REVELATION: HARRIET MIERS WITHDRAWS NOMINATION

AS PREDICTED from the first day of creation of this nominee, Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination. [story]

Harriet Miers withdrew this morning as a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.

In announcing the decision, Miers and President Bush cited their concern with the requests of members of the Senate Judiciary Committee for documents dealing with her work as White House Counsel that the administration has chosen to withhold as privileged.

AND NOW the holy war begins.

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[Jack Grant/ The Moderate Voice] It appears they took the "out" offered by the Senate Judiciary Committee when both Democrats AND Republicans requested documents that are protected both by executive privilege and by attorney-client confidentiality. From MSNBC.com:

Bush blamed her withdrawal on calls in the Senate for the release of internal White House documents that the administration has insisted were protected by executive privilege. [text of Miers letter]

THE HERETIK SEES BUSH again blames others where he alone is to blame.  If a less qualified candidate were not available, The Heretik cannot say.  The only reason this executive privilege canard is offered is because Miers didn’t have more personal reasons to withdraw like a nanny.

[Pam Spaulding/ Pandagon]She puts herself out of her misery. The wingers really took her out, though that first questionnaire gave both the left and the right enough ammo to make hearings a complete disaster for the Admin. Earlier this AM they were talking about the submission of her "do-over" questionnaire, but I guess she won't need to crib anymore. Next up: the Chimp is going to probably push one of the Right's shining stars of AmTalibannery.

THE HERETIK SEES dark clouds on the horizon. Whether they are of the mushroom variety is as yet unknown.  Hello, Michael Luttig.

THE KRAUTHAMMER OPTION WINS OUT [Captain’s Quarters] The face-saving withdrawal option presented by Sam Brownback and Linsday Graham took only a matter of days to get recognized by the White House. Good for them. It won't save them from some criticism, but it will make this into the nine-day wonder it should always have been.

Now can we nominate a candidate whose qualities and track record presumes we control the Senate?

THE HERETIK HOPES the Democrats don’t take too much pride in having nuked Miers’s nomination.  A candidate whose qualities and record presume we control the Senate?  Hello, Janice Rogers Brown.  If the Dems couldn’t stop her last time, what makes them think they could stop her now?

AND MY DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUE SAYS [AP] Sen. Trent, R-Miss., told Fox News that the nomination had been a bad idea. "Let's move on," he said. "In a month, who will remember the name Harriet Miers."

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called Miers capable but added, "This clearly was the wrong position for her."

"The radical right wing of the Republican Party killed the Harriet Miers nomination," said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who had recommended Miers to the president.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist spoke with White House chief of staff Andy Card Wednesday night and offered a "frank assessment of the situation in the committee and in the full Senate," Frist spokesman Bob Stevenson said.

AND THE LESS DISTINGUISHED HERETIK adds we are now minus one Miers.  Will the Democrats problems multiply with the next nominee or can the Dems only look forward to more internal discord and division the Republicans themselves so recently revealed?

NO McKRAP TM HERE
UPSIDE FOR MIERS IN THIS DOWN TIME [Tom Maguire/ Just One Minute] Another slow news day.Well, she picked a good day to step aside, if she wants to avoid attention. No hint on whether Fitzgerald planned to indict her.

BEYOND POPCORN STRATEGY [Jack Balkin] 

THE HERETIK LIKES smart and funny.  Jack Balkin is smart.  Tom Maguire is smart and funny, the opposite of The Heretik, his matter versus my anti-matter, or don't matter. And then there is just funny.





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Comments

[shamanic]

No, Pam's wrong. I have inside information on the next nominee.

[shamanic]

And of course, that's the wrong link. Sorry. Have to drink more coffee now.

[Night Bird]

What irks me about this post Heretik, are the words used by the two Senators. Lott is sweeping Harriet Miers into the garbage, showing her no respect. I find that completely disrespectful. While Schumer's statement simply showed his dignity towards people.