Senate minority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on this morning’s withdrawal of Harriet Miers’s nomination to the Supreme Court:
The radical right wing of the Republican Party killed the Harriet Miers nomination. Apparently, Ms. Miers did not satisfy those who want to pack the Supreme Court with rigid ideologues.
I had recommended that the President consider nominating Ms. Miers because I was impressed with her record of achievement as the managing partner of a major Texas law firm and the first woman president of the Texas Bar Association. In those roles she was a strong supporter of law firm diversity policies and a leader in promoting legal services for the poor. But these credentials are not good enough for the right wing: they want a nominee with a proven record of supporting their skewed goals.
In choosing a replacement for Ms. Miers, President Bush should not reward the bad behavior of his right wing base. He should reject the demands of a few extremists and choose a justice who will protect the constitutional rights of all Americans.
Right on, Harry. This will be most interesting – does Bush deliver a slap in the face to his so-called "base" that just delivered to him the greatest humiliation of his presidency by nominating another "moderate," such as Alberto Gonzales? Or does he capitulate, figuring that with the indictment of his closest advisor likely within the next 24 hours he cannot afford to further piss them off, however angry he may be at them? My guess: Bush is really mad, and won’t give them what they want. So it’ll be Gonzales.
