Miers Withdraws Herself

NPR is reporting that Harriet Miers withdrew herself from the nomination process for the Supreme Court. I can't find anything online yet, but it should be up in a few minutes.

UPDATE 9:11 a.m.: Ok, the news is confirmed here.

UPDATE 10:45 a.m.: “Harriet Miers” has blackened “her” blog in morning over “her” withdrawal.

More important, check out the posts over at TG's Political Wire on this today. Check out this progression of stories:

1. Reports that the White House was planning to deflect attention away from the indictments that are almost certainly coming from Plamegate.
2. Reports that the Miers nomination is seriously going to decrease contributions to the Republican party.
3. A quote arguing that the Christian right has taken over the Republican party. (Note that Christian conservatives were leading the fight against Miers.)
4. And finally, Miers withdraws.

So the politics of distraction and whoring for the polls continues as the administration dances to the tune of the Christian right. Oh, don't you love this country?

Note that even Miers' letter of withdrawal shows how inappropriate she was for the Supreme Court:

I am concerned that the confirmation process presents a burden for the White House and our staff that is not in the best interest of the country.

Even as a nominee for the Supreme Court she still speaks of the White House as something she's a part of. And they were trying to tell us she'd be able to separate herself from that on the bench. Right.

I heard someone argue recently that the Yubbledewers never intended Miers to be confirmed; rather, they nominated her knowing she'd fail but knowing also that no one could live up to the standard set by John Roberts. Therefore, the strategy was to put up someone really bad, so that whoever they put up next will seem that much better and people will care less that the next nominee just isn't up to the Roberts level. I disagree that Roberts set such a high bar, although it's funny how much better Roberts looks compared to Miers. Perhaps that was the strategy: Nominate someone totally not qualified just to etch more deeply the impression that Roberts really is qualified.

Ok, I'll stop w/the baseless speculation. This news speaks for itself in enough ways you won't need my rants to put it into context. Although I will say one more cynical thing: Brace yourself because if you thought Miers was bad I'm betting you ain't seen nuthin' yet.

Posted October 27, 2005 09:02 AM | general politics law general