What Now?
I think the ground on both sides of the Harriet Miers debate has been thoroughly gone over. If her supporters had anything to back up the President's claim that she would be a constitutional conservative, it would have come up by now. That clearly isn't going to happen. Her ex-boyfriend Judge Nathan Hecht was interviewed by Hugh Hewitt today (transcript here), and just like everyone else who has risen to her defense, could offer only a list of her accomplishments and a testament to her personal character in answer to the question for proof. There isn't any, and there isn't going to be. RNC Chairman Ken Melman tried to quell the tide today in a conference call with conservative bloggers, and they came out still unconvinced. Professor Bainbridge has the report and the typical reaction.
So what do we do now?
The nomination clearly isn't going to be withdrawn. Bush is not one to give in to his critics, regardless of the merits of their arguments. It is unlikely that the hearings will provide any more clarity than we already have, given the near-certainty that she will refuse to answer any questions that would give a glimpse into her philosophy (still assuming that one exists!).
There seems to me to be little chance that, despite the obvious shortcomings of this nomination, that any significant number of Republican Senators will challenge her confirmation. While there is quite a bit of grumbling, enough to have leaked out to the media, it's hard to believe that push will come to shove.
That leaves the question of the Democrat's response. Will they buy the argument (advanced by Reid and Schumer) that this is the best they're going to get from Bush and let her go through after making enough noise to try to satisfy their base? Or will they do what Bush would not and go to war over a lifetime seat to the Supreme Court? If they do go to war, what should those of us who are true conservatives do? Should we support an unsatisfactory nominee, or should we just sit back and let the President suffer the consequences of his spinelessness?
I don't know where I come down yet, but I'd love to hear what you think.
posted by Robert @ 7:43 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Unfortunately the damage to the base has already been done. Hugh Hewitt's savage attacks on National Review, Prof Bainbridge and others will have an impact that will first be felt in the 2006 elections and then 2008. I think you're going to see the Republicans narrow or even lose their margin in the senate.
As for the President, this is a no-lose situation for the democrats. They can fight her being seated and force Bush to send up someone else, a loss for him. They can let her dangle in the wind and be seated on the court finalizing the split in the republican base.
This was an incredibly unwise move on the part of the administration and like Bush 1 cringes whenever anyone says, "read my lips," Bush 2 will have to live with "Hurricane Harriet"
This was the President's choice - let him deal with the consequences.
I have thought all along that Miers would be confirmed. I can't imagine conditions under which GOP senators would turn her (and Bush) down. But if the dems fight, I say that conservatives should do nothing. Miers, unfortunately, is not worth fighting for. Sad to say but true. How disappointing that Bush chose so poorly. This is like a bad dream - grasping defeat from the jaws of victory.
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