[Ingtar]

I'm afraid you are correct. This was President Bush's attempt to reach out to the conservatives more; he was snubbed. I would not be surprised to see a nominee we like even less. I dearly hope I am wrong.

[frogjerk]

I'm afraid you are correct. This was President Bush's attempt to reach out to the conservatives more; he was snubbed. I would not be surprised to see a nominee we like even less. I dearly hope I am wrong.

I don't think so. I believe he will nominate someone openly acceptable by his base. Miers took much abuse without saying anything. Definitely a classy woman...

[libstripper]

This nomination was no effort to "reach out to the conservatives." President Bush nominated an inadequate candidate with a terrible (to the extent it could be determined) background on a "trust me" basis. In the last 50 years we've had 8 "trust me" justices nominated by Republican Presidents and each has gone over to the dark side. Miers' record shows she'd have been no. 9. If Bush wants to restore his reputation as a straight shooter, he'll keep his promise and nominate a real originalist.

[Frank T]

"This was President Bush's attempt to reach out to the conservatives more"

I subcribe more to Frum's theory. That is, Roberts was for the base, and Miers was for him and his legacy, whatever that is. Giving presidents more independance in waging the terrorism war? Miers, IMO, was not meant for us.

"I would not be surprised to see a nominee we like even less."

That would more or less blow out of the water any argument that he's some sort of conservative who's bringing the movement into the modern context. It would reveal him to be a "centrist" or New Deal establishment type. ie. not a reformer of the status quo, but actually to the left of Bill Clinton.

[hispanichoosier]

This was President Bush's attempt to reach out to the conservatives more

How so? Miers had no proven conservative track record, and the President must have known which possible names were favored by conservatives (i.e. JRB, Alito).