White House warns holdouts

U.S.News.com ^ | 10/13/05 | Kenneth T. Walsh

[baystaterebel]

White House officials have a message for conservative Republican senators who have expressed doubt about supporting Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers.

The West Wing types argue that she will turn out to be just as conservative as President Bush says she is, and voting against her would be an embarrassment over the long term. This message is intended for holdouts including Sam Brownback of Kansas, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, and Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.

"If Miers is confirmed and she winds up being what the president says she is, Republican senators who voted against her will look quite foolish," says a GOP insider. This could cause a backlash against these legislators from conservative Bush supporters at the grass roots.

[ModelBreaker]

But you don't get anything done if you can't compromise with people who also have agendas they love as much as you love yours

I agree in theory. But what if those people pretended they shared your agenda and then changed their minds? Wouldn't you be reluctant to compromise with them?

[fish hawk]

So you really think that Bush is going to "betray" his people?

[Stellar Dendrite]

"This isn't about reservations. This is about an evil attack on Harriet Miers by evil people."

You heard it here folks!! AF-Vet says Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, Peggy Noonan, Rush Limbaugh, George Will, Rich Lowry, David Frum, John Fund, Robert Bork, et al are EVIL people!!!

Shame on them, they havent done a DAMN thing for conservatism!

[empirekin768]

Again, Kerry was a critic of the war. Are you implying that his views on the Burger nomination (whatever they were) were giving aide to the enemy in some way? You're so far out of line it isn't even funny.

[falpro]

Will Miers be a Gonzales constructionst? or an Owen constructionist?

President Bush:

"...I nominated her to the bench; ....she will not legislate from the bench but strictly interpret the Constitution."

H Miers 10/3/05:

"The wisdom of those who drafted our constitution and conceived our nation as functioning with three strong and independent branches have proven truly remarkable. It is the responsibility of every generation to be true to the founders' vision of the proper role of the courts in our society. If confirmed, I recognize that I will have a tremendous responsibility to keep our judicial system strong, and to help ensure that the courts meet their obligations to strictly apply the laws and the Constitution. "

Either you believe both Bush & Miers, or you don't.

If you don't believe them, then you are calling them liars -
something their Christian faith asks them to avoid.

There's the rub.

[tennmountainman]

"Don't worry. After Bush accepted all the blame for Katrina (at least that's how all the headlines played his mea culpa), I'm sure the percentage of black votes for Republicans will surge in 06 and 08, more than making up for the loss of foot soldiers."

You may be right. If the republicans campaign on big spending, open borders and an unwillingness to confront democrats in the senate, I am sure they will pick up enough entitlement votes, illegal votes and moderate votes to more than wash out my little conservative vote.

[af_vet_1981]

against a big chunk of your base

It is not a big chunk of the base that is attacking Miers. It is the people who make their living off the base, as well as the malcontents who hate the President anyway. Most conservatives were probably disappointed in her selection but trust the President enough to support him and her. I'm disappointed in Clarence Thomas too. He is not as good as Scalia but better than most of the rest.

[Sam the Sham]

So the value to W of a win NOW is big, regardless that there were better nominee's available and W regards the damage from a loss NOW as huge.

A win over your own base is always a defeat in the long run. Clinton "won" in NAFTA. But that "win" meant turning the Democratic party into the party of upscale latte liberal manners and mores and ignoring the values and economic interests of blue collar Americans. The result ? The Democratic Party lost the House, the Senate and mayoralty after governorship because without economic populism they had nothing to counter 'values'. The New Democrats who had supported NAFTA were wiped out and the leftists who had opposed it survived.

[flashbunny]

Well, you of course know why they're evil, right?

[Blowtorch]

As a conservative Republican, President Bush never ceases to disappoint me. With all the outstanding conservative jurists already in the system, Bush has to appoint a croney whose past record indicates she is no more than a politician rather than a constitutional scholar. Our only hope is that she is rejected by the senate. Her confirmation will be a serious blow to the Republicans in future elections.

Exactly how I feel.

[harrowup]

I was just thinking about this - they'll warn conservative republicans that they have to get on board or else, but they'll coddle the RINOs until the sun goes down.

I seriously doubt you think about anything. If you did you would realize that conservative Republicans are a minority in their party just as liberals like me are now a minority in the Democratic Party.

I'll repeat this one last time for you. The conservatives do not own the Republican Party any more than Jesse Jackson owns the Democratic Party...and my association is deliberately insulting just in case you still can't figure out why you always sound so dumb.

[Cboldt]

I'm serious though. I think that is exatly what she might be like. Conservative on some things, but not so conservative on others.

I don't think GWB is conservative. =:-O
Radical thought in FR. I'm immune to flames by now.

As for Miers, I think her personal compassion is a quality that she sees properly a function of government too. THere will not be a government welfare program that her heart can turn down. As for social hot-button issues, I honestly have no clue.

What bugs me is that it is impossible to have a principled decision when the object is a cipher. Everybody is guessing, inclusing the Senators. This is not transparent government. Kinda sticks in my craw. Even if she is to the right of me. Lay out her philosophy - clear (and hearings are totally inadequate for that) - then have a principled fight over it.

And when I think about it, my how far we have drifed from original intent. "Should a judge somehow set social policy from the bench" used be an easy question, agreed answer by all. But that is the question we are fighting over. In the dark. Wearing straightjackets.

[af_vet_1981]

Again, Kerry was a critic of the war. Are you implying that his views on the Burger nomination (whatever they were) were giving aide to the enemy in some way? You're so far out of line it isn't even funny.

I see. So in your estimation John F Kerry was a patriot while he criticized the war. Makes sense given your other comments.

[GladesGuru]

So you really think that Bush is going to "betray" his people?

As the Scotsman said "I hae me doots."

The question really is, who are Bush's people? Are they really the Pubbie rank and file base that elected him or his wealthy, one-worldly, CFR colleagues?

[Stellar Dendrite]

lol havent used that much lately :)

[1035rep]

Kerry does give aid and comfort to the enemy...he always has and always will

[Blowtorch]

It is not a big chunk of the base that is attacking Miers.

Even if it were only 15%, that's a big chunk. My guess is it's much more than 15%-more like half.

[tennmountainman]

What are examples of conservative 'values'?
__________________________________________________________

Spending like drunken sailors, leaving the borders open, an unwillingness to confront democrats and change rules, even though we have a majority in all three branches...is this what conservative values mean in 2005?

[Gondring]

LOL!

[Ken H]

Here's one for the list

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1500910/posts?page=219#219