Posted on 10/20/2005 1:27:08 PM PDT by Stellar Dendrite
The Miers Support Team: Gloomy and Demoralized Now they’re discussing stopping her visits to the Senate.
Strategists working with the White House in support of the Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers are becoming increasingly demoralized and pessimistic about the nomination's prospects on Capitol Hill in the wake of Miers's meetings with several Republican and Democratic senators. On a conference call held this morning, they even discussed whether Miers should simply stop visiting with lawmakers, lest any further damage be done — and so that time spent in such get-acquainted sessions will not cut into Miers's intensive preparation for her confirmation hearing.
The strategists discuss issues on a twice-weekly conference call led by Leonard Leo, the executive vice president of the Federalist Society who has taken leave to help the White House shepherd the nomination through the Senate. A number of people who have taken part in the calls described the conversations to National Review Online. None wanted to be identified, because they do not want to openly oppose the White House or defy loyalists like Leo who are trying hard to defend Miers. Nevertheless, they paint a grim portrait of morale among those close to the nomination.
"The number of participants is declining," says one knowledgeable source. "With Roberts, these calls occurred five or six or seven times a week. Pretty early on, the calls on Miers were scaled back to twice a week. That says something in and of itself."
"It's been a gradual descent into almost silence," says a second source of the calls. "The meetings with the senators are going terribly. On a scale of one to 100, they are in negative territory. The thought now is that they have to end....Obviously the smart thing to do would be to withdraw the nomination and have a do-over as soon as possible. But the White House is so irrational that who knows? As of this morning, there is a sort of pig-headed resolve to press forward, cancel the meetings with senators if necessary, and bone up for the hearings."
"They are going to be keeping the meetings that they've already scheduled," says a third source. "But they have scheduled murder boards today from 12 to 5. She has to focus on her hearing. And the questionnaire that wasn't filled out, to me that's an indication [the White House] hasn't done the vetting. She has to spend a lot of time discussing stuff that should have been done before. So between those two things — finishing the questionnaire and preparing for the hearing, which is going to be make or break — they prefer to put her time into that."
"In the early days, there were people on the call who tried to give facile defenses of Miers, and they were immediately shot down," says a fourth source. "And by the way, those defenses weren't as insulting as the White House line — no way would they have done the 'sexist, elitist' line."
In summary, says the first source, "People have been looking for ways to support this. There are a lot of us who would like to find a reason to be encouraged. Every time I try to accommodate myself to this nomination, folks at the White House say idiotic things that piss me off, like that spin on Rove's part about her supposed deep involvement in judicial selection for three years, which is just not accurate."
"Demoralization and pessimism?" the source continues. "That's been a constant. We're in the various stages of grief."
We are getting so sick of the "in your face" lies, deceits, and coverups like Able Danger, that We feel compelled to say that if Harrie gets in there and makes an utter fool of herself in the hearings and they confirm her ANYWAY they will turn off millions to the political process. Now, we're not so sure that isn't exactly what the one-worlders are trying to do, but it's going to be one more example that business as usual isn't getting us down the road that we need to be on.
How is this a gaffe?
Does Congress run afoul of the Equal Protection Clause if Congress passes a law stating that New Yorkers get one representative per 1000 citizens and Texas gets 1 per 1,000,000 citizens?
James Madison would certainly think so.
Aren't they on the same shelf as the foil, just to the right?
Well, us fringe religious conservatives just ain't as smart as you all.
I smell strategery.
One word: Bork.
The Left declared the beginning of the Culture War with that one.
We have to win it.
She was a partner with that law firm for a very long time and managing partner for a long time as well. I don't think she's going to be cleaning toilets at night to pay for Mom's nursing care.
While we're asking questions, why can't I find the Gaffes when I go to the zoo?
I wouldn't say that. On balance, likely smarter, IMO.
The qualities of trust and loyalty are likely independent from the quality of intelligence.
Having turned to the right page in your briefing book. You would make one helluva press secretary.
I suspect pride is driving the train now. Bush is bound to be hyperpissed at the conservatives and the Republicans are pissed at Bush. How pulling Meirs out of the running is going to play with either party will be interesting. I wonder if Bush does let Meirs go, will he go left or right. He may be so pissed he will move to the left. It might be easier for him to get confirmation for a left of center nominee rather than Michael Luddig. It is possible for him to say...'Here is your Michael Luddig...you get him confirmed'.
Meirs is in for an awful time of it. I guess the most disconserting thing about this is that the democrats are laughing their asses off at us.
Because they hang out with the platypuses (platypi?) and both are so screwed up they are hard to tell apart.
Look around, people. Is it any wonder that most other candidates withdrew their names?
Byron York is pretty reliable.
No strategy. Bush would never use a person like that.
I don't want to see the blood on the floor either. I don't want to see W and this poor woman humiliated. If she is as loyal as he says she is, she will withdraw. If not for him, at least for herself. Surely she can see by now that the SCOTUS is way beyond her ken. If she is as smart as he says she is, she has to know that.
Or is the WH such a bubble that all who labor there think they are the best in the world?
That's my impression, too. He's a good reporter, isn't he?
That depends. How much does it pay? What are the hours? Do you have to take a drug test?
NO.
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