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I was wrong; so please join me in supporting Harriet Miers.

Posted on 10/09/2005 3:28:25 PM PDT by Pukin Dog

I decided to end my self-imposed exile from posting due to information that I received this past weekend from ‘a little birdie’ in Washington, which I subsequently had confirmed by another ‘insider’ if you can call him that.

You know I won’t tell, so don’t bother asking me for names, links, or further information. I trust these individuals, and have received accurate information from them before and shared it here on Free Republic. Of course, all are free to either accept or reject what I am about to share, but if you know anything about the Dog, I don’t change my mind often, and my only goal is to pass on information that can help support the Conservative agenda.

Issue 1.

Information was shared with me on Saturday, which described in no uncertain terms that Harriet Miers stands as the only nominee on Bush’s list which has any chance of confirmation by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The reasons for this are numerous, and would be embarrassing to the Conservative movement should one or many of the ‘stars’ who we hoped Bush would select be shot down in Committee, which again, if true, would be a certainty.

More than one of the persons we might have wanted made it clear to the President that they would not accept his nomination if selected. You can draw your own conclusions as to why, but the only hint I will provide is that data mining works too damn well these days. What we saw back when Clarence Thomas was nominated would seem like a walk in the park, compared to what would be done to some of our most popular jurists.

Our Democrat opponents have been quite busy, especially after John Roberts embarrassed them, searching for any information that would allow an open personal attack on a nominee. Sadly, many of the folks we wanted badly would have had their lives destroyed had they attempted confirmation to the bench, and wisely declined. There is no one among us who has not done (or had a family member do) things that we either regret, or would rather keep to ourselves. Because none of us are perfect, it is possible that had one of our choices been selected, we might have lived to regret that day for a very long time.

Issue 2.

Arlen Specter is in my opinion, a traitor to the Conservative movement. He has made it clear to the White House that he is determined to protect his legacy, by NOT supporting any name among those who might make it possible to overturn Rowe V. Wade. What that means, is that had Bush put up someone who might make us proud, Specter reneged on a PROMISE to support Bush’s judicial nominees in return for his, (and especially Rick Santorum’s) support for his re-election. This promise was made when there was strong consideration for removing Specter’s pending chairmanship in favor of John Coryn, or an extension to the term of Orrin Hatch.

The removal of Specter from the Chairmanship would have been disastrous, because he would have remained a committee member, and would have sided with Democrats against the President’s selections out of spite. So, why not simply remove Specter from the committee? That would have been really bad PR, considering Specter’s health issues at the time these decisions were being made.

One could argue that it might have been best to send up nominee after nominee, even if eventually defeated, but remember that O’Conner is only around hoping for a quick confirmation so that she can be with her ill husband. Bush was under the gun to come up with a confirmable candidate, or risk a Supreme Court not running at full strength as important rulings came under review.

I am told that Arlen Specter has gone back on every single promise he made when his chairmanship was still a question, and feels untouchable now that he is ill, because any punitive measures taken against him would be seen as ‘less than compassionate’ by the MSM and Democrats, who admittedly would have a field day, were Specter punished for his duplicity. The sad thing is that after “Scottish Law” or even the “Magic Bullet theory” that some think that anything that Arlen Specter says can be trusted. Sure, he supported Clarence Thomas, but does anyone believe that Specter would still be a Senator if he had not?

Issue 3.

Let’s face it; our Republican Senate is an embarrassment. From the weakness of Frist, to the petulance of the dude who ‘thinks he is leader’ McCain, down to his McCainiac compadre Lindsey (tinker-bell) Graham, to the nut from Mississippi who thinks he can actually get his leadership position back by actively rebelling against the President, we aint looking to good at all.

Our Republican Senate has as members at least 7 Democrats who could have never gotten elected as Democrats, who nonetheless support the Democrat agenda whenever they can get away with it, which unfortunately due to the weakness of Frist, is all too often. I find myself wishing Tom Delay would run for the Senate against Hutchinson, just so we can have someone in the Senate not afraid to break some heads to get things done. Why can’t we have a Republican Lyndon Johnson when we need one?

Because our Republican Senate is so weak, President Bush cannot rely on them for much. He could not have gotten majority support in this current Senate for any judicial nominee that would have made us proud. The usual suspects have made it clear to the President that any nominee who would have put their re-election prospects at risk would vote against that nominee. The bottom line, is that the Republican Senate is made up of too many who want the job, but not the work. The only job they see before them is that of getting re-elected to another six year term.

Luttig, McConnell, JRB, Owen, Alito, or anyone else you want to name, would have been defeated, and probably defeated in committee, in order to save other Senators from having to vote them down on the floor. Of this, I am now convinced. Only two names were considered allowable for Senate confirmation; Miers and Gonzales. When Bush met with Senators, he was reportedly told that these two names were the only ones that stood a chance to be confirmed, but Gonzales would face pointed questions about Abu Gharab, Gitmo, and the administration’s policy on torture. It would have been ugly, but he would have been confirmed against the added damage done by dejected a dejected conservative base, and liberal attacks on the President’s agenda. There would have also had to be a new search for an Attorney General, which would have been just as ugly.

Had Bush put up selections that would have been defeated, the chorus of ‘Lame Duck’ chanting coming out of Washington would have drowned out the President’s agenda. A defeat in the Senate would have also signaled to Congress that they were on their own, and no longer had to back up, support, or even listen to President Bush. They would have been free to play the political-calculation game that the Democrats have been playing for 6 years; avoiding tough votes that would be used against them in a future campaign.

So, what’s the bottom line?

The bottom line is that Bush did his best to give us what we want, in a way that will not hurt the prospects of the Conservative agenda. The primary thing that must be considered, is that the Congress can NEVER be put back in Democrat hands, for that would destroy all progress made up to now. Our day will come, but this aint it. If we had a Republican Senate made up of real patriots without the odd liberal in Republican clothing, things would be a lot better.

In Miers, Bush has clearly taken what he can get, and our best hope now is for another vacancy on the court before this administration’s term is up. The current makeup of the Congress will just not allow our agenda to be passed at this time without major sacrifices and pragmatic thinking to overcome the inherit weakness of having traitors in our midst.

It appears to me that Harriet Miers is the best CONFIRMABLE candidate for the Supreme Court at this time. This fact is not the fault of the President. Indeed it is OUR fault. It is us who have supported less than the best candidates for the Senate. We are responsible for Chaffee, Snowe, McCain, Graham, Lott, Frist and other persons of questionable courage. We should not be blaming Bush for our own votes. We selected the people that the President must rely upon to move his agenda forward. If they are losers, then he loses too.

Though they literally suck, we are stuck with these people because we must keep the majority to keep our agenda alive. There have been worse moments for us, but none would be worse than than the day we lose the Senate our House majorities. I now believe that although Bush disapointed many of us, that he did the very best he could do without destroying our momentum.

Yes, like Rush Limbaugh said, it was a choice made from weakness.

But the thing to remember, is that it was not Bush’s weakness, but our own, and that of the people we have elected to Congress that made this happen. Had they been strong, Bush could have selected anyone we wanted.

Because of what I now know about how and why Harriet Miers was selected, I withdraw my earlier statements against her, my statements suggesting anything less than my strong support of the President, and finally, my self imposed exile from Free Republic.

Pukin Dog is back, so deal with it.


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
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To: Cincinna; Pukin Dog
I stand by my original comment that none of the others could get 51 votes even if by some miracle, they got out of Committee.

Many, many thinking people agree with you.

With the squishy Republican Senate and an ineffective and super squishy Frist, the Dems would have won big time.

So now that we've got the majority in both houses AND the White House is ours, we now have to purge the rinos.

jmho

181 posted on 10/09/2005 4:11:55 PM PDT by Principled
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To: Dems_R_Losers

I disagree.
President Bush has always made good choices.
He acts on reason and practicality rather than emotion.
He made a campaign promise to us about SCOTUS twice, and he was not going to go back on it.


182 posted on 10/09/2005 4:12:17 PM PDT by Cincinna (HILLARY and her HINO want to take over your country. STOP THEM NOW!)
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To: Pukin Dog
I would like to say it again....BRIT HUME JUST SAID....10 minutes ago....THE SAME THING PUKIN DOG POSTED!...THE SAME THING!

Maybe NOW some of you will take it seriously!

183 posted on 10/09/2005 4:12:34 PM PDT by Guenevere (God bless our military!...and God bless the President of the United States!)
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To: Pukin Dog
Harriet Miers stands as the only nominee on Bush’s list which has any chance of confirmation by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The reasons for this are numerous, and would be embarrassing to the Conservative movement should one or many of the ‘stars’ who we hoped Bush would select be shot down in Committee

Yeah, the last week has been smooth as silk - no embarrassment whatsoever to the party or the conservative cause.

A good borking might have been less disastrous.

184 posted on 10/09/2005 4:12:38 PM PDT by nerdgirl
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To: Pukin Dog

Thanks for coming back Pukin, we need you.


185 posted on 10/09/2005 4:12:38 PM PDT by McGavin999 (We're a First World Country with a Third World Press (Except for Hume & Garrett ))
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To: Pukin Dog

I don't care how many times you go or come back. If it would bother me I just wouldn't read the posts.


You seem to have good sources and if W gets more chances to pick others, how could he ever consider a strict conservative?


186 posted on 10/09/2005 4:12:38 PM PDT by Mr Cobol (The MSM and WH reporters are stuck on stupid!! Add the 90 'Senators' to that. Idiots!)
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To: Torie

"She has a visceral biblical hatred of abortion"

still looking for actual evidence that this is true... (other than naming what church she goes/went to or something her pastor believes)


187 posted on 10/09/2005 4:12:47 PM PDT by kpp_kpp
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To: flashbunny

Flash...leave it.

I like you, we've had a couple of good discussions—but you are barking up the wrong tree here. Or hopping down the wrong hole...or whatever.

It just doesn't matter. So leave it alone.


188 posted on 10/09/2005 4:13:28 PM PDT by pollyannaish
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To: flashbunny
I guess discussion boards are only for when you want to agree with someone.
Discussion boards are for discussing the topic at hand. The topic is "supporting Harriet Miers."
189 posted on 10/09/2005 4:13:43 PM PDT by Clara Lou
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To: daviscupper
No, we haven't. Politicans with (R) after their name outnumber those with (D) after their name, but honest conservative politicans are still a rare breed.
190 posted on 10/09/2005 4:13:56 PM PDT by ThePythonicCow (To err is human; to moo is bovine.)
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To: Pukin Dog
Your points are well-taken, and interesting to read. However, you're reinforcing those (sure, like me) who are concluding there's zero purpose to supporting a bunch of weak, lying quislings.

These same zeros in the Senate were there when, this time last year, the big Bush/Republican theme was "It's all about the judges! Let's give 'em hell!"

If the real theme then, as now, was "Our party is principle-free, stands for nothing except acquiring power and spending money, is populated with weak sisters and I don't even have the guts to fight Arlen Specter or Jim Jeffords" then it would have been the American thing to do to admit it.

They lie, they backtrack, they obfuscate - on any number of things, not just judges. What they don't do is deliver on the many promises, even after seizing all the reins of power.

Bush can't beg his base to support Specter, then use Specter as the excuse for why he can't/won't do what he promised to do.

191 posted on 10/09/2005 4:14:01 PM PDT by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: Torie
I did not say all 7 (or 11) were tainted. Some were, others backed out of the process, some were opposed by Specter and others. It might not mean much, but I got confirmation after first being told about this. If you remember some of my posts regarding 'little birdie' before the 2004 elections, you know this source is trustworthy. But I wont hate you for disagreeing with me.
192 posted on 10/09/2005 4:14:09 PM PDT by Pukin Dog (Sans Reproache)
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To: Jim Noble

indeed, the better strategy would have been to nominate a "2nd tier" conservative - Edith Jones, Batchelder - not one of the "controversial" picks like Owens, Luttig, Brown, etc. Let the RINO gang vote one of them down. Use the forum to expose the RINOs, let's see McCain vote an otherwise qualified person down strictly over abortion and then come back in 2008 and tell people he is pro-life.

Bush could then have come back with Miers after the first choice was rejected. at least, had he done this, we could have exposed these people and gotten them on the record.

And I still want to know why, if Specter is supposedly adamant about not voting for someone who will toss Roe - why is he supporting Miers? what does Spector know about Miers on this issue that allows him to vote for her?


193 posted on 10/09/2005 4:15:03 PM PDT by oceanview
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To: Owen

Let me help you with some of this. Being on SCOTUS 30 years after being a party animal in college, is different than flying a jet as a young man, having indulged as a young man. Gephardt back when was sort of apolgetic about his clean living ways, when the subject came up. In any event, the point is that the comment that this could in any way be a skeleton is ludicrous. If it were made an issue of, there would be a huge backlash.


194 posted on 10/09/2005 4:15:17 PM PDT by Torie
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To: flashbunny
Yes, daring to question another poster or what the administration is 'starting a pissing match'.

Now, you're sounding really stupid.

"daring" to to question another poster or what the administration is doing is what you SHOULD be doing.

The pissing match is what you're trying do to PD, me, and so many others.

I guess discussion boards are only for when you want to agree with someone.

You guess dumbly again. Boards are for discussion issues. Pissing matches are for children.

195 posted on 10/09/2005 4:15:20 PM PDT by Principled
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To: Guenevere
Really?

Where was he? Is he still on?
196 posted on 10/09/2005 4:15:27 PM PDT by Pukin Dog (Sans Reproache)
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To: Washi
To recap: It's our fault that the president broke his campaign promise to us, his base.

Jimmy Carter always put the blame on the people, too.

197 posted on 10/09/2005 4:16:03 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Federal creed: If it moves tax it. If it keeps moving regulate it. If it stops moving subsidize it)
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To: Guenevere
Now you did it! Poor Brit will be labeled a Bush shill for this. lol
198 posted on 10/09/2005 4:16:03 PM PDT by TheForceOfOne (It was a village of idiots that raised Hillary to Senator status.)
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To: Torie

"All the above have skeletons eh?"
Don't know about skeletons, but they do have a paper trail, on the record.
I don't believe that anyone with a very Conservative paper trail would be confirmed.
John Roberts was lucky that his judicial appointment was short and neutral. Had he been confirmed under Bush 41, he would not be CJ today.


199 posted on 10/09/2005 4:16:10 PM PDT by Cincinna (HILLARY and her HINO want to take over your country. STOP THEM NOW!)
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To: Pukin Dog

No one made it through the process eh? Did Specter have a veto power? What does your birdie say about that?


200 posted on 10/09/2005 4:16:31 PM PDT by Torie
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