Bush at War With Right Over Court Nomination (And why Rush Limbaugh &c are sadly mistaken)

The White House branded its increasingly vocal conservative critics as "cynical" yesterday as the dispute over President George W Bush's nomination of his official lawyer to the Supreme Court deepened.

Many Republicans have described Harriet Miers as unqualified for such an important job. They are lobbying for an ultra-conservative with an established judicial record.

Critics have seized on correspondence between Miss Miers and the Bush family to portray her as a lightweight.

Mr Bush's top aide, the White House chief of staff Andy Card, criticised the campaign by influential party figures to prevent Miss Miers's elevation to America's most powerful court.

"I'm a little surprised they came out of the box so cynically," he told a television interviewer.

The use of such language by a top Bush aide about prominent Republican party supporters was unprecedented, indicating a growing sense of desperation.

The White House has suffered a dire six weeks during which it has been criticised for the handling of Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq war and its legislative programme.

As Mr Bush's approval ratings have sunk to an all-time low, his chief strategist, Karl Rove, has faced questioning for his role in the leaking of a CIA agent's name.

To add to the Republican's woes, the party's "iron fist" in Congress, Tom DeLay, has been indicted for criminal conspiracy and money laundering.

Newsweek magazine noted yesterday that the Bush administration was now being seen as "a political machine that has lost its bearings, and even its skill, in a whorl of war, hurricanes, scandal, internal strife and second-term ennui".

Such talk has increased the Bush team's determination not to suffer defeat on the Miers nomination. But many believe the case against her is already overwhelming.

Me too, I tell you what. If it wasn't for two things, I would be really hacked about Miers. First, I am holding out hope that Bush being a dedicated Christian and having had known her for many years means he has taken this seriously and does have some merit, based on his 1000 batting average when it comes to judicial nominees the past five years. Second, I seriously do not believe that a Owens or Luddig or Jones would get out of committee, and if they did, that they'd also get through all the RINOs in the Senate. There were 22 democrats and the jeffordcrat that voted against Roberts even. That begs the question, how many more would have voted against a clear conservative ideologue in the full Senate? All the democrats, the jeffordcrat, and a few RINOs? A few would be all it takes, especially if the rats break that wussy deal the gang of 14 made and filibuster. If that happened, I don't see 60 votes for a conservative ideologue in the Senate. There is no way there'd be a conservative second nomination if the first one was defeated in committee or in the Senate.

It also puts me off all the accusations against Miers that she's not qualified, she's not bright enough, etc. Well, I'd sure like to know the qualifications and intellects of those questioning hers, and what makes them qualified and educated enough to do so. Somehow I doubt that all those critical of her are of even equal qualifications and experience. Plus, having had read the Constitution cover to cover, I haven't seen anything that says that a Justice must be the most qualified person available, or be deeply experienced, just as the Constitution also deliberately does not specify that the person must be a judge or a lawyer. It would be nice if more people opposed to her would remember that fact. There is not that much difference between Miers and Renquist, except that W. knows Miers very well, and Reagan didn't know Renquist. Where was all the conservative angst at Reagan? There are just too many unanswered questions right now to go flaming for OR against her in my mind. On one hand, I am praying that Bush knows her and knows how she'll adjudicate.

On the other hand, it makes me nervous that there is any ambiguity about Miers at all. I'm hopeful for the best, but nervous about the worst. I want a 6 conservative majority on the court so bad I can taste it. If Miers doesn't do it, then God willing, there will be a conservative Republican President in '08, because I don't see stevens, ginsburg, and breyer making it another seven years. None of them are in great help and all of them are 70+. Patience sure is hard sometimes.

You again accuse me of having no conservative values but can't back it up. You're a typical no name internet nobody. I don't have to justify anything by you, I KNOW what I've done in my life dealing with politics and what I believe. Some nobody like you with a mouth and a keyboard doesn't change that. Insults are a poor excuse for facts, and that's all you do. You're people skills suck and you're the typical emotional poor debater. You can't debunk any facts I put forward so as is the typical way of the intellect challenged, you resort to insults and name calling. The fact that you claim to be a conservative, then go off attacking other conservatives, is really disappointing since I have always believed that on the whole, conservatives were of a higher quality than you appear to be. There are exceptions to every rule, and now I believe you're one of the emotional immature trolls that many users warned me about on here. People like you aren't even worth talking to.

Correct. That is the big thing that disappoints me so much about Bush. I want to like him SOOO bad because he's a nice guy, was a great Governor here in Texas, and has been 100% spot on in he war on terror (not counting all the crap about how islam is a peaceful religion, blah blah blah). But domestically, what the heck??? Education he's done great, my wife is a teacher and she really likes No Child Left Behind. It's proven to be a success compared to public education six years ago. He did a awesome job with the tax cuts. Excellent. But Immigration? Border Control? Budget cuts? Anyone? Bueller? It would be so easy to cut those. Immigration, if we can count how many illegals are here, we can find and deport them. DO IT! Put the military on the border. Reserves and guards units that sit in the border States, have them run their exercises on the border where they can do some good. Bring units from non-border States to the border to run their exercises when they run them. Put some AEWACs and hellicopters on the border to coordinate with border control. Quadruple at a minimum the border control agent numbers. They're ridculously outnumbered. And the budget, actually CUT some pork. He has line item veto, USE IT! There are billions a year that could be cut that wouldn't hurt anyone. Even (gasp!) keep spending levels for all non-military / national security programs UNCHANGED for a few years. Make agencies and programs keep with their same spending level. There is too much waste across the board in ALL programs that get government funds. If they have it to waste, then they don't need more. THAT would save billions even with the war. The military, intelligence industry, and law enforcement are the ONLY entities that shouldn't be cut, but should get increases. They should never be cut. Without them, there is no U.S.. It's frustrating. He's still a lot better than any liberal, but man I wish he'd turn 180o on those three things. That would make a huge difference. Maybe the next Republican President. Allen, Romne, not sure who. Personally, I think J.C. Watts would be a great President, but doesn't seem like he's at all interrested. I haven't heard anyone but liberals who don't like him.

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