Making Sense of the Miers Nomination

[Jon8503]

By Robert Parry - October 7, 2005

By picking his personal lawyer Harriet Miers to fill a key swing seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, George W. Bush angered his right-wing supporters, who wanted someone with clearer conservative credentials, and opened himself to new charges of cronyism – a double whammy of bad PR. So why did he do it?

The most common theory is that Bush was looking for a stealth candidate who wouldn’t provoke strong Democratic opposition but would get solid Republican backing – after some wink-wink assurances that she would vote the right way on abortion and other core conservative issues.

That indeed may be the answer. Bush may have just miscalculated how disappointed his conservative base would be and how offended other Americans would be at his straight-faced assertion that his White House counsel was “the best person I could find.”

But there is another theory that would fit the facts. It may be that Bush is less concerned about constitutional issues than he is about criminal and political disputes that might reach the court if the troubles surging around his administration get worse.

What if, for instance, a senior Bush aide is facing prosecution in connection with an untested law prohibiting unmasking covert CIA officers? It might be handy for Bush to have a trusted friend on the court of last resort to rule on some technical legal questions that could torpedo the whole case.

Or what if it turns out that Bush himself participated in the criminal act? Wouldn’t it be advantageous if the lawyer who helped him out of previous legal scrapes was sitting among the judges who would make a ruling on this one? (And there really is no reason to think that a Bush appointee would step aside because of some fretting over conflicts of interest.)

Rest of Article @ Link:

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2005/100605.html

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

1. Grab your torch and pitchforks

If this were to become a reality, I believe the vast majority of 'the people' would be outraged.

[tigereye]

2. as much as I do not think this woman

is qualified to be a justice, I have read that she takes the law very seriously. But then again, she also apparently thinks * is brilliant.

:shrug:

[Generator]

3. This is the smart DU'ers take and mine

"It may be that Bush is less concerned about constitutional issues than he is about criminal and political disputes that might reach the court if the troubles surging around his administration get worse."

In other words, he picked her to cover his own ass-which is his number one job in life. Getting away from every disaster he makes.

Why else risk such ire from his base? My GOD, George Will and Ann Coulter no longer like him. That must sting. I think the great irony will be if his own party sinks this nomination because finally they smell a rat?* He doesn't give a shit about anything but job numero uno-protecting the Bush crime family. And oh yeah-Cheney. He's honorary Godfather.

(* Which is sickening because as a Du'er pointed out, no matter things Bush has done, the endless incompetence, a unending war, Katrina, gas prices, the one thing that they turn on him for-the Supreme Court nominee is NOT far enough rightwing for them-so he's toast! That's what the were promised, damn it. And damn this Bush, the nerve of him to not deliver.)