Careful What You Wish For

After spending nearly the last two weeks somewhat engulfed in Washington I do leave flabbergasted. Talking with those who were in the capital in ’98 during the Clinton impeachment, many say the situation is eerily similar.

There is huge talk all over the capitol about the removal of Harriet Miers as a Supreme Court justice nominee. I’m not saying that the president will withdraw his selection of Miers, but I can tell you that if he doesn’t the president will face a huge uphill battle in the Senate for confirmation and it is very likely the president will lose.

It is palpable President Bush and the neocons that control him took for granted their conservative supporters and expected them to just line-up behind the president’s selection. That didn’t happen this time, and it’s evident the Bush administration was caught off guard by the response from his Christian neo-conservative base. But even with all that, Miers has just as many Democrats and liberals opposing her confirmation as Republicans and conservatives, and it’s for a variation of issues.

Some oppose her simply because she is not qualified. Others oppose her simply because she is a crony. And others insist that she is not or has not been vocal enough about her views on abortion and right to privacy. Quite a few say it’s because she cannot even answer a simple senate questionnaire properly. Whatever their cause for such contempt, the president’s nominee has pleased few from either side of the aisle. Where to from here?

Those opposing Miers, though, should be careful with their delight in seeing the president defeated. It is very unlikely that if the president does withdraw his nomination of Miers that he will next nominate someone more moderate. Chances are the president will, this time, have to pander his base. Bush will have to start the process over and will have to deliver to his supporters the substance for the issues for which he was elected, abortion, gay marriage and God.

Miers may very well indeed stay and face a very tough confirmation process in which I seriously doubt she will be confirmed. And a unison filibuster by Republicans, Democrats and the American people is a viable threat. If not, her removal will be at her request, or so the story will go. If Bush does decide to withdraw her nomination, the press release will read that Miers has decided that she can best serve the president, the White House and the American people by remaining as legal counsel to the president and his administration, and has thus decided to remove herself from consideration by the Senate as the next Supreme Court justice. Like usual, Bush will take no responsibility for his totally careless jaunt of Miers’ selection.

I have no idea what’s going to happen, but there are very serious divisions right now within the president’s party and administration, all of which seem to be strengthened by the Miers pick. All the indictments, investigations and incompetence have created quite a bit of disarray.

Though I strongly oppose Miers’ nomination, I do cringe at the thought of allowing Bush to re-do a very costly mistake.
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On another note, I will sometime this weekend have a main page response to my earlier essay topic of supporting the troops but not the president. Right now it’s Friday evening and I just got home, so I’m going to relax. Thanks to everyone for reading and leaving comments.

Tags:
Wilma, Bush, Miers, Miers Support Team, Exit Strategy, White House Balk