CNN: HARRIET MIERS HAS WITHDRAWN!

[maxter]

Since the hard right has chosen to undermine him in his first choice, the President is now free to pick whomever he wants. Can you say Justice Gonzales?

[inquest]

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.

By calling them out on their hypocrisy. Conservatives just got a shot in the arm with Miers' withdrawal, and so now is not the time to start nervously limiting ourselves. Anyone - Dem or Republican - who starts going on about how JRB is "outside the mainstream" needs to be challenged to say exactly what he means by that. Because her most distinguishing characteristic, from the perspective of people who talk like that, is a relative lack of willingness to strike down laws enacted by that same "mainstream". That needs to be hammered over and over again, and conservatives need to be unified on that point. The more ridiculous the RINO's and Dems are shown to be in front of the entire country, the less swagger you'll see in the way they talk. Those who are up for reelection in '06 will bear that in mind.

The most important thing for conservatives to remember is that no matter what the MSM says, we are in the mainstream when it comes to judges, because our judges aren't used as ways of circumventing the legisltative process. That's what the Left wants in judges, because they know they're outside the mainstream. So as long as we don't lose heart, we'll prevail, because ultimately, this is merely a game of psychological warfare that the Left is playing with us. As long as we're not caught off guard, they will lose that game.

[BlackbirdSST]

Yes, I believe it was the right decision. I do respect Miers for doing so and also the President for accepting the withdrawel. The reasons given by Miers are precisely the reason she should never have been lofted in the first place. With little to base a decision on, the Senate wanted White House papers. That would have impacted the ability for White House counselors to provide good advice to presidents in the future, always wondering if that advise would later be revealed in public, or impact their possible future nominations. I have thought Miers nomination was a flawed choice from the start. I am glad to see Bush get a second chance on this one.

For all of the Gonzales threats, he carries the exact same baggage, and likely to a greater degree. You're right in your assessment, D.O. Blackbird.

[Tatze]

Several of the top names thrown around here (PO, JRB, etc) were supposedly asked and most, if not all, said emphatically, that they had NOT asked to be removed from consideration. So I dont know who was on that short list that asked to be removed.

[Lady Heron]

Then again, it is from the usual rabid Bush haters so I'm used to it. Just another thing the far right has in common with the far left. The both use the tactic of attacking and attempting to destroy anyone they don't like.

Rabid Bush haters do not last long on this site, but hey, that is not really the point of you comment is it. Your tactic is exactly the same as used by the dem party to shut down any opposition in the ranks by belittling anybody taking a different view, everybody must frog march together with out a single person stepping out and questioning the direction of where they are going, who cares if it is over the cliff.

I guess that unlike you I will always question where we are being led and is it really the right choice. Most people here have a higher IQ than that in the dem party and do not take well to being talked down to like naughty 5 year olds because we do not agree with every thing you think.

The one thing I like best about Freerepublic is the give and take on all issues until the truth is vetted out. Trying to shut down the civil argument because you are not being agreed with is just stupid, we will just go back to the old flame wars.

[areafiftyone]

Instead, the "pie in the sky" conservatives believe that JRB or Luttig can make it through the nomination process

As much as I would like them to make it thru, I doubt they will. We cut our own noses off to spite our face.

[Eepsy]

Great. Now we have every dem talking head crawling out of the woodwork, calling the "right-wing" naughty children that the President should ignore for the rest of his term.

[GraniteStateConservative]

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 :)

I don't think this withdrawal has anything to do with Fitz, but, there's no better way to rally the troops in the face of adversity than to nominate someone like JRB. When you lose a battle, you want to shore up the core of your support.

[B Knotts]

To clarify, I meant Gonzales, like you had said, not Estrada, like I typed. My coffee hasn't kicked in yet. :-P

[Prysson]

Actually that lie has been discredited..Ill try and find the source..but Jancie Rogers brown vehimently insisted that she did NOT aske to be withdrawn from consideration in fact this same report indicated that every candidate on the "short list" that was known of was contacted and non of them said they asked to be withdrawn from consideration.

[olde north church]

The Troglo-cons and Beltway Babblers need new undies!

[meyer]

Enact the "Limbaugh" plan, the President should find the most conservative candidate he can.

I want a nominee so conservative that Kennedy's head explodes right on the Senate floor, spewing cheap whisky all over the place.

[rhombus]

all are reliable conservatives.

Are you so sure? Hatch? A reliable conservative? His name has been mud on this site many times.

[JohnnyZ]

My bet is he will appoint another justice that is NOT one of the top candidates we are well aware of (Luttig, Jones, Brown, etc.).

It's possible, but there are some very good judges that just haven't gotten as much publicity. Alice Batchelder(?), Maura Corrigan, a few others.

[fatnotlazy]

Excuse me, guys, if I don't celebrate. I think this woman was treated unfairly from the beginning. I can't say whether she would have made a good Supreme Court Justice because I didn't know a whole lot about her or what she would have done had she been a Justice. Trouble is that neither did just about everyone else; yet a number of people used rumor, inneundo and just plain viciousness in an effort to kill her nomination...and all for their own political and personal agenda. The woman was never given a fair hearing. Sorry, folks...I thought the conduct of many from both the right camp and the left in this matter was just plain deplorable.

[meema]

...and I hope he takes advantage of it to appoint someone with a brain and the understanding of the term "originalist".

I hope he goes back to the origainal long list of possible nominees, and nominates the best posssible person, whether a man or woman.

I fear he does not "like" the women on the list, which is why he went to Miers, whom he likes.
It would be nice if Laura and Andy Card would stay out of this nomination.

[nuffsenuff]

This was a Rovian Maneuver.

She was never going to make it to the confirmation hearings from the start.

Bush nominated her to give the conservatives an issue to distance themselves from the White House for the upcoming mid-terms.

Pure genius.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

"we now know who the conservatives are and who are the republican koolaid drinkers."

Sen. Brownback from Kansas said a good comment this morning on NPR, "We are not a party of one man. We are a party of ideas." and "This episode has not weakened us but strengthened us in making us remember our ideas.", or words to that effect.

[rightinthemiddle]

One thing useful about this episode - we now know who the conservatives are and who are the republican koolaid drinkers.

_____________

You don't know jack, man. That's the most ridiculous post I've ever seen, except on DU.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks. I appreciate it.

Folks shouldn't see this as a defeat for the President. While it is a setback, it will likely set the stage for him making a very good choice, someone who will serve with distiction for decades.

Those who support Bush should understand that will be a far better fate than (possibly) seeing someone morph into a Souter and embarass this Presidency for decades to come.

Bush and the nation will fair better from this, IMO.