Miers Withdrawal Bright Spot in a Dark Week
Kirsten Steinke
Issue date: 11/3/05 Section: Opinion
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When Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination for Supreme Court justice the day before the indictment of Lewis Libby, this past week became known as a "dark week" for conservatives. Certainly the indictment, combined with the recent death toll of soldiers in Iraq, makes this a difficult time for even staunch Republicans to maintain unwavering support for the Bush White House and the war in Iraq. However, Miers' withdrawal now opens the door for Bush to nominate a candidate who will enjoy more support from his or her own party, and with that, the opportunity for Bush to regain credibility.
The Miers nomination was a colossally stupid and damaging move for Bush. In an effort to appease demands to nominate a woman, any woman, to the high court, Bush picked an incredibly unqualified candidate whose only true qualification was her friendship with him. Despite his jargon about her accomplishments (notably, her service on the Texas lottery commission), neither conservatives nor liberals were fooled. Unfortunately for Miers, being born a woman is not adequate qualification for the duties of the Supreme Court.
Bush's strategy was undoubtedly to find an inoffensive nominee with no record which could have been used by the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) to prove she would overturn Roe v. Wade. However, in playing the tired game of "indulge the liberals," he further isolated himself from conservatives. What Bush fails to recognize is that the bridge between his White House and liberals has long been burnt. Though they may occasionally approve of an innocuous bill he passes or statement he makes, the anti-Bush sentiment in the Democratic Party is very much alive and growing, and nominating a woman to the Supreme Court would be a Band-Aid for a bullet wound.
If any time in recent history has been a dark period for conservatives, it was the time of bitter division between Bush and his supporters after the nomination. Bush saw a sharp decrease in his approval ratings, not only on the whole but particularly from conservatives. It became clear during the election that Bush supporters were such because they admired his steadfast conservative resolve, particularly when compared with Kerry's inconsistency. For conservatives, Bush's loyalty to the Republican Party and refusal to concede to the left was a part of his charm. Above that, it was the reason we voted for him.
Now with Miers' withdrawal, he has an opportunity to show that he has not gone soft when it comes to liberal opposition. He has the opportunity to regain conservative support, and with the way things have been going, he is going to need it.
The Miers nomination was a colossally stupid and damaging move for Bush. In an effort to appease demands to nominate a woman, any woman, to the high court, Bush picked an incredibly unqualified candidate whose only true qualification was her friendship with him. Despite his jargon about her accomplishments (notably, her service on the Texas lottery commission), neither conservatives nor liberals were fooled. Unfortunately for Miers, being born a woman is not adequate qualification for the duties of the Supreme Court.
Bush's strategy was undoubtedly to find an inoffensive nominee with no record which could have been used by the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) to prove she would overturn Roe v. Wade. However, in playing the tired game of "indulge the liberals," he further isolated himself from conservatives. What Bush fails to recognize is that the bridge between his White House and liberals has long been burnt. Though they may occasionally approve of an innocuous bill he passes or statement he makes, the anti-Bush sentiment in the Democratic Party is very much alive and growing, and nominating a woman to the Supreme Court would be a Band-Aid for a bullet wound.
If any time in recent history has been a dark period for conservatives, it was the time of bitter division between Bush and his supporters after the nomination. Bush saw a sharp decrease in his approval ratings, not only on the whole but particularly from conservatives. It became clear during the election that Bush supporters were such because they admired his steadfast conservative resolve, particularly when compared with Kerry's inconsistency. For conservatives, Bush's loyalty to the Republican Party and refusal to concede to the left was a part of his charm. Above that, it was the reason we voted for him.
Now with Miers' withdrawal, he has an opportunity to show that he has not gone soft when it comes to liberal opposition. He has the opportunity to regain conservative support, and with the way things have been going, he is going to need it.