Posted on 10/13/2005 1:15:06 PM PDT by indianrightwinger
U.S.: Miers Won't Withdraw Top Court Nod Oct 13 3:31 PM US/Eastern Email this story
WASHINGTON
The White House on Thursday dismissed the possibility that Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers might withdraw if she encounters heavy fire in her Senate confirmation and suggested her nomination was becoming embroiled in "side issues like religion."
Asked if there were any circumstances under which she would ask that her name be withdrawn, presidential spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters: "No one that knows her would make such a suggestion."
"And no one that knows her record and her qualifications would make such a suggestion," McClellan said.
Conservative critics have complained that Miers lacks a clear judicial philosophy and have questioned whether she is the best-qualified nominee, given that she has never been a judge and has little public record.
President Bush and White House officials have sought to reassure conservatives by emphasizing Miers' evangelical faith. "Part of Harriet Miers' life is her religion," Bush said on Wednesday.
Yet in a combative exchange with reporters, McClellan on Thursday said: "You all want to focus on side issues like religion."
"We've always talked about her record and her qualifications," McClellan said.
"And I think that we are doing a disservice for the American people when we focus on other issues and not her record and qualifications and experience, because that's what matters when you're on the nation's highest court," McClellan added.
Miers, 60, currently serves as White House counsel. She is a former Dallas corporate lawyer and was once Bush's personal lawyer.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Rumor has it that your rumor is a steaming pile of bullcrap.
I say more power to her, hang in there baby. I haven't had a good reason to fight the conservative pundits in a long time. This little palace revolt is an absurdity. This woman is a conservative and we are burning our own tents needlessly.
How sad if HM withdraws. She strikes me as average, humble, Godly and American. She's kind of like most of us. What's wrong with having an average American on the Supreme Court?
Let us get to know her. Who knows? We might like her.
Great post...you're exactly right!
You are parsing and nuancing.
"The rumor is that several senators have begun attempts to send the message to the White House that Miers should be withdrawn...Also, the Senior Senator from South Carolina is rumored to have started up the Karen Williams drumbeat..."
Nothing against Judge Williams, but South Carolinan Republicans to get rid of the Chipmunk. 2008 can't come soon enough.
that link you provided suggested that leonard leo might withdraw support.
if that happens....look for all hell to break loose.
otherwise, i think she is still looking very strong.
UP OR DOWN VOTE!
NO EXCEPTIONS!
President Bush and White House officials have sought to reassure conservatives by emphasizing Miers' evangelical faith. "Part of Harriet Miers' life is her religion," Bush said on Wednesday.
There the AP goes again completely twisting this quote and ignoring the context preceding it!
Everyone who eventually withdraws, at some point earlier in the crisis, has claimed they would not.
I'm sure it is crap. And its not my rumor, I just passed it along, you never know when someone who knows something else might connect the two things and voila...
I have no doubt that President Bush will not withdraw the nomination. (unless she lied to him or somehow misrepresented something important which turns up in the investigation) He will likely encourage her to NOT GIVE UP for any reason, and not to worry about him, he can handle the abuse and political fallout.
As a loyal supporter of President Bush, she might wish to withdraw to spare him the pain. But it will not be because the Sr. Senator from SC asks him to change horses.
What's TRULY entertaining here is that just Wednesday, Bush was pushing HM's "faith" as one of her most redeeming qualities, and a key reason why he nominated her for SCOTUS.
Now (only Thursday), the WH is angry that we are "focusing on side issues like her faith, and not her qualifications" [WHAT qualifications?!].
This would be comical if it weren't so freakin' tragic.
As others here have said, she HAS NO RECORD for us to talk about. All evidence is that she's a flaming lib, and that's only come out in bits and spurts.
The elitists around here won't like it.
After all, constitutional law is just...like...so hard...
I don't know, so you'll have to help me -- has any democrat on the Judiciary Committee expressed opposition to Miers? My guess is that if anything, Miers will make it out of committee only with democrat assistance. Miers is the best the Democrats are going to get from a conservative president and a Republican controlled Senate and I don't think they can afford to let this one go -- a big question mark with a disturbingly liberal past.
Well, every democrat said this at this stage of the Roberts nomination, but in the end only a few voted against him in committee.
a good hearing will pretty much eliminate the rational basis for her rejection, even if it doesn't make us feel any better.
Who is Leonard Leo?
Yeah, Miers would have to make a strong case that any withdrawal not only was HER wish, but also WAS NOT Bush's wish. Tough case to make, at this point.
If Miers is confirmed, the GOP will never see another red cent from me! We were promised a Scalia-like Justice. I've stood by this President, donated hundreds of dollars I couldnt really afford, and THIS is the thanks we get???
[...After all, constitutional law is just...like...so hard...]
Al Gore is wrong, the Constitution is not made out of SILLY PUTTY. It is absolute and understandable. Constitutional relativism is what is confusing to elitists. We average Americans read and understand. Revisionists read "into" and they are confused.
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