Posted on 10/11/2005 4:32:52 PM PDT by Cautor
I was going to write a juicy piece with lots of good quotes from White House sources, but in the past twenty-four hours I've gotten calls, emails, and instant messages requesting that I please not quote anyone. What's going on? Here's the story I was going to write: I was going to write about the flurry of White House conservative staffers contacting me to vent. Slowly, but surely, momentum among the conservative staffers shifted from tight lipped Bushies to angry activists and then abruptly stopped. A couple worked under Miers and said they loved her, but could not fathom that she would be considered for the post, given that no one really knows where she stands except potentially on affirmative action and that would be bad for the conservative position.
What all the callers wanted to say, but then decided they should not say, or at least not be quoted saying, was that Andy Card really and truly was the person pushing Miers. The general theme was that Tim Flanigan had moved on in 2002, Gonzales had moved to Justice taking well trained staff with him, and Miers was left to fill a definite void with some lesser experienced staff.
Those who mentioned Roberts praised Miers handling of Roberts and commented that Miers went to bat for Roberts right out of the gate with a game plan in place, but no one was there to do the same for Miers. An independent source tells me that Miers begged for more time, but the White House demanded that Monday be the day. Interestingly, there is a credible rumor out there that the White House insisted on Monday because the intended nominee to be announced backed out over the weekend. Yes, it is a very credible rumor.
Part of the Miers pick seems to be a confused process and a rush job, which adds credibility to the rumor of a last minute back out. But, the White House conservatives and outside parties all indicate that they were ignored. They were heard but not listened to. Several who talked to RedState insist that warning flags were given to Andrew Card and others, but that those warning were ignored and Card pushed the issue all the way to the President's desk.
One outside source who has a good ear to the ground tells me that the White House most likely has nothing else to offer in Miers' favor, but will just recycle previous sound bites. This same source bolsters what a White House staffer tells me, in that the vetting process was so poorly done that much of what is now coming out about Miers was unknown before her nomination.
The remaining questions are whether Republican Senators will force the White House to withdraw the Miers nomination and, if so, will the replacement be less favorable to conservatives.
Like what? You're just spouting bullshit.
That's why they're trying to rush this one through---Specter wants to hold hearings before month's end.
Nope. First week in November, and Specter said he would give Miers more time if she needs it.
"rumors, and speculation."
Sink, you mean like the rumors and speculation the White House and the Miers supporters use to make the case that Miers is the best candidate in the US for the SCOTUS job?
Or not.
FReepers continue to go out on limbs with their predictions--like the one that Miers would withdraw by the end of the week--prompted by nothing but wishful thinking.
Do you like your egg scrambled, or over easy?
You RINOs have some kind of intranet? I'm quoting what Specter said---he wants hearings before the end of this month, October. Bush says he wants this nominee confirmed before Thanksgiving.
"FReepers continue to go out on limbs with their predictions"
Welcome to the limb. I see you have plenty of your own. BTW, I think you might prefer yours over easy. But that's only a prediction.
"Bush says he wants this nominee confirmed before Thanksgiving."
I think Bush got his turkey before Thanksgiving.
Meirs ping (inside rumors)
Podhoretz lives in friggin' New York City, for God's sake. What's he going to "hear" in that cesspool?
As for Malkin, she has such a keen ear that she totally misjudged the GOP response to Laura Bush's speech at some big press dinner earlier this year, with her double entendre and comments about Desperate Housewives. Michelle got her skirts all bunched up over the remarks, and the vast majority of the non-prudes in the GOP thought Laura was funny as hell.
Yeah, Malkin's sure got that ear to the ground!
As to Limbaugh, you need to listen to what he is NOT saying.
No rumor there, counselor. You can believe them or not, but there are no "unnamed sources" making those statements.
Perhaps you could give me a link, as I heard Specter say something entirely different.
"No rumor there, counselor"
Rumor and speculation has it that Harriet is the best SCOTUS candidate Bush could find. Is that a fact?
"As to Limbaugh, you need to listen to what he is NOT saying"
And what would that be?
Hewitt is interviewing Levin. HH is doing miserably. Levin is asking what her philosophy is and HH can only refere to what other people say of her. Just repeating the WH line.
"I think the president is taking a tremendous pummeling on it — unfairly. I think the stampede to judgment is not right," he said.
Specter said he would like to start the hearings in late October or early November and conclude them before Thanksgiving.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051011/ap_on_go_co/specter_interview_4
Hewitt is interviewing Levin. HH is doing miserably. Levin is asking what her philosophy is and HH can only refere to what other people say of her. Just repeating the WH line.
"Hewitt is interviewing Levin. HH is doing miserably. Levin is asking what her philosophy is and HH can only refere to what other people say of her. Just repeating the WH line."
Not surprised. I've never once listed to Hewitt, so don't know that much about him. I do know he and several others got out front on this Miers nomination.
Initially, many Miers supporters were delighted because she was the perfect stealth candidate--no record that would indicate how she might vote on important Constitutional issues. Now, as her nomination has hit heavy seas, they've reversed course and tried to make the case she is a conservative. But all they have is the TRUST ME argument. Yea, she was on the Dallas City Council and ran the lottery board and yada yada. But there's nothing there to commend her as the best candidate as Bush calls her. So the supporters are left grasping at straws and name calling--elitist, sexist,&c.
My thought on this is that Bush has isolated himself to the extent he really has no feel for his conservative constituency. He's surrounded by a staff of ass kissers and has become full of himself to the extent it now borders on sheer arrogance. Laura Bush today stated that the reason there is opposition to Harriet Miers had to do with sexism. The Bushies are losing it ... and frankly they've lost me ... and I voted for him twice (as well as Bush I).
"The Bushies are losing it ... and frankly they've lost me ... and I voted for him twice (as well as Bush I)."
He's lost me too, and my wife. BTW, here's another view of what might be happening with the base to which I would add several other factors including failure to protect the borders, failure to veto a single spending bill, &c.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Last week, the president of the United States, nominated an unknown quantity to the United States Supreme Court. In the process, and to the glee of some liberals, he has managed to accomplish what pork spending, campaign finance reform, and prescription drugs couldn't do: Divide his base.
In a recent Rasmussen poll, the president's approval numbers now stand at 43%. (Which matches Rasmussen's all-time low.) Looking deeper into the numbers, one discovers that the president's approval ratings among Republicans is only 76%. Consider this: The base support for Bush has consistently remained around 90% throughout his presidency. Such a drop off shows a dramatic shift in support among his base. What can be the root cause of this? Certainly, one cannot pin the full blame on the Miers nomination. No, there must be something deeper . . . a root cause that can explain the tail spin support.
I believe the answer lies in a combination of a series of events. Everything from Iraq, to gas prices, to the erroneous perception of the economy, spending, immigration, Katrina, and yes, Supreme Court nominees. The straw that broke the camel's back among many hard-core conservatives was the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.
I can't disagree with you as much as I would like to. Sad isn't it.
Absolutely agree ... I've had issues with the Bush administration, especially their ineptitude where immigration is concerned. Felt that the Katrina issue was mis-read ... only because the Bushies should have been playing heads up ball ... they weren't. Katrina, a force 5 hurricane is bearing down on a blue state ... the Governor is a democ'Rat and female, the Mayor of N.O. is a democ'Rat and black. When the crap hits the fan ... who are they going to blame? Bush should have canceled his vacation and flown back to DC, or, failing that, gone to NORAD in Colorado Springs. Bottom line ... the Bushies have been screwing up by the numbers lately ... and the Harriet Miers nomination frosted it for me.
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