Harriet Miers
withdrew her name as a nominee for Supreme Court justice
Thursday in the face of stiff opposition and mounting
criticism about her qualifications. Meanwhile,
national gay rights groups began preparing for the
next nominee.
"This was an extremist veto of Miers's
nomination," said Joe Solmonese, president of the gay
rights group Human Rights Campaign. "Her withdrawal
today demonstrates that the president is beholden to
extremist groups rather than to the American people."
Solmonese added, "There is still time to listen
to the American people while selecting a nominee. We
urge the president to find a nominee who shares the
values of the American people. We join Republicans and
Democrats alike in calling on President Bush to nominate a
justice who will keep the court balanced."
Lambda Legal education and public affairs
director Michael Adams said, "Harriet Miers faced
right-wing criticism on social issues. But what made
her especially vulnerable was not principally that but was
the combination of her lack of judicial experience and
her extraordinarily close connection to President
Bush, which led to the repeated suggestions that she
was nominated based on cronyism rather than her
qualifications. Would she have been an independent and
effective jurist?... We'll never know. We look forward
to a serious vetting of the next nominee. Whoever the
nominee is, we will continue to develop tough questions and
seek answers to the core issues of equality and
fairness for LGBT people and those affected by HIV."
President Bush said he reluctantly accepted
Miers's decision to withdraw, after weeks of insisting
that he did not want her to step down. He blamed her
withdrawal on calls in the Senate for the release of
internal White House documents that the Administration
has insisted were protected by executive privilege.
"It is clear that senators would not be
satisfied until they gained access to internal
documents concerning advice provided during her tenure
at the White House--disclosures that would undermine a
president's ability to receive candid counsel," Bush
said. "Harriet Miers's decision demonstrates her deep
respect for this essential aspect of the
constitutional separation of powers and confirms my deep
respect and admiration for her."
Miers's surprise withdrawal stunned Washington
on a day when the capital was awaiting news on another
front--the possible indictment of senior White
House aides in the CIA leak case.
Miers notified Bush of her decision at 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, according to a senior White House official,
who said the president will move quickly to find a new nominee.
In her letter, dated Thursday, Miers said she
was concerned that the confirmation process "would
create a burden for the White House and our staff that
is not in the best interest of the country." She noted
that members of the Senate had indicated their intention to
seek documents about her service in the White House in
order to judge whether to support her nomination to
the Supreme Court. "I have been informed repeatedly
that in lieu of records, I would be expected to testify
about my service in the White House to demonstrate my
experience and judicial philosophy," she wrote. "While
I believe that my lengthy career provides sufficient
evidence for consideration of my nomination, I am
convinced the efforts to obtain Executive Branch materials
and information will continue."
Miers's nomination has been under withering
criticism ever since Bush announced her selection on
October 3. There were widespread complaints about her
lack of legal credentials, doubts about her ability, and
assertions of cronyism because of her longtime association
with Bush. (AP, Advocate.com)
