All the latest news trickling out is that Meirs will not be confirmed. It has been weeks and the Republican base and their far right leaders are still not happy with Miers. Senate meetings have done her no favors either. It is starting to appear that
Miers will be defeated by a bipartisan vote.
Now there is not alot to like about a Miers nomination. But there are some things for us to like about her. She has contributed to Democrats, she has been involved in women's studies education, and she has supported diversity requirements. All three things the right cannot tolerate out of a nominee.
My question is, what next? Obviously there are litmus tests any nominee appointed by Bush will face. We cannot expect any nominee to be any different on that front. Bush knows it is his far right base he must satisfy in order to save the Republican party. Everyone else in the country has left him, so he has no problem offending them further. My guess is subsequent nominations will be truly horrific.
This little tidbit from Redstate offers a clue of what is going on right now. (disclaimer: Erick at Redstate is good at producing Washington gossip, but has not been very accurate during the nomination process)
http://www.redstate.org/story/2005/10/24/75037/326
RedState is able to report this morning that, very quietly, certain third parties have begun going back through the list of potential judicial nominees at the behest of the White House. Sources tell RedState that while the White House intends to make a public display of moving the Miers nomination forward, the reality of the situation has been conveyed to the President -- namely that it is increasingly likely that Harriet Miers will meet a bipartisan effort to block her nomination.
As a result of growing chatter about the nomination, the White House is, as the Washington Times reported, trying to develop an exit strategy. At the same time, the White House does not want to withdraw the nomination without having a replacement close by. Notwithstanding that, the White House is relying on trusted third parties to initially help reformulate a list of candidates that would unite and rally the base.
Trusted third partys:
aka James Dobson, of shower with your child so he can see your penis fame.
aka Pat Robertson, a lifetime of hating everything but money and himself.
aka Tony Perkins, a exemplary record of hating gays.
Some of the responses tells me all I need to know:
Perhaps this time the President would like to consult with the people who put him in office, or perhaps the Senators of his own party... instead of Harry Reid.
I just hope Bush picks someone who is the most qualified and not the PC or affirmative action choice.
Now lets see a JRB, Luttig, Estrada type of nominee. Show weakness again and your completely toast, all us "sexists" will sit on the sidelines for the next three years, and Jeb, yeah right.
My gut tells me to stick with Miers. As Obama accurately pointed out, without winning elections, we don't have that many options. There is a laundry list of very bad judges Bush has to choose from. Opposing them all just leaves the regular American observer with a bad taste in their mouth.
The best we could possibly hope for in return for Miers is Alberto Gonzales. And certainly a possiblity, knowing Bush cannot think in numbers larger than 10 or 15 people he knows. My goodness, heads woud really explode then. But I don't think they are going to let Bush make the choice this time. This time Dobson gets to pick the nominee.