The Smoking Gun has what they say to be
Harriet Miers' resignation letter given to President Bush. There's a lot of follow-up questions I would love to ask after reading this.
The quick-n-dirty version is (paraphrasing):
I'm withdrawing because we need to preserve the independence of the executive branch, and my confirmation will cause repeated inquiries into my legal activities for you.
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Yeah, I don't buy it either. More analysis on the flip.
Here's some the real text:
As you know, members of the Senate have indicated their intention to seek documents about my service in the White House in order to judge whether to support me. I have been informed repeatedly, in lieu of records, I would be expected to testify about my service in the White House to demonstrate my experience and judicial philosiphy. While I believe my lengthy career provides sufficient evidence for consideration of my nomination, I am convinced that the efforts to obtain Executive Branch materials will continue.
Which of course leads to the old argument - what is Harriet Miers trying to hide about her Whie House time? She's withdrawing due to her steadfastness on this one issue? Anyone should smell a rat here, and realize this is disengenuous.
I feel compelled to adhere to this position, especially related to my own nomination. Protection of the perogatives of the Executive Branch and continued pursuit of my confirmation are in tension. I have decided that seeking my confirmation should yield.
I highlighted the above, since this is really peculiar. Either the linchpin of her career as a lawyer is this one issue, or there's something that she knows, and doesn't want to reveal in hearings, about the internal matters about the inner workings of the Bush White House. Maybe it involves cover in Plamegate, WMDs, or maybe even other scandals, but I'm getting the sense that she didn't want to talk about this in congressional hearings. I don't want to sound tin-foil-hatty, but this revalation sets of big alarm bells for me.
I'd encourage you all to read the whole text, discuss, and judge for yourselves.