Today’s reactions to the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court have been most interesting. Right blogistan is, in general, apoplectic. Check out the icky Michelle Malkin’s roundup of uniformly negative (to put it mildly) reaction. Confirm Them and RedState are similarly upset, using words like "profound disappointment," "unqualified," and "betrayal." [UPDATE: There’s another excellent collection of despondent conservative reaction here.]
Some lefties are also unhappy, but most are withholding judgment. Senate minority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) apparently suggested her to President Bush as someone he could support, and liberal lions like Sens. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Schumer (D-N.Y.) are just doing the old "we look forward to learning more about her" dance. Seems to me that the Dems smell blood – Bush’s blood – in the water, and are holding their fire while they figure out the best way to play this.
Will this nomination be killed by the right – even via a right-wing-led judicial filibuster, as some on the right are floating? Did Bush know about Miers’ Enron problem, which could prove to be a PR nightmare as more facts come out about it? Will her nomination have to be withdrawn, and if not, will she make it out of the Judiciary Committee, or will Republicans start to peel off as the heat from the "base" becomes unbearable?
Day 1 of the Miers nomination has not gone well for the White House. We’re all looking forward to day 2.
Martin Frost was just on Greater Boston with Emily Rooney saying how great Miers was. Apparently they know each other since clerking in the 70’s.
If Miers gets Borked by the right, left, or some strange tag-team effort, will the Dems be able to stall until November 2006?That seems like far too long, but if the proceedings drag on and then get stopped by members of both sides of the aisle, is there any chance of a post-election “do-over”?
Stormy – They’d have to stall until 2008 to avoid a Bush appointee, and frankly, Steven will probaby be dead by then.WHAT possessed Bush to take Reid’s advice on ANYTHING?