The sad part to me is that the process has been circumvented.
We elected representatives. The President has the right to appoint whomever he sees fit. The Congress has the right to advise and consent. If conservatives didn't like Miers, and our elected representatives thought she was not fit for the SCOTUS, they should have been forced to vote her down...thus enacting the will of those who voted for them.
Truth is, the conservatives said they didn't trust Bush, but they didn't really trust the process or their elected representatives to work for them.
Those who sought a "Constitutionalist" to be appointed to the Supreme Court, then found a way around the Constitution, and the woman withdrew before even speaking a word at the hearings.
Sad day to me. Rush said, "We're now united." Yeah, until the next candidate comes along and Rush, or Schafly, or Coulter find that they didn't dot their "i's" or cross their "t's" to their liking.
Should they actually get through, they stand a good chance of being voted down in the full Senate until tempers cool.
In any case, the court will now go back into session with a known quantity in the retired and rehired queen of womens issues and some important issues will be coming before her.
Issues that would have been decided differently because the balance on the court is still the same as it was.
But I digress........
Since when is exercising your First Amendment right going "around the Constitution?"
No one "forced" Miers to withdraw. She didn't have a gun held to her head and told to "withdraw or else!" People spoke up and the White House reacted.
You do realize don't you that we are the sovereigns in this country.....not the politicians?
Bloated budget, Title IX, Campaign finance, immigration...this President has done what he wanted and conservatives have played along. If this were the Democraps, the left wing would have sent Ted Kennedy up to run against him in '04. ..
Bush promise a conservative bench. Ya gotta do better than Miers.
'Found a way around the Constitution?' You mean we protested a dumb decision, and our elected representatives heard us, but the Constitution doesn't allow dissent now? Check out the First Amendment sometime, sister!
Stop bashing the base and get in line to support the new conservative nominee, whoever that is. Or get off the bus. Either way, STFU about Miers. You RINOs are really getting whiny, having lost your very first head-to-head battle with conservatives. We beat you in public instead of letting you get away with your usual RINO tactic of slipping in the knife when the lights were dimmed, and you can't handle that. What's so damn sad is you babies can't accept you've NEVER had public support. You even have to pretend you're conservatives to get elected.
And one more thing: your silly 'process' argument is a joke, just like the hearings you wanted us all to wait for. What was she going to tell us, her favorite color and shoe size? She sure as hell wasn't going to address anything controversial--Roberts didn't, and according to you, she's his equal or better, so why would she? Oh, that's right, because she was the best person for the job, how could I possibly forget that? /sarc
I don't think you truly understand the process. Sure, the President can appoint whoever he sees fit. If conservatives don't like the choice, what are we supposed to do? Wait until the hearings begin and the nominee has built some momentum and then quietly call our "elected representatives" and tell them we don't like the nominee? That's not the way you get action in Washington. You have to make your voice heard early and often. The process worked EXACTLY the way it should have in this case. When it became clear to the President that the base was not going to stand for this nominee, she withdrew her name.
Nope. We just didn't trust Bush.
Are you seriously trying to make the argument that the democratic process is circumvented when people voice opposition to a government policy or decision? Bush voluntarily withdrew the nomination in response to criticism. The people merely persuaded Bush to make another nomination.