independence from partisan factions"
"should not reward the bad behavior of his right wing base."
"take his time in naming a new nominee."
So give yourselves all a pat on the back, secure in the knowledge that you have given the Democrats a bat to beat over the head of the next nominee.
And Reid's recommendation was enough that she should have NEVER been nominated in the first place.
Funny, the Dems are reading the exact same talking points as the die-hard Miers supporters here on FR. How do you suppose that happened?
According to Harry Reid and the liberals "Consitutional Rights = Abortion".
Moveon republicans?
Um...no.
Both the Leftists and the Righists...want a War...guess we'll get it!
"I had recommended that the President consider nominating Ms. Miers"
And Reid's recommendation was enough that she should have NEVER been nominated in the first place.
I concur!
Now to nominate a true blue conservative, Mr. President!
Miers withdralw plays into the hands of a better Supreme Court for the next 20+ years.
That in itself trumps all other political considerations.
Reid's endorsement of her was the kiss of death. He should blame himself.
Thanks. I never realized that I had any hand in nominating the manifestly unacceptable Miers. I was under the impression that this nomination was the most colossal and egregious screw up in Mr. Bush’s life, not mine. Any stick the Dems hold was handed to them by Mr. Bush, not Miers’ critics.
rigid ideologues...????
that good ole dingy harry, now there's one
non-rigid ideologue.....LOL
Bring it on. It is time for a showdown.
Like I said on the other thread, I didn't know where to stand on this nominee but given that Democrats are squealing so much about it, I have to wonder if this nominee would have been another David Souter.
"I call on the President to name a nominee in the mainstream of American jurisprudence, who can help bring this nation together and demonstrate a scrupulous knowledge of the law and a judicial temperament that enables support by both sides of the political aisle.
This is a joke, right? Did Ruth Ginsburg represent the "mainstream" of America? But I'll bet Ms. Feinstein voted to confirm that extremist! These Democrats whining about the "far right-wing" is a joke, considering they would confirm a "far leftist", activist judge in a heartbeat!
Pity they turned out to be no different than the movement folks on the left.
Rats are good at picking fight they can't win, like Florida in the 2000 election.
Aren't we the ones with the guns?
This is just spin. Miers is out. I'm sure her replacement will be indisputably conservative. If the Dems want to try to make that an issue, that's fine. So will we.
Looks like it.
Commentators are hard at work scouting the scope and range of the real battlefield. This from Terry Neil.
What some see as the inevitable nomination of a staunch conservative also provides an opening for the left, which is eager for a battle--even one they are likely to lose. The battle will help set the tone for next year's midterm elections and the 2008 presidential election, with the left hoping to convince the middle that the GOP takeover of Washington has moved the country dangerously to the right, typified by the argument that abortion rights are endangered by a Bush court.
The liberal People for the American Way, which vehemently opposed the Roberts nomination, did relatively little to oppose Miers. But it reacted with outrage--as though it had actually supported the nomination--upon news that she had withdrawn her name this morning. "It's an astonishing spectacle," said PFAW president Ralph Neas in a statement this morning. "The unelected power-brokers of the far right have forced the withdrawal of President Bush's own Supreme Court nominee, before a confirmation hearing has even been held. President Bush's complete capitulation to the far-right interest groups is astounding. The ultra-right wing dominance of Republican Party politics is complete, and they have dealt a terrible blow to an already weakened president and his administration. Right-wingers are openly saying they elected Bush to put a battle-ready ultraconservative on the court to replace the moderate Sandra Day O'Connor, and they're demanding a new choice -- bipartisanship, moderation and mainstream Americans be damned."
Sometimes I wonder who “W” is more afraid to fight, the jihad nutbags or the liberal nutbags.
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