The Way It Could Have Gone Down

Considering the information in the last post, it's really hard to gage where this nomination stands. But I wanted to present a quote from Fred Barnes' latest in The Weekly Standard. True, President Bush bears some responsibility for "misunderestimating" the reaction of his base with this nomination. But that reaction, while understandable, has been more than a little unfair. As Barnes explains:

Bush supporters who were angry over Miers should have waited. That's the bottom line. Rather than bellow that Miers isn't qualified and won't turn the Court to the right, they should have given her a chance to prove her conservatism at the hearings. They owed Bush at least that much. Of course it's not too late for Miers, in her testimony, to change their minds. But my fear is that the rift the Miers nomination opened between Bush and his (mostly conservative) followers will be slow to heal. It shouldn't have been this way.

While I have never said that I definitely believe Miers should be confirmed, I have argued strongly that she should at least be given the benefit of a hearing. If after that time, her opponents are still adamantly against her I'll likely join them. But the overall reaction combined with the way it's been handled by the White House has made me wonder if having Harriet Miers withdraw her nomination wouldn't be the least painful course for this process to take. It's a shame that I feel that way, but I do.

UPDATE: 4:00pm
If Miers does withdraw, it will be interesting to read the reaction of some of the most vocal opponents.

Posted by: Gary at 03:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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