On the Harriet Miers' Nomination Withdrawal
On a personal level, I feel bad for Harriet Miers. No, I don't know her personally, but as a Christian, I feel bad for anyone who has been the victim of injustice, and Harriet Miers has been the victim of injustice. She was judged by the court of public opinion to be unqualified to serve on the Supreme Court. Justice demanded that she be allowed to have her day before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Justice denied.
Having said that, let me now say that when Miers asked to have her nomination withdrawn, she did the country a great service. I don't say that out of a belief that she is not qualified. In fact, as I have previously written, I think she would have been a fine justice. However, the fact of the matter is that her nomination divided the Republican Party. Even the so-called Christian conservative wing of the Republican Party was divided.
The Miers' withdrawal gives President Bush another opportunity to nominate someone who will unite this party once again. He has another opportunity to nominate a strict constructionist, one who is proven and battle-tested.
We all know there are several excellent candidates available, candidates with outstanding track records. We also know that if the President nominates one of them, there will be a monumental confirmation battle. All the better. If the President nominates a Janice Rogers Brown, a Priscilla Owen, or an Edith Jones, conservatives will rally around him like never before. Of course, liberals will hate him, but they're going to do that anyway.
The President has an opportunity to nominate a candidate who will unite the party, solidify his supporters, and move the court to the right. Let's hope he does the right thing.
Having said that, let me now say that when Miers asked to have her nomination withdrawn, she did the country a great service. I don't say that out of a belief that she is not qualified. In fact, as I have previously written, I think she would have been a fine justice. However, the fact of the matter is that her nomination divided the Republican Party. Even the so-called Christian conservative wing of the Republican Party was divided.
The Miers' withdrawal gives President Bush another opportunity to nominate someone who will unite this party once again. He has another opportunity to nominate a strict constructionist, one who is proven and battle-tested.
We all know there are several excellent candidates available, candidates with outstanding track records. We also know that if the President nominates one of them, there will be a monumental confirmation battle. All the better. If the President nominates a Janice Rogers Brown, a Priscilla Owen, or an Edith Jones, conservatives will rally around him like never before. Of course, liberals will hate him, but they're going to do that anyway.
The President has an opportunity to nominate a candidate who will unite the party, solidify his supporters, and move the court to the right. Let's hope he does the right thing.
posted by Bryan Alexander | 8:53 PM
1 Comments:
Like P Heck, I'm relieved simply because she may have been unprepared to handle the Judiciary Committee's questions. I think she did an unselfish and classy thing by withdrawing. She is probably a very good woman and deserved better than much of the acerbic criticism she got from "her own" on the right.
Conservatives talk about "having a debate on the issues" in these hearings, but thats been done before. Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who was confirmed overwhelmingly, was an official with the ACLU, which is tantamount to Bush nominating a judge who was formerly the president of the Right to Life movement. There is a double standard... but I don't think a debate will change that.
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