Why Anti-Miers Conservatives Misjudge Bush's Choice

The Christian Science Monitor ^ | October 11, 2005 | Dante Chinni

[quidnunc]

There are plenty of reasons for conservatives in particular and supporters of President Bush in general to be unhappy with his selection of Harriet Miers to the current Supreme Court vacancy.

-snip-

What has been harder to grasp in the past week is the anger from the political right on Miers not being conservative enough. The Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol was "disappointed, depressed and demoralized." Rush Limbaugh was uneasy on his radio show in an interview with Vice President Cheney. Many want her nomination withdrawn.

They want a more conservative nominee in the mold of Justice Scalia or Justice Thomas. They've been waiting a long time for this opportunity to get "their" court and they don't like the way this is unfolding.

That's reasonable, of course, if you are on the political right — to want a more conservative nominee, to want another Scalia or Thomas, to want to get what they've waited for so long. But wanting is about wishing, not reality. And the reality in Washington right now is that over the past few months the temperature has changed where the Bush administration is concerned.

Conservatives on the air, in print, and online, have for the last week repeatedly made the case for Bush to push forward a nominee who would rile the left, who would make Democrats seriously consider the filibuster. The fight, the thinking goes, would unite the right and show the president still cares about them while making the Democrats look like extremists.

That's not a bad line of thinking — for, say, two years ago.

-snip-

The real problem for Brownback et al. is more basic. They can believe what they wish about who put the president in the White House and that they are due.

Without public support those chits may not be worth much.

[flashbunny]

breaking news?

[clawrence3]

"breaking news" for SOME here ; )

[wvobiwan]

Unfortunately, conservatives haven't gotten squat for their hard work to give Bush the presidency AND a Republican majority in the Senate, House, and Governers.

Bush takes conservatives for granted now, and does what it politically expedient for his own success. I'm very disillusioned with W. He's still my president, but I don't trust him on much outside of the foreign policy realm anymore.

[clawrence3]

If both Roberts and Miers vote to overturn Roe v. Wade this term, will you "trust" GWB again?

[willgolfforfood]

Ironically, just like his father.

[birbear]

I guess what it all comes down to now is do we put pressure on Miers to withdraw her self, or do we let the the natural order of things continue, and hope for the best that we get a third seat under Bush?

For Bush to withdraw her now would practically end his political career -- three years before the 2008 election: nobody would have any respect for him.

I dunno anymore. I had thought for the sake of unity, I'd hold my nose and not condemn Miers any more... but the conservative punditry make some great points.

She may end up being a great justice, but how can I forgive Bush for what he's done to the party and to the movement?

[marsh_of_mists]

I'm willing to wait and see on Miers, but the problem is that conservatives have been disappointed by sketchy SCOTUS nominees by Republican presidents time after time. This is such a monumental event and I don't see why we couldn't get a more known candidate. Miers might not turn out to be worse then Jones, Brown, Luttig, et al, but she surely can't be better, so why bother to go down this shadowy path?

[Owen]

>
Unfortunately, conservatives haven't gotten squat for their hard work to give Bush the presidency AND a Republican majority in the Senate, House, and Governers.
>

Wait a minute. Are you claiming it was conservatives who elected Lincoln Chaffee? And Collins? And Snowe? It is from the RINOs that the GOP has a Senate majority. I thought conservatives of a hard core variety don't like RINOs.

>
Bush takes conservatives for granted now, and does what it politically expedient for his own success. I'm very disillusioned with W. He's still my president, but I don't trust him on much outside of the foreign policy realm anymore.
>

How does the word "expedient" differ from the word "necessary"? Does not necessity dictate that one nominate the Most Qualified candidate? And is not Miers the Most Qualified candidate?

Yes. Of course she is. For the utterly obvious and inescapable reason that confirmability is equal in significance to any other qualification. The other candidates, assuming they could pass vetting (which apparently many could not), were clearly less qualified than she because the RINOs vetoed them.

So is this what the more hardcore of our Freepers wants? Less qualified nominees put forth so they can fight a losing battle?

Oh, and don't bother to say "you can't know you'll lose until you try". You need not bother to say that because you're right. You can't know. Unless you make the try, by picking up the phone and calling the RINOs and finding out what reality is.

Miers is clearly the most qualified of whatever of the FR rockstar conservatives could survive vetting and did not withdraw themselves (as Owens did, I'm told).

[ez]

She may end up being a great justice, but how can I forgive Bush for what he's done to the party and to the movement?

Bush simply made the best choice he thought he could. It is those who attack him for not nominating their perfect candidate that are causing damage to the party and movement, imho...

Just like the Dems refuse to cooperate with the administration on any issue, then blame the Prez for "partisanship," those who demand perfect adherance to their agenda damage the party by not accepting political realities.

[surely_you_jest]

Ironically, just like his father.

Not ironic. Like second marriages, it was the triumph of hope over experience.

[XJarhead]

She may end up being a great justice, but how can I forgive Bush for what he's done to the party and to the movement?

You mean that even if she turns out to be a great justice, its Bush's fault that some conservatives lost their minds and prejudged her -- and him? Hey, we're all adults here. And if it turns out that the party gets torn apart over this, and the Bush critics are wrong, that's not Bush's fault. That's the fault of the people who were wrong. Now if she turns out to be lousy, then the critics are right and it is Bush's fault.

[Vaquero]

probably wont come up while W is president. if these 2 justices are lemons we might have to wait well into the next presidency before we know it...thats why we needed a KNOWN factor...Strict Constructionists....period. Bush needed to nominate strict constructionists and the Senate needed to use the nuclear option if necessary to get those persons on the bench. anything else is a crap shoot.

[bray]

Don't confuse Miers bashers with facts, their minds are made up. Let the lynching continue!! The same arguments they had with Roberts.

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

[birbear]

All I'm saying, is Bush could have prevented this controversy by nominating one of the many able conservative judicial minds.

He may have had a fight on his hands, but it would have a good old fashion Repub vs Dem fight. Rather than this Republican in-fighting we now have.

Sure the RINOs may have bitched and whined a little, but the base would have been firmly behind the President and his choice.

Instead, he abandoned the base, and picked an unknown who seems to be getting the praise of RINOs and democrats.

[Clara Lou]

but how can I forgive Bush for what he's done to the party and to the movement?
You must mean, "How can I fogive Bush for not doing what I thought he should do?" because, up to this point, if anything's been done to the party, it's been done by the far-right tantrum-throwers with their we-worked-so-hard-to-elect-him, but-he-won't-do-what-we-want.

[KingKongCobra]

"probably wont come up while W is president."

Actually, http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/26/D8CS2GJ01.html

This Partial Birth Abortion case is due to reach the USSC in a few weeks. It was theorized that Bush went with the "stealth" Miers and asked the Senate to confirm by Thanksgiving specifically for this case.

At any rate, your test of his new appointees is coming soon.

[TXBSAFH]

Read my tagline, please.

[clawrence3]

There are 2 abortion issues THIS TERM - parental consent and partial-birth abortion ban - even a KNOWN factor and strict constructionists would have been "a crap shoot" ; )

[Stellar Dendrite]

again, i know i will get flamed for this but i dont care--
KELO is the most important decision that needs to be overturned right now. it poses the greatest threat to the future of our nation--- one of the goals of communism, the abolition of private property. this sets the standard for that-- imagine waco style attacks on citizens who will not surrender their property.

kelo first
then roe