CNN: HARRIET MIERS HAS WITHDRAWN!

[SoFloFreeper]

just breaking!!!!!!!!

[gondramB]

Does anybody think the timing is interesting.... if anybody in the White house is targeted for indictment they probably already have a target letter and the President knows whether or not indictments are coming.

On the other hand that pro-choice sounding speech coming out was pretty much the death knell for the nomination.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Looks like those on the Left and Right who wanted a fight to the death in the Senate will get their wish. I doubt we have the votes to succeed.

Let the voters in 2006 vote for JRB by opposing Democrats who opposed her.

[TonyInOhio]

Folks, you may as well get ready to deal with a fact: if Arlen Specter does not approve of a prospective nominee, that nominee will not be brought forward.

That wasn't much of a problem with the Roberts nomination, and it need not be a problem with the next nominee, either.

[You Dirty Rats]

Most of us are going to be doing considerably more than "watching" should those things start to happen. Are you?

If you figure out a way to bring the likes of John McCain, Mike DeWine, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Chuck Hagel, Lindsey Graham, Arlen Specter etc. into the ranks of those willing to vote for the "nucular" option please let me know.

Conservatives have about as much influence over Olympia Snowe as Jacques Chirac has on JimRob.

[DoctorMichael]

Good!

[DoughtyOne]

Bingo!

[sonsofliberty2000]

No, I was againsy her due to her lack of experience in constitutional law, the fact that not one person could vouch for her Conservative views, and the constant flow of info suggesting she was not pro-life. Of course those supporting her said she went to church and wait for the hearings.

[GarySpFc]

That just shows how little you comprehend the arguments against her.
Or how little he comprehends conservatism... if he even tries.

I was working in the conservative movement and reading Buckley, Reagan, and Goldwater before you were a gleam in your dad's eye.

[roses of sharon]

LOL, dream on, the MSM has already written the script, the conservative press has lost again.

As they have for 40 years.

They have ZERO influence over mass public opinion.

The Dims have plenty of blood, they run this country.

[mountainfolk]

LOL. I'll do the same for Weekly Standard.

[NRA2BFree]

If he gives us Estrada, the GOP is finished for 25 years.

So much for Rove's "McKinley" strategy.

I agree! He could do a lot of harm to the GOP if he decides he's going to retaliate. Hopefully, he won't do it.

[steveegg]

Sounds wonerful, what a bumper sticker. Do you even care if the nomination is confirmed or is it just about "making a point"?

If the nominee is like O'Connor or more liberal than her, I for damn sure don't want that nominee to be confirmed.

[kjam22]

On the other hand that pro-choice sounding speech coming out was pretty much the death knell for the nomination.

That's what I think.

[claudiustg]

---The GOP has no party discipline.---

Yes, it's not just the RINO's, but those that would rather be "right" than strong. Here in Montana I witnessed both sides of the coin last election, elected Republicans supporting a Democrat over a Republican for local office and Republicans jumping ship for conservatively correct third party candidates. The result is the same, Democrats in office.

[Types_with_Fist]

I just hope GW picks an unambiguous constructionist/conservative. If there has to be a knock-down drag-out fight, then so be it. I think it would hurt the Dems worse than us.

Amen. It's the reason for his being elected. Not the fight, as it is... nobody wants a fight, but you HAVE to fight the fights worth fighting.

[buckeyeblogger]

Bush is very smart politically and I definitely wouldn't doubt if her nomination was a red herring, too.

My personal favorites would be Janice Rogers Brown or Edith Jones (I think Owen withdrew her name from the selection process).

[Nonstatist]

And now all the Miers haters are gearing up to do the same to the next person the President nominates

One thing, she would have made Sandra O'Connor seem like a staunch conservative. That would have been nice for Sandra, dont you think?

[Jokelahoma]

Wow... let's see... Miers withdraws, yet, the Republic still stands? Bush is still president? The sky is still firmly in place above our heads and hasn't sunk an inch, there was no coup.. hmmm. Seems a few of the dire "support her or die" folks in here may have been a tad off base (pun intended) with their dire predictions and blind sycophantic support for the president.

Now, I hope when all the "power pouting" is over, when all the threats of "I'll never read this columnist again" and "I'll send this magazine flaming bags of dog manure if they ask me to subscribe again. How DARE they speak their minds!" are over, many of these same folks can return to their principles they so quickly abandoned in their idolization of an office. Remember, folks, it's "principle over party".

Let's pray the president learns from this huge blunder and picks a true strict constructionist this time.

[gondramB]

" That wasn't much of a problem with the Roberts nomination, and it need not be a problem with the next nominee, either"

Roberts credentials plus a lack of paper trail that made him hard to oppose but also hard to duplicate.

[mewzilla]

Or it could be a sure sign that Rove won't be indicted, so Bush can pick someone else who he won't have to worry about being tainted by Rove's indictment :)