Posted on 10/07/2005 12:18:33 PM PDT by Map Kernow
Kansas Republican Sen. Sam Brownback has said he would consider voting against the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court even if President Bush made a personal plea for his support.
NewsMax reported Thursday that Brownback, a key member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was reserving judgment on the nomination until he had a chance to meet with Miers.
He did meet with the nominee that afternoon – and evidently was less than thrilled about what he heard.
Brownback complained that he was left trying "to gather little pieces of shreds of evidence” about Miers’ views on abortion and other issues, including gay marriage and the role of religion in public life, the New York Times reports.
He told reporters after the hour-long meeting that Miers had avoided a discussion of Roe v. Wade and "had done little to assure him that she would be open to revisiting or overturning the case,” according to the Times.
Brownback, an ardent opponent of abortion, said he tried to initiate a discussion of abortion law by citing the 1965 case of Griswold v. Connecticut, a decision that established a married couple’s right to use contraceptives, and later served as a basis for the Roe v. Wade decision.
According to Brownback, Miers said she would not discuss the case because related cases could come before the Court.
Brownback, a potential presidential candidate in 2008, is a leading voice of conservatives in the Senate, and a vote against Miers’ confirmation could lead other possible GOP candidates to follow.
This is going to be a bruising battle. Problem is, Bush has chosen to pick his fight with his own base, not with the Democrats. Color me unsurprised.
The problem is that conservatives have just been burned to many times with "trust me".
Initially, I opposed the Miers nomination. Then, Dr. Dobson influenced me to support it. Now, I oppose it again after listening to many arguments from other conservatives. With this nomination, a division has occurred in the pro-life ranks. This is sad because any president who sincerely cared about the issue would not have allowed this. I am an evangelical, but I know evangelicals who are pro-life and support a right to choose. Miers may be like this. Of course, I think this would be a contradiction. Bottom line: I oppose the nomination and think pro-life senators should vote against it unless Miers speaks out against Roe at the hearings which is unlikely. Every attempt by conservatives to defeat this nomination should be made.
Here is comes Sen Brownback.
The "Bush can do no wrong and is a small Government Conservative" brigade will be here soon to accuse you of being a communist, wanting to run for President, wanting to be loved by Hollywood and the Media and for kicking puppies.
The "strategery" behind this has been incompetent.
I have read arguments that Miers was expected to be an easy confirmation and was chosen for that reason. Why ? The Democrats could not accurately argue that Roberts did not have the qualifications to belong on the court. They did not like his positions but they couldn't sell that as reason enough to vote against him. So half the Democrats had to ignore their activists and confirm him.
It cannot be argued that Miers is a brilliant legal scholar with the qualifications to be on the court. So the Democrats have a superb argument to make to moderate voters for not confirming her.
On illegal immigration, Bush has frankly lost the confidence of many conservatives.
It is now acceptable to question his motives on other issues.
This is the strangest feeling. Gratitude toward the Dems for standing on liberal principle. =D Way to go Brownback. Now if 15 or so more Republicans can just join him...we might be able to force Bush to nominate someone qualified.
The only argument I have against Miers is that there are many better qualified candidates.
Since Roe v Wade was passed, which Supreme Court justice nominees have openly stated their opinion of it? Any? Did Thomas? And what kind of precedent do we open if we start demanding that nominees state how they will rule in cases that might end up in the court?
One irony in all this is that it will illustrate how utterly worthless these hearings and senatorial grillings are. If Miers follows the same course as Roberts, we will not know anymore about her afterward.
Friend, where've you been? You're late! ;-D
Some of what we are learning about Harriet Miers is genuinely encouraging. She has been identified as an evangelical Christian with deep Christian commitments.
This means that Harriet Miers is not a product of the tight and relatively insulated world of legal scholarship and the judiciary. Her real-world experience in litigation, management, church, and life means that she is less likely to fall prey to the "inside the beltway" syndrome.
"It is time for all good men to come to the aid of their party."
You can be sarcastic all you want, but GWB is our President and we're at war. I'm as conservative as anybody here, and probably more than most, but he won the election, and he deserves to have his nominees confirmed.
It would certainly take the wind out of the sails of the argument that's been repeated ad nauseam here: that Republican Senators have no stomach to fight for a real Originalist nominee.
No president deserves to have their nominees confirmed.
They deserve to be looked at and have a vote.
Obviously the GOP Majority can't get this through their head.
*SIGH!* She's been "inside the Beltway" for five years. And Bush has had five years to keep his promises---the main one, the "elect and then re-elect me and I'll do this for you" one being to nominate people like Scalia and Thomas to the Supreme Court.
If he does then I'm probably taking him out of my tagline.
Conservatives should learn to count.The White House does AND knows who they can count ON. I am not persuaded that there are 50 dependable votes in the Republican caucus.
Sam Brownback BUMP.
I feel heartened when I see an inside-the-Beltway politician put principle over party.
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