What Rove Said To Dobson (Some on SC short list took themselves off)

National Journal - Hotline ^ | 10/11/05 | Hotline staff

[frankjr]

The secret stuff (which is bolded in the full entry) is that Rove first spoke to Dobson on Saturday and told him that Miers was high on the short list. And second, that several prominent prospects had taken themsevles out of contention.

This clearly will raise other questions -- clearly, if what Rove told Dobson is true (and we're reading the implication correctly), the president was not choosing from his ideal field of candidates -- and it dovetails with scuttlebutt that other potential nominees asked not to be considered.

According to Dobson: "Karl Rove has now given me permission to go public with our conversation."

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{Dobson partial transcript below}

"But we also talked about something else, and I think this is the first time this has been disclosed. Some of the other candidates who had been on that short list, and that many conservatives are now upset about were highly qualified individuals that had been passed over. Well, what Karl told me is that some of those individuals took themselves off that list and they would not allow their names to be considered, because the process has become so vicious and so vitriolic and so bitter, that they didn't want to subject themselves or the members of their families to it.

So, even today, many conservatives and many of friends of mine, are being interviewed on talk shows and national television programs. And they're saying, "Why didn't the President appoint so-and-so? He or she would have been great. They had a wonderful judicial record. They would have been the kind of person we've been hoping and working and praying for to be on the Court. Well, it very well may be that those individuals didn't want to be appointed."

[McGavin999]

Perhaps the more qualified women removed themselves from consideration because they didn't want to be nominated based on their sex but their qualifications. Perhaps they will allow themselves to be considered for a general-occupancy appointment.

Perhaps you are making an assumption that only women removed their names from the list.

[conservativecorner]

I have to say that I find this laughable as an excuse for picking Meirs. Pathetic!

[frankjr]

Attempted spin gone bad?!

[Sgt_Schultze]

No. I am using this excerpt...

Dobson said that the White House had decided to nominate a woman, which reduced the size of the list, and that several women on it had then bowed out.

from this post to conclude that Bush considered only women for this open seat. Then, of course, the rest is speculation.

[deport]

The below from the following

CLICK

The LA TIMES reports: In that conversation, which has been the subject of feverish speculation, Rove also told Dobson that one reason the president was passing over better-known conservatives was that many on the White House short list had asked not to be considered, Dobson said, according to an advance transcript of the broadcast provided by his organization, Focus on the Family.

Dobson said that the White House had decided to nominate a woman, which reduced the size of the list, and that several women on it had then bowed out.

``What Karl told me is that some of those individuals took themselves off that list and they would not allow their names to be considered, because the process has become so vicious and so vitriolic and so bitter that they didn't want to subject themselves or the members of their families to it,'' Dobson said, according to the transcript.

[presidentsfriend]

Forgive me if this is a tiny bit off topic,but,George Will is a total A HOLE IMHO! Sure he`s against Miers,he`s against everything our President stands for.If he was a decent conservative he would not have allowed himself to be the token conservative with ABC news all these years.Why do you suppose Liberals like him so much? Its obvious,I have no use for him.I`m afraid my good friend David Brooks of the NY Times is wanting to follow in his footsteps.He will soon be just another token conservative.

[rob777]

I don't think she's a good pick at all, but I think we will be very foolish to derail her. Not because of Bush, but because of all our past arguments against the 'rats. How can we say they are wrong to derail someone over ideological differences if we do it? And how could we accept Ginsburg but not Miers? Bad as it is, we are stuck with Miers.






I agree.

[rob777]

Perhaps the more qualified women removed themselves from consideration because they didn't want to be nominated based on their sex but their qualifications.




Good point.

[glory2]

Dr. Dobson is going to be on our radio in the next few minutes in a 2 day reporting of why he supports Harriet Miers. I plan on listening.

As an Evangelical Christian I feel very unsettled about the White House using Dr. Dobson and pushing her because she is a Christian and goes to a church of which he knows the pastor.

I know many professing Christians who I wouldn't want on the Supreme Court... just a few... Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton who sings in black choirs when given the chance, Tony Campolo, Jesse Jackson. You can have the most pro-life church and their will be members who are pro-abortion. We all know this.

That we Evangelical Christians are suppose to support her because of Dr. Dobson's recommendations smacks of something I don't like. She has never revealed her judicial constitutional views. How will she vote on school prayer? How will she vote of Oregon's Death law? How will she vote on partial birth abortion? What about Eminent Domain? That she goes to church is not enough for me. Jesus warned us up the chaff as they look just like the wheat until put to use.

I just worry Dr. Dobson is being played like a fiddle. I don't like thinking of the White House doing such a thing, but it is my impression. I respect Dr. Dobson too much for him this.

If it is true that Karl Rove stated to Dr. Dobson other 'qualified individuals' pulled themselves off the list, I refuse to believe that America is so small that Ms. Miers is the highest appointment. I am afraid the White House will soon fulfill the scripture "your sin will find you out"...

[Ol' Sparky]

If what Rove said is true, this is even a bigger outrage. We're supposed to believe that Bush ran out of qualified female judges with a proven track record and accepted a stealth maybe because he couldn't fill a quota?

A principled conservative in charge of the process would 1) Expand his list until he found a know originalist that was female or 2) Go to the male Hispanic list, male Africian-American list or, even, the male Caucasian list to find a known originalist that wanted the job.

What we have is a President that cares more about filling a quota than doing the right thing and find a proven commodity.

[ClaireSolt]

You still have not learned that you have a very limited version of what qualified means? for instance, have you seen notice of how much business supports her credentials?

[presidentsfriend]

Jimmy Carter,Bill Clinton,Tony Campolo,Jesse Jackson???I know all these people and they are not Christian.There is no such thing as a pro choice Christian!!!Case closed,The fat lady has sung!

I heard what you where saying and of course you are on the right side.I just take great offense when someone suggests a Christian could be pro choice.Not possible,they don`t have the spirit of God in them when they make such statements.Lets call it what it is....pro choice is not Christian,any way shape or form!

[glory2]

I agree with you and I too know what you are saying. The Lord states "You will know them by their fruit". That is what I am waiting for from the White House.... fruit. What has she done? She has made herself a blank slate throughout her career. That is not what the Lord calls us to do. He calls us to speak for those who can't speak for themselves.

I have taken the time to write her pastor. I viewed the Valley View Christian Church in Dallas where she attends. There is nothing on their website that shows any ministry for the unborn, or in trouble pregnant women. Usually a "pro-life" Christian church does have some ministry. Maybe they do, they just haven't posted it on their site.

As a Christian I look into what the future holds. We should all be more like Isiah, in fear and trembling before the Lord over this nominee. The Christian voices that speak so forcefully knowing that they know how she will vote on partial birth abortion, Roe V. Wade, Oregon's Death with Dignity ought to take some time on their knees. Only God knows how she will vote in the future. I wouldn't want the blood of the innocent on my hands by being caught up in a political fury to get a friend or associate on the SC that would have life or death over the unborn.

The National Right To Life states she went to a dinner in a pro-life fundraising dinner in the late 1980's or early 1990's. Is this what we are basing her philosophy and personal beliefs on? Her law firm also gave support to Hillary Clinton. There are so many mixed messages. The stakes are too high to put our hopes on a woman just because she went to a dinner 15-20 years ago or attends an Evangelical church.

[Les_Miserables]

The fact that we are supposed to rely on such "information" to quiet our nerves and not make a fuss about this nomination should send chills down the back of any conservative. I will be watching the hearings closely but unless the drama improves I will ask my senator before the hearings close to reflect on his future at the voting booth before he votes for confirmation. She had better be a doozy in the hearings.

[SolomoninSouthDakota]

"OK Lets me get this straight.

Will, Coulter, Buchanan jump ugly with President Bush over Harriet Miers nomination. They claim she is not qualified or they don't know enough about her, or both at the same time.

President Bush has watched time and again his nominees go before these schmucks in the senate only to be harassed by this pack of media seeking hyenas. He has time and again watched the republican schmucks he is supposed to be counting on turn tail and run once a little fur starts to fly.

Now add to this that not only has President Bush been watching this scrum of idiots totally trash nominees along with the confirmation process over and over, but future nominees have as well and do not want to be placed in the care of the incompetent Republicans ruling the judicial committee.

President Bush not only finds a woman who has worked for him for many years, earned his confidence, the deciding factor may have been that she was willing to risk her reputation in this circus of the absurd.

Clowns in front of her asking/posing peacock puffed up like questions and blowhards to the rear sniping about what school she attended or speculation if she is a lesbian or not.

And yet some of the Presidents own party fault this nomination of Harriet Miers."

I see you are plugged into reality as too few are nowadays. President Bush is responsible for many of the historic gains in the conservative movement. Maybe we are getting too far from the "Times of Troubles" that were the Clinton years and folks are loosing their perspective. Universal Health Care anyone? Let's decimate the military today, huh? And oh yeah, let's stay a minority party in Congress for another gazillion years or so.
I'm not saying everything is at all all roses right now. But the man largely responsible for the political improvements is the oft misunderestimated GWB.
That said, I think a mistake he made that now must haunt him is backing of Sphincter over Toomey. That hurt.

[gitmo]

What exactly is the problem with Miers? Has she made some off-the-wall statements about COTUS? I'm not sure what the objections to her are.