Posted on 10/03/2005 8:40:08 AM PDT by Para-Ord.45
The expected political brawl over President Bush’s second Supreme Court nominee might not ever take place – because it was a powerful Democrat, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who had urged her selection.
The senator from Nevada first hinted that he thought highly of Miers shortly before Bush announced the nomination of John Roberts for a seat on the Court.
Bush phoned Reid to tout Roberts, and Reid took the opportunity to tell the president that had had enjoyed working with Miers, the White House legal counsel, during the search for a nominee.
A few days earlier, Reid had met with Miers and suggested ways to avoid a divisive confirmation process, according to a report published in August in The New Yorker magazine.
Now the Associated Press is reporting: "Democratic and Republican special interests groups had been braced for a political brawl over the (second) pick, but they may not get it.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., had urged the president to consider Miers, according to several officials familiar with Bush’s consultations with Congress.
After the nomination was announced, Sen. Reid issued this statement:
"I like Harriet Miers. As White House Counsel, she has worked with me in a courteous and professional manner. I am also impressed with the fact that she was a trailblazer for women as managing partner of a major Dallas law firm and as the first woman president of the Texas Bar Association.
"In my view, the Supreme Court would benefit from the addition of a justice who has real experience as a practicing lawyer. The current justices have all been chosen from the lower federal courts. A nominee with relevant non-judicial experience would bring a different and useful perspective to the Court.
"I look forward to the Judiciary Committee process which will help the American people learn more about Harriet Miers, and help the Senate determine whether she deserves a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court.”
Now, Robert Byrd is the measure stick as to whether or not Supreme Court candidates will be originalists rather than a judicial track record?
Reid has the same NARAL grade as John Warner and Kay Hutch of TX.
Here's what we know. Miers contributed money to Algore's 1988 Presidential campaign. And, Bush and the Democrats like her.
Yep, she's sure to be another Scalia.
Well if Reid is "on board" it may impede the Dems ability to obstruct the nomination. So if everything is "easy" the only fear is how she votes.
Please remind us of William Rehnquist's qualifications before he was nominated. I dare you.
Ok...so you either have a former dem supporter who is now a conservative, making her balanced (and more importantly) and educated on both sides....OR...you have a Conservative. Bc that's what she is now. I fail to recognize the significance of her contributions in 1988 when its 17 years later and she was most recently working W. She will do well.
While I have zero respect for Reid's joy over Miers, perhaps Bush is being smart like a fox. Time will tell. Perhaps Miers has undergone a deep political conversion, similar to W's spiritual conversion, and has stayed under the radar of people such as Reid because her transformed ideology -- transformed since she supported Gore in '88 -- isn't visible to Harry, while her convictions are obvious to Bush.
I hope this is the case.
Sounds like Reid, the odd-man-out probably since he was a kid on the playground, is so desperately in need of affirmation that having a woman be nice to him, treating him with the courtesy all human beings need, finds THAT the important qualification for the USSC.
They're chopping babies up into little pieces. 45 million and counting. I want divisive!
But they'll never be the majority in the Senate.
Oh yeah, how stupid of me. I should have known Miers is a conservative when I saw that Reid, Feinstein, Schumer, et al, are happy as clams at low tide this morning.
Face it, conservatives have been shafted again. The GWB acorn didn't fall far from the GHWB tree after all, the only thing missing from this shafting is the "read my lips" thing.
Oh well, who cares about a little thing like how she votes as long as it's easy to get her confirmed?
For Pete's sake man think about what your saying. If an easy confirmation is the main qualification for a nominee, Bush could have nominated Babs Streisand and 45 Dems plus 6 or 7 RINOs would have voted to confirm her. You Bushbots are getting really desperate to find some way to defend this betrayal of the conservative base.
Al Gore was a lot better in 1988, and 17 years ago was 17 years ago.
You assume it's not what's intended...
Any "benefit of the doubt" that President Bush is owed has been used up long since.
Either this crap stops or Republicans, in general, pay the tab for what he's doing in the next election.
I've never seen such excessive knee jerking in my life.
You know, you're starting to sound like the moonbats and their shrill cries of, If the democrats don't start doing what I want this instant....I'm going to make them pay next election!!!!!!
This instant?
There has been a Republican House, Senate and President for 5 years, and what have they accomplished in the social or fiscal areas?
Massive increases in spending, more bureaucracy, and an increasingly drifting war in a country whose inhabitants will hate us for freeing them do not count as accomplishments.
Given that, I guess I'd rather sound like a moonbat than a klinton coolaid drinker.
I believe you have misinterpreted the intention of my remarks.
I felt betrayed and disgusted by Bush, but after spending most of yesterday trying to learn all I can about Ms Miers I am at least somewhat encouraged today. I would still much prefer a proven conservative originalist such as Luttig or Brown, but I have to admit that with a 1/2 dozen RINO Senators on his roster Frist isn't in a strong enough position to break a filibuster. The nuke option will not work with the current Senate makeup unless at least 2 or 3 of the RINOs go along with it.
I'm not happy with the situation, but I will have to live with it. I lived through JFK, LBJ, Jimmah Cahtuh, and worst of all, Clinton. I can survive this disappointment too. Have a good day, I intend to.
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